November 15, 2007

Volleyball Advances in NCAA's

Lopers Rally Past Mesa State in Game One, Roll From There

      Kearney, Neb. – Middle hitters Nikki Scott and Jeri Walkowiak each had 12 kills to lead the 22^nd-ranked Nebraska-Kearney volleyball to a sweep of Mesa State (-28, -17, -18) in the first round of the NCAA Division II Tournament Friday night at the Health & Sports Center.

      The top seed in the Southwest Regional, UNK stretches its win streak to 18 straight and is now 32-4 on the year. The Mavericks finish 2007 at 15-14.

      UNK will play 4^th-seed Central Oklahoma tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. The Bronchos (32-6) swept RMAC-member Fort Lewis (-20, -30, -25) earlier tonight.

      Sixth-seed Metro State upset 3^rd-seed Colorado-Colorado Springs (-25, -30, -22) in the day's first match while 2^nd-seed West Texas A & M overcome a slow start to beat Lone Star Conference rival Midwestern State in four games (25-30, -24, -15, -26).

      This marked the third straight year UNK and Mesa have met in the NCAA's. The Lopers knocked out the Mavericks in the second round of the 2005 SW Regional, held in Kearney, while Mesa turned the tables last year in Canyon, Texas, beating the Lopers in five sets.

      In the first game tonight, the Mavericks called a timeout after getting down 18-10. The break helped as the Mavs came all the way back to grab a 28-26 lead.

      Of the 18 points Mesa scored, five came off of kills by reserve middle Lindsey Jefferson.

      Scott (Broken Bow) helped bring the Lopers back, recording a kill to get the deficit to one then pairing up with outside hitter Erica Burson (Gretna) to block Jefferson and tie the game. Mesa then recorded two of it's 28 unforced hitting errors to give UNK a 1-0 lead.

      The Lopers took control after that, hitting .306 in the second set and improving to .417 in the third game. Mesa, mean while, finished the evening with 38 attack errors and hit .028.

      Scott hit a team-high .524, recording only one error in 24 swings, with Walkowiak (Grand Island) hitting .476 and having four blocks as well. Walkowiak played the match with a bandaged right pinky finger, which was hurt Sunday in the RMAC Tournament finals.

      Burson was strong from the outside, having 10 kills and hitting .346. She also had a team-high, and season-high, six blocks (two solo, four assisted).

      Also on the outside, Grand Island freshman Kelsey Werner came off the pine to supply seven kills in 19 swings. Finally, libero Kelli Wemhoff (Humphrey) dug up 13 balls, pushing her season total to 624.

      The UNK school mark for digs in a season is 693, set by Angie User in 1994.

      Mesa was led by middle Jessica Bird who had seven kills and hit .333. All-region performer and senior Drew Choules had seven kills and six digs in her final collegiate match.