SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – Outside hitters Emilee Lane and Asha Regier had career-high kill totals to help No. 16 Nebraska Kearney get past Oklahoma Christian (-24-26, -17, -19, -21) and Texas Woman’s University (-23, -17, -23) Friday afternoon in Salt Lake City, Utah.
This was “Opening Day” for Division II volleyball and the matches were part of the Westminster Invitational presented by UFirst Credit Union. UNK faces St. Martin’s (Wash.) and the host WC Griffins on Saturday.
In the morning against the OC Eagles from the Lone Star Conference, UNK trailed throughout the first set but tied things up at 24 on the strength of three straight points. The points came via kills from Regier (Newton, Kan.) and sophomore middle Trista Marx (Limon, Colo.) with the Eagles also sending one long. However, OC closed the set with two straight kills.
UNK bounced back to hit .294 (15-5-34) and .333 (16-6-30) in each of the next two sets to regain control. While the Lopers cooled off a bit in the fourth, the Eagles never made a serious run after being down 12-10 in the fourth.
Regier had 14 kills in 28 swings (.464) while also supplying two solo blocks and a dig. Last fall, she had 14 kills in both the MIAA and NCAA Tournaments. Next, veterans Emersen Cyza (Alliance) and Jaden Ferguson (Lincoln SW) combined for 24 kills, four blocks and two digs with Marx at seven kills and four stuffs. As a team, UNK out hit OC by a .200-.146 margin and served up six more aces.
Next, veteran newcomer and libero Celeste Friesen (Marietta, Ga.) had three of those tough serves as well as a team-best 23 digs. Finally, Missouri freshman middle Mia Berg came off the bench to hit .462 and record seven kills and two block assists.
The Eagles got 13 kills apiece from Giorgia Turri and Katy Geurin.
The TWU Pioneers (0-2), also from the LSC, had three different players record a double digit kill total but couldn’t stop UNK from hitting a solid .303 (47-11-119). Lane (Hays, Kan.) had 17 kills in 36 swings (.417) with four others between four-nine kills. Her previous career-best of 13 kills came last fall in her hometown.
UNK led 17-12 in the opening set, but TWU rallied to make it 24-23 on the strength of a kill from Cara Pool. However, Regier ended things with her third kill of the set. After out hitting the Pioneers by nearly 300 points in set two, UNK was in another dog fight. Trailing 21-20, UNK used a 4-1 spurt in the third that featured three Lane kills and a TWU unforced error. The match ended thanks to a solo block from Berg.
North Platte redshirt sophomore setter Peyton Neff finished up with 38 assists, two digs, two kills and an ace with Regier hitting .389 and supplying nine kills. Finally, Ferguson (eight) and Marx (five) combined for 13 kills as well as six blocks.
Kady Hansen (10 kills, .588 pct.) and Malia Viernes (11 kills, .429 pct.) paced Texas Woman’s.
Emilee Lane // UNK Communications
Asha Regier // UNK Communications