KEARNEY — Outdoors hitters Emersen Cyza and Asha Regier mixed for 21 kills and defensive specialist Rhianna Wilhelm had a protracted match-closing service run to assist Twelfth-ranked College of Nebraska at Kearney sweep Pittsburg State 25-22, 25-18, 25-17 Thursday night time on the Well being & Sports activities Middle.
UNK is aiming to complete second within the MIAA with Pitt presently in sixth place. The eight-team MIAA Match begins subsequent Thursday in St. Joseph, Missouri, with pairings introduced Saturday night time.
In a match with 18 ties and 6 lead modifications, UNK (25-4) took all three units nevertheless it wasn’t straightforward because the Gorillas (15-13) by no means went away. Cyza and freshman outdoors Emilee Lane hit over .250 with the Lopers at .221 as a crew. Each squads had 5 blocks with UNK recording 10 extra digs and 10 extra kills.
“We have been in a position to make one or two extra defensive performs, particularly within the first set after we needed to. We didn’t have any blocks (within the first set) however we acquired just a few good block touches down the stretch that allowed us to run transition offense again at them and rating,” UNK coach Rick Squiers mentioned.
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The Lopers completed the primary set on a 5-2 run with center Bailee Sterling having three straight kills after which Cyza having two in a row to make She it 1-0 on the scoreboard.
The opposite two units have been only a matter of each groups buying and selling punches till someone opened a little bit little bit of a spot.
The second set was a bit extra snug for the Lopers as they jumped to a 6-1 lead and ultimately had benefits of 15-10 and 20-15. The Gorillas pulled inside 20-18 after a kill from Meg Auten however a service error killed their momentum.
Willhalm got here up massive within the third set because the Gorillas erased a 12-10 deficit to guide 13-12. By the point Wilhelm left the service line, it was 23-14 Lopers. The run began with a Pitt service error and featured six kills, one block and three unforced Gorilla errors.
“Rhianna acquired on an enormous service run and we did a superb job of getting blocks in that rotation. Loopy factor, that’s considered one of their higher rotations. Their finest outdoors on the left, their finest proper aspect on the precise. In some way, we have been in a position to rating a bunch,” Squiers mentioned.
Lane continued her late season push with six kills in 19 makes an attempt (.263) with Regier coming off the bench in every set to have 9 kills in 25 swings. Cyza reached her kill tally in a match-high 36 assaults.
Subsequent, Minden libero Jensen Rowse had a match-best 23 digs with Iowa freshman DS Lexi Stephens excellent in 21 serve obtain probabilities. Lastly, Sterling had 9 kills, seven digs and three blocks.
Pitt was paced by Auten’s 11 kills and 11 digs with Phoenix Bailey hitting .368 to complete with 9 kills and two blocks.
UNK hosts Missouri Southern State (13-15) at 6 p.m. tonight. The Lions personal 4 wins over nationally-ranked squads this fall (Washburn twice, Central Missouri and Central Oklahoma).