September 28, 2008

Win Streak Reaches 15 Straight

Carson, Scott, Walkowiak Have Big Weekends

      Kearney, Neb. – The 10^th-ranked Nebraska-Kearney volleyball team ran its win streak to 15 straight matches by winning at rival Metro State Friday night (-19, -18, -23) and then holding off Regis Saturday evening (-16, -21, 19-25, -23) in Denver.

      UNK (15-1, 6-0 RMAC) has dropped only five sets during this long win streak. In the Rick Squiers era (1999-present), this is the sixth different win streak of at least 15 matches.

      Against the Roadrunners (7-6, 5-1 RMAC), UNK got 13 kills from sophomore middle Jeri Walkowiak, and 10 from sophomore outside Chelsie Carson, to record another sweep.

      Hitting .250 on the night, the Lopers also recorded seven team blocks and took advantage of 10 Metro service errors. There were 19 ties and 11 lead changes throughout the match but the ‘Runners couldn’t overcome 22 errors, and a .144 attack percentage, to record a set victory.

      Walkowiak (Grand Island), hitting .526 en route to her 13 kills, also provided a team-best four blocks and two digs. Carson (Elkhorn) also was efficient on offense (.350) with junior middle Nikki Scott (Broken Bow) chipping in with seven kills and two blocks.  

     UNK hasn’t loss to Regis since Squiers’ first RMAC match back in 1999 but the Rangers (7-7, 3-3 RMAC) almost ended the long drought.

      The Lopers pretty much controlled the first two sets but Regis bounced back and hit .517 (17-2-29) to win the third set by six points. In the pivotal fourth set, UNK led 20-13 but the Rangers got within two, 24-22, after a kill by Maggie Workman.

       An unforced Loper error brought Regis even closer but a Scott kill ended the set and match.

      Scott (15) led the team in kills while hitting .370 and having three blocks at the net. Walkowiak (12 kills, three blocks, three digs) and Carson (10 kills, five digs) were again productive.

      Facing her older sister, freshman Shelby Workman (Loveland, Colo.) had nine kills and 11 digs. Maggie Workman, a Creighton transfer, had seven kills, six digs and three blocks.

      Finally, junior libero Kelli Wemhoff (Humphrey) had 19 digs in the two matches to push her career total to 1,459. That moves her past two more Lopers and into seventh place on the UNK career list.

     She’ll likely pass Meghan Stewart (1,461/’99) and Missy Obermeier (1,464/’96) this coming week.

    UNK begins a six match home stand when Fort Hays State visits. Pictured below are Carson-Walkowiak-Scott