Skip To Main Content

University of Nebraska - Kearney Athletics

Carly Purdy & Ellie Spang
Erika Pritchard, UNK Communications
1
Missouri Southern MSSU 6-7, 0-2 MIAA
3
Winner Neb.-Kearney UNK 15-0, 2-0 MIAA
Missouri Southern MSSU
6-7, 0-2 MIAA
1
Final
3
Neb.-Kearney UNK
15-0, 2-0 MIAA
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Missouri Southern MSSU 15 15 25 14 (1)
Neb.-Kearney UNK 25 25 18 25 (3)

Game Recap: Volleyball |

UNK Has Second Straight Four Set Victory

Kearney, Neb. – The fourth-ranked Nebraska Kearney volleyball team hit .283 and had five different players between eight and 11 kills to get past Missouri Southern State in four sets (-15, -15, 18-25, -14) Saturday evening at the Health & Sports Center.

The Lopers (15-0, 2-0) record the program's 25th win streak of at least 15 matches and push its homecourt win streak to 37 in a row. That ranks third all-time with the 15-0 start ninth best in the annuals.

A Lions squad (6-6, 0-2) led by interim head coach Joshua Moore didn't go away despite scoring a total of 30 points over the first two sets. Three players reached at least 10 kills with the Lions never trailing in set three. It marked just the second set loss for UNK all fall.

"I like how we responded in the fourth on both occasions this weekend. Some of it was our doing in the third. But if you slip at all in our league against anybody, they'll make you pay for it," said UNK head coach Rick Squiers. "We were also playing a team with nothing to lose, and they are going to take chances, they are going to swing at every ball. They are trying to just win a set and then see what happens."

UNK scored five of the first six points to regain control in the fourth. The advantage grew to 13-6 after back-to-back kills by senior outside Emilee Lane (Hays, Kan.) with a Lion service error then making it 20-9. Senior middle Abby Rose (Lindsborg, Kan.) ended the nearly two-hour affair with back-to-back kills.

"Toward the end of the third we leveled off a little bit but not enough to catch them and get over the hump," said Squiers. "Proud how we handled the fourth."

Lane (11 kills, .417 pct.) and Rose (eight kills, .500 pct.) paced the offense with Purdy providing 10 kills, two digs and two blocks. Next, sophomore right side Brynn Stowell (Olathe, Kan.) hit .333 and had nine kills and four digs with junior outside Bryn McNair at seven kills, three digs and three blocks in three sets of work. Finally, junior libero Ellie Spang (Ft. Wayne, Ind.) dug up 21 balls with redshirt freshman Haedyn Hoos (Grand Island) getting some work in and having seven digs.

"It's great to have a fifth-year setter (Peyton Neff) who knows what she's doing. She seems to get better as the match wears on," said Squiers. "She made some of her best plays in the fourth; dug some rockets from the other side and played good defense. Peyton is aware how we play and she knows our team."

Fernanda Merancio (13 kills) and Annya Montano (10 kills, .364 pct.) powered the Lions.

UNK heads to 24th-ranked Missouri Western (9-4, 1-1) and Northwest Missouri (6-5, 0-2) next weekend.
 
 
 
 
Print Friendly Version