Kearney, Neb. – The ninth-ranked Nebraska-Kearney volleyball team heads to the Commonwealth of Kentucky this weekend to take part in the 13-team Kentucky Wesleyan Invitational in Owensboro.

The Lopers (5-0) face four teams they've never seen on the court; Shorter (Ga.), Kentucky State, Lincoln Memorial (Tenn.) and St. Anselm (N.H.). Live stats and a live video stream (encompassing multiple courts) is available on both Friday and Saturday.

UNK enters the weekend with a robust offense hitting .308 and averaging 13.4 kills per set. The Lopers are also out hitting its opponents by nearly 200 points, have served up 13 more aces and dug up 29 more balls.

They'll face a Shorter squad that won 17 matches in 2021 and was picked fourth out of 12 teams in the Gulf South Conference (GSC) preseason poll. The KSU Thorobreds won 19 times last year and were picked third out of seven teams in the West Division of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC).

Next, the Railsplitters of LMU won nine times a year ago and are 10th out of 13 teams in the Southern Atlantic Conference (SAC) with St. Anselm off to a 5-0 start after recording 19 victories in 2021. They were picked fourth out of 13 teams in the Northeast-10 Conference.

The Lopers begin MIAA play next weekend at Emporia State and No. 2 Washburn.