UNK Volleyball: Lopers Start 2-0

The ninth-ranked Nebraska-Kearney volleyball team used a balanced attack to sweep Cal Merced (-15, -12, -21) and Westmont College (-19, -14, -18) Friday in Seaside, Calif.

This is opening weekend for Division II volleyball with these matches part of the Otter Invitational. UNK faces Meno College and tourney host Cal State Monterey Bay on Saturday. 

In the morning against the Merced Bobcats, who are in the process of moving from the NAIA to D2, the Lopers hit .273 and got kills from eight different players. There were no ties or lead changes over the first two sets, but the final one was tight.

Down 13-12, the Blue & Gold went on an 8-3 run that included two kills from Kansas senior outside Asha Regier and Colorado junior middle Trista Marx. Lincoln graduate right side Lauren Taubenheim then provided three straight kills to close things out. She had a team-best eight kills as well as seven digs and two blocks.
In the middle, Kansas junior Abby Rose hit .571 and registered five kills, Marx had seven kills with Missouri sophomore Mia Berg at five kills in seven attempts (.714 pct.). Finally, North Platte graduate senior Peyton Neff and Michigan graduate libero Alli Wiese had nine digs apiece.

Merced got nine kills from both Sera Riley and Alexa Ultreras. The 'Cats hit just .032 and were aces six times.

There were 11 ties and six lead changes in the afternoon match against Westmont. The Warriors, from Santa Barbara, are in their first year as a full-fledged D2 member.

UNK hit .309, served up nine aces and recorded seven more digs. Kansas senior outside Emilee Lane (13) and Berg (11) had double digit kills totals with Berg (.395) one of three Lopers to hit at least .385. From the backline, Iowa redshirt sophomore Lexi Stephens had a team-best three aces with Wiese at two and a team-best 12 digs.

The Warriors had three different players reach seven kills with Sara Krueger hitting .317 and having a team-best nine kills.