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University of Nebraska - Kearney Athletics

UNK Volleyball
Corbey R. Dorsey
1
Newman NEWMAN 6-6, 1-2
3
Winner Nebraska-Kearney UNK 11-1, 2-1
Newman NEWMAN
6-6, 1-2
1
Final
3
Nebraska-Kearney UNK
11-1, 2-1
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Newman NEWMAN 13 25 18 15 (1)
Nebraska-Kearney UNK 25 20 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Volleyball |

#8 UNK Fights Off Pesky Newman

Kearney, Neb. – Three different players had at least 10 kills and four players recorded at least 10 digs to help eighth-ranked Nebraska Kearney fight off Newman in four sets (-13, 20-25, -18, -15) Friday night at the Health & Sports Center.

UNK moves to 11-1 (2-1) while the Jets fall to .500 overall (6-6, 1-2).

The Lopers are now 14-0 all-time against NU but this group from Wichita is vastly improved from several years ago. Newman had four of their own players dig up at least 14 balls with middles Ozioma Ajekwu and Abby Borough and sophomore outside Riley Daugherty carrying the offense. This trio combined for 34 of the Jets 46 kills.

"They are the real deal. You put them in a handful of conferences around the country and they would be picked to win it," said UNK head coach Rick Squiers. "They are just a good solid team that is well coached."

UNK hit .424 (17-3-33) to never trail in the first set but Newman responded by scoring six straight in the second to break a 10-10 tie. The stretch included two aces, kills by Daughtery and Ajekwu and one of NU's 11 blocks in the match. An ace from junior middle Bailee Sterling (Kearney) made it 22-20 but NU scored the final three points to tie things on the scoreboard.

"We had no solution for their middles and both did a lot of damage. (Ajekwu) did what she wanted and it's a little bit of an awkward game that she plays. It's so high you can't really get a block on it," said Squiers. "Early, we were concerned we couldn't run our middles because your looked at them and they are really physical. Shouldn't be able to run offense right at them but they were a bit better offensively than at blocking."

UNK responded by holding the Jets to an .070 effort (11-7-50) in the third set, erasing an 8-7 deficit and eventually opening leads of 14-10 and 18-13. UNK then dominated the fourth thanks to 19 kills, four coming from Sterling and outside Emersen Cyza (Alliance). Cyza ended the night with a match-best 18 kills with Sterling at 15 and middle Fallon Stutheit (Johnson) at 10.

"I like how we scrapped and scrambled because you had to and our serve receive offense was still pretty efficient," said Squiers. "We also did a great job of getting off to good starts (over the final two sets)."

Defensively, junior libero Jensen Rowse (Minden) dug up a match-high 24 balls with redshirt sophomore setter/DS Rhianna Wilhelm (Henderson) at 20 and junior right side Lauren Taubenheim (Lincoln Pius X) supplying 18 more. Finally, Stutheit had three of UNK's six blocks.

"We stepped up our defense in the third and fourth sets. We haven't had many people have 20 digs in a match this year and I looked down tonight and we had two," said Squiers. "That tells you how hard we had to play in order to win rallies."

UNK out hit NU .278 to .168 with the Jets having advantages in blocks, 11-6, but getting aces seven times. The Lopers also recorded 19 more kills and had 18 more digs.

"Rhianna is known as a setter but, even going back to last year, she caught our eye in practice with good defensive play. She reads well and is another third-year player out there which is helpful in this level of volleyball. That's probably her best match as a Loper," said Squiers.

Unbeaten Central Oklahoma (13-0, 3-0) visits Saturday at 2 p.m. They 'Chos beat Fort Hays State tonight in four sets.
 
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