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University of Nebraska - Kearney Athletics

Breanna Jones
Corbey R. Dorsey
3
Winner Neb.-Kearney UNK 20-5,11-5 Mid-America Intercollegiate
0
Northwest Mo. St. NMSU 19-4,12-3 Mid-America Intercollegiate
Winner
Neb.-Kearney UNK
20-5,11-5 Mid-America Intercollegiate
3
Final
0
Northwest Mo. St. NMSU
19-4,12-3 Mid-America Intercollegiate
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Neb.-Kearney UNK 25 25 25 (3)
Northwest Mo. St. NMSU 15 21 18 (0)

Game Recap: Volleyball |

Offense Getting Scary as Lopers Sweep #3 Bearcats

Kearney, Neb. – The 15th-ranked Nebraska-Kearney volleyball team hit .333 and had 12 blocks to sweep 3rd-ranked Northwest Missouri State (-15, -18, -21) Saturday evening in Maryville.

The red-hot Lopers (20-5, 11-5) win a seventh straight match while the Bearcats (19-4, 12-3) go 1-2 on the week. They lost at No. 2 Central Missouri in five on Tuesday and edged Fort Hays State in five on Friday night. The Tigers (12-13, 6-10) come to the Health & Sports Center on Tuesday.

To avenge a four-set loss to Northwest earlier this fall, UNK got off to a sizzling start. The Lopers, with an offense that has revved up of late, came in at .469 (16-1-32) in set one. Kearney went on a 7-2 run to break a 7-7 tie and then zoomed to a 22-13 advantage after a kill from sophomore outside Cecilia Beahm (Hastings).

A balanced first set attack featured four kills by Beahm and redshirt freshman right side Lauren Taubenheim (Lincoln Pius) with outside Emersen Cyza (Alliance) and middle Anna Squiers (Kearney Catholic) at three apiece. Meanwhile, Northwest had four unforced errors. 

UNK cooled off to .175 (14-7-40) in the second set but was still up 16-9 after a kill from sophomore middle Bailee Sterling (Kearney H.S.). That capped an 8-2 run and forced the 'Cats to call timeout. The lead reached 20-10 before Northwest tried to come back, getting withing 24-21 after a block by Rachel Sturdevant and Jaden Ferguson. Thankfully, a Squiers kill stopped the momentum and set. Both Squiers and Cyza had four kills in this second with UNK managing three team blocks.

The Lopers never trailed in the third, breaking away from a 7-7 tie with a 9-2 run that saw Squiers and Sterling have two kills apiece. Northwest, behind outside Payton Kirschhoefer, rallied a bit but a Cyza kill ended things in three.

Cyza (15) and Squiers (10) combined for 25 kills with Taubenheim providing a season-best nine, Beahm at seven and Sterling with six. Both Squiers and Sterling hit over .400 with Squiers and sister Madison Squiers combining for seven blocks. Finally, senior DS Breanna Jones (Littleton, Colo.) was 17 for 17 in serve receive.

Kirchhoefer warmed up as the night went along and finished with a match-high 17 kills on 43 swings (.326 pct.). She also was perfect in 13 serve receive chances.

After Hays, UNK hosts No. 2 Central Missouri next Saturday afternoon in its 2021 home finale.
 
 
 
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