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University of Nebraska - Kearney Athletics

UNK VB
Corbey R. Dorsey
1
Central Mo. UCM 23-3, 16-2
3
Winner Neb.-Kearney UNK 22-5, 14-5
Central Mo. UCM
23-3, 16-2
1
Final
3
Neb.-Kearney UNK
22-5, 14-5
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Central Mo. UCM 14 17 31 21 (1)
Neb.-Kearney UNK 25 25 29 25 (3)

Game Recap: Volleyball |

A Win Over #2 UCM Caps Senior Day

Kearney, Neb. – Sophomore outside hitter Emersen Cyza had a season-best 20 kills and No. 15 Nebraska-Kearney got off to a fast start to down No. 2 Central Missouri in four sets (-14, -17, 29-31, -25) Saturday evening at the Health & Sports Center.

The red hot Lopers win a night straight match to improve to 22-5 (14-5) while the Jennies (23-3, 16-2) remain in first place in the MIAA standings.

Earlier this year in Warrensburg UNK got out to a 2-0 lead over UCM before the home team stormed back to win in five. After the Lopers dominated the first two sets, things were getting dicey late in the third especially after All-American Anna Squiers (Kearney Catholic) left with injury. She didn't return to the court but it's likely she'll be available next weekend to close out the regular season.

"It felt as déjà vu as it possibly could've felt. That started right at the beginning of the third and then we lose Anna. We had a chance to win it (third set) but they made a couple of miraculous saves and I was thinking really … the volleyball gods are going to do this to us again?," said UNK head coach Rick Squiers. "But nope, not today in the Health & Sports Center. Our team found some grit and they just wanted it that bad."

The Lopers stormed out of the gates by not trailing over the first two sets. They held UCM to only seven kills in the first set and 13 more in the second while hitting a combined .045 (20-16-88). Offensively, Cyza (Alliance) had four of her kills in the opening set with fellow outside Cecilia Beahm (Hastings HS.) having five in the second.

"We played fantastic defense (over the first two sets). That's the best defensive UCM team we've ever seen. We went dig-for-dig with them and got enough offense that we were able to get some separation," said Squiers. "We served well and got a lot of block touches early."

UCM didn't go quietly into the night as they amassed 19 kills to win the third. They got out to early leads of 4-0, 10-7 and 15-10 before UNK came back to lead 23-21 after a block by Beahm and middle Bailee Sterling (Kearney H.S.). The Lopers were just a point away from a sweep but UCM fought that off with a kill and then the teams went back and forth until the Jennies used a kill and Loper attack error to win the marathon set, 31-29. Cyza, who had 20 kills vs. UCM back in October, did her part in the third with eight kills and no errors in 19 swings (.421 pct.).

The Jennies jumped out to a 10-7 lead in the fourth and forced UNK to call one of its timeouts. The break worked as the Lopers went on a 9-2 run that featured three Cyza kills and two blocks, one come from reserve middle Fallon Stutheit (Johnson). Now down 16-12, UCM didn't get closer than three points the rest of the way.

"We were having a hard time stopping something we knew that they were going to do. They found some success just coming right at us in the middle of the net. Volleyball players are trained to see the set and go block it. But they were running it quick enough and by the time we saw it was in the middle and decided jumped it was too late," said Squiers.

Cyza had a match-high 60 swings (.217 pct.) with Beahm at 12 kills in 51 attempts. Next, Sterling had nine kills, two blocks and hit .333 with Lincoln senior libero Lindsay Nottlemann at a team-best 29 digs. Finally, Kearney senior setter Madison Squiers recorded 48 assists, 20 digs, four aces and two blocks. She's now at 5,991 career assists which includes two seasons at Bellevue U.

UCM was paced by Audrey Fisher (18 kills, .311 pct.), Hannah Engelken (10 kills, nine blocks) and libero Rylie Barum (40 digs).

UNK heads to Missouri Southern and Pittsburg State next weekend. The MIAA Tournament starts Nov. 16 with the top four seeds hosting a match.


 
 
 
 
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