UNK volleyball sweeps Pittsburg State 3-0

KEARNEY, Neb. (Press Launch) – Outdoors hitters Emersen Cyza and Asha Regier mixed for 21 kills and defensive specialist Rhianna Wilhelm had an extended match-closing service run to assist Twelfth-ranked Nebraska Kearney sweep Pittsburg State (-22, -18, -17) Thursday evening on the Well being & Sports activities Heart.

The Lopers enhance to 25-4 (15-4) and take the season collection from the Gorillas (15-13, 9-10). UNK is aiming to complete second within the MIAA with Pitt at the moment in sixth place. The eight-team MIAA Event begins subsequent Thursday in St. Joseph, Mo., with pairings introduced Saturday evening after the completion of the common season.

In a match with 18 ties and 6 lead modifications, UNK managed to take all three units however it wasn’t straightforward because the Gorillas by no means went away. Cyza (Alliance) and freshman exterior Emilee Lane (Hays, Kan.) each hit over .250 with the Lopers at .221 as a staff. Each squads had 5 blocks with UNK recording 10 extra digs and 10 extra kills.

“We had been in a position to make one or two extra defensive performs, particularly within the first set once we needed to. We didn’t have any blocks (within the first set) however we bought a couple of good block touches down the stretch that allowed us to run transition offense again at them and rating,” mentioned UNK head coach Rick Squiers.

The Lopers completed the primary set on a 5-2 run with Kearney center Bailee Sterling having three straight kills after which Cyza having two in a row to make it 1-0 on the scoreboard. She had seven of her match-high 12 kills on this set with UNK recording 18 of its 47 kills.

“The opposite two units had been only a matter of each groups buying and selling punches till anyone was in a position to get just a little little bit of a niche. We had been in a position to get one in each units however gave one again within the second which was discouraging,” mentioned Squiers.

The second set was a bit extra comfy for the Lopers as they jumped out to a 6-1 lead and ultimately had benefits of 15-10 and 20-15. Pitt did get inside 20-18 due to a kill from Meg Auten however a service error killed their momentum. UNK scored the following 5 factors, one being a Sterling kill and one being an ace from Wilhelm (Henderson).

She got here up large within the third 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 bought on an enormous service run and we did a great job of getting blocks in that rotation. Loopy factor, that’s one in every of their higher rotations. Their finest exterior on the left, their finest proper facet on the precise. Someway, we had been in a position to rating a bunch,” mentioned Squiers.

Lane continued her late season push by having six kills in 19 makes an attempt (.263) with Regier (Newton, Kan.) coming off the bench in every set to having 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 good in 21 serve obtain probabilities. Lastly, Sterling had 9 kills, seven digs and three blocks.

“I actually appreciated what Emilee did tonight. Along with getting some factors, she didn’t error lots and put the ball in play when it wasn’t a kill.  She comes off the online and performs fairly good protection at occasions and even needed to knock a serve or two in tonight as a result of we had been out of subs,” mentioned Squiers.

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 (13-154) Friday at 6 p.m. The Lions personal 4 wins over nationally-ranked squads this fall (Washburn twice, Central Missouri and Central Oklahoma).

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