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University of Nebraska - Kearney Athletics

Bree Jones
Corbey R. Dorsey
3
Winner NW Missouri State NWMSU 10-2, 3-1
1
Neb.-Kearney UNK 11-3, 2-3
Winner
NW Missouri State NWMSU
10-2, 3-1
3
Final
1
Neb.-Kearney UNK
11-3, 2-3
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
NW Missouri State NWMSU 16 25 25 25 (3)
Neb.-Kearney UNK 25 22 17 22 (1)

Game Recap: Volleyball |

Bearcats Win Nationally-Ranked Match in Four Sets

Kearney, Neb. – Junior outside Kelsey Havel had 16 kills and redshirt freshman outside Payton Kirchhoefer added 15 more to help 13th-ranked Northwest Missouri State beat 10th-ranked Nebraska-Kearney in four sets (16-25, -22, -17, -22) Friday night at the Health & Sports Center.

Northwest (10-2, 3-1) improves to 3-22 all-time against UNK (11-3, 2-3), not counting last spring when the Lopers took two of three matches. This marks Kearney's first losing streak since 2015 as it fell at Central Oklahoma last Saturday in four sets. 

"I thought we played really hard and got off to a great start and did everything we wanted to do. But they aren't going to go anywhere in that second set and they'll find another gear and we did not respond to that whatsoever," said Loper head coach Rick Squiers. "We dug a big hole, kind of let them breathe a little bit and when good teams get that opportunity they make you pay for it."

UNK hit a sparkling .361 (16-3-36) to lead the first set from start to finish. Outsides Cecilia Beahm (Hastings) and Emersen Cyza (Alliance) had four kills apiece with senior Breanna Jones (Littleton, Colo.) digging up seven balls from the libero spot. Kirchhoefer (Omaha Marian) had five kills in this set but the 'Cats hit just .154.

However, Northwest rebounded in a big way by jumping out to a 10-2 lead in the second. Back-to-back blocks made it 9-2 and after UNK used its second timeout, the Lopers committed one of its 17 unforced attack errors on the night. The Blue & Gold did make a run at the end, getting within 22-20 after a Cyza kill. But the 'Cats closed things out thanks to two kills and UNK error.

"We're plagued bit little lapses of very low-end volleyball. There was lots of good stuff and high-end volleyball but those stretches of rotations where you get stuck or can't get into system … that'll be the difference in our league against teams like this," said Squiers.

The Lopers also never led in third as it hit only .100 (9-6-30). UNK zoomed to an 11-4 lead in the fourth but Northwest slowly chipped away, grabbing its first lead via a Kirchhoefer kill. That made it 20-19 and UNK never led again.

"All of a sudden we couldn't get a kill. We finally got some blocking on the floor and got some people out there who could get block touches on number eight (Kirchhoefer). But then we didn't use them to attack or we wouldn't," said Squiers.

Havel finished up with a team-best .297 hitting efficiency while also having 10 digs. Next, Kirchhoefer took a team-high 56 swings and also supplied five block assists and six digs. Finally, sophomore setter Alyssa Rezac (Wahoo Bishop Neumann) had 47 assists, 10 digs, two blocks and two kills.

UNK was paced by Beahm (17) and Cyza (15) who combined for 32 kills. The also took 96 of UNK's 161 attack attempts. Jones tallied a career-best 29 digs with senior middle Anna Squiers at seven kills, four blocks and three digs.

Missouri Western State (10-3, 2-2) visits Saturday at 2 p.m.
 
 
 
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