September 30, 2008

Volleyball Sweeps Fort Hays State

Burson Plays Again; Wemhoff Now 5th in Career Digs

      Kearney, Neb. – Four different players had at least five kills to help the 10^th-ranked Nebraska-Kearney volleyball sweep Fort Hays State (-14, -18, -19) Tuesday night at the Health & Sports Center.

     UNK (16-1) hasn’t lost since dropping its season opener at BYU-Hawaii on August 28^th. This 16-match win streak is tied for the 11^th longest in school history; there were also 16 match win streaks during the 1979 and 1995 seasons.

      Fort Hays, now a member of the MIAA, falls to 6-8 on the year.

     The Lopers did get behind early in the first and third sets but pretty much controlled the match. Hitting .243, just below their season average, UNK also tied its season high in blocks (nine) and served up four aces.

     Individually, sophomore middle Jeri Walkowiak (Grand Island) had a team-high nine kills while hitting .533 and recording five stuff at the net. Playing in just two sets, fellow middle Nikki Scott (Broken Bow) supplied five kills and a solid .455 attack efficiency.

     On the outside, sophomore Chelsie Carson (Elkhorn) had seven kills and three blocks with junior Erica Burson playing all three sets and providing five kills and two blocks.

    This was just Burson’s second appearance of the year. The Gross Catholic graduate, still battling back from off-season surgery, first took to the courts September 19th vs. Chadron State.

    In the back row, junior libero Kell Wemhoff (Humphrey-St. Francis) had a match-high 15 digs, pushing her career total to 1,474 and into fifth place on the UNK career list.

    Passing Meghan Stewart (1,461/’99) and Missy Obermeier (1,464/’96) tonight, Wemhoff’s next target is Phyllis DeBuhr (1,530/’87). Angie Usher holds the Loper career dig mark with 2,058.

    For the Tigers tonight, Brazilian Lilian Rezende led the way with 12 digs and nine kills.

  A six-match home stand continues this weekend when New Mexico Highlands and Western New Mexico visit. Pictured below are Burson-Wemhoff-Walkowiak.