The 12th-ranked Washburn Ichabods scored four of the last five points to down 6th-ranked Nebraska Kearney in five sets (22-25, -19, -21, 19-25, -12) Tuesday night at the Health & Sports Center.
Winning at Buckle Court for the third time in five years, WU (14-3, 6-3) also takes the season series from the Lopers (17-2, 17-2). The 'Bods took the final three sets to win in Topeka back on September 10.
"They defend the things we like to do pretty well. They did that enough tonight that we couldn't get over the hump," said UNK head coach Rick Squiers. "In the sets we won, we hit over .200. In the three sets we lost we didn't. Some of that is their defense, some of that is our offense not being up to par."
Washburn had more kills, digs and blocks than the Lopers and also hit 73 points higher but the Blue & Gold almost won. UNK served up a season-best 11 aces and got a combined 46 kills from outsides CeCe Beahm (Hastings St. Cecilia) and Emersen Cyza (Alliance) and middle Bailee Sterling (Kearney).
"They got us stuck in a couple of rotations and there's a couple we're working on and need to get better," said Squiers. "We also did some untimely things, even going back to the third set. We had a chance to get back in it and we didn't. It was a little bit of this and that and that's all it takes against a team like Washburn."
The fifth set featured 10 ties and eight lead changes with UNK moving ahead 11-10 after a solo block from setter Peyton Neff (North Platte). It could've been 12-9 but WU won a video challenge a few points earlier, taking an 8-6 Loper lead and making it a 7-7 score. That was one of several challenges in the 2:45 match.
"That last one (UNK challenge) was a big turn. We had the momentum, thought we were up 8-6 and they see us in the net apparently. It's a two-point swing it's almost more of a psychological blow than had they just gotten the point outright," said Squiers. "It's part of the game now and sometimes it helps you, sometimes it hurts you."
WU used an unforced Loper attack error and a kill from senior middle Halle Meister to move ahead for good, 12-11. Squiers challenged the 12th point but the call wasn't overturned. The 'Bods then got back-to-back kills to reach match point.
Washburn got kills from seven different players, led by sophomore outside Jalyn Stevenson (19) and redshirt freshman middle Austin Broadie (12). Stevenson also had 14 digs, four blocks and was one of WU's top passers with Meister at seven kills and seven blocks.
"We weren't doing much to slow their attack down from the middle or right side. In match like this, you kind of pick and choose (player rotation) and it didn't work out in the end for us," said Squiers. "We're still a work in progress and they probably feel the same way."
The 'Bods finished with 10 team stuffs and 85 digs to hold UNK to a .160 efficiency and 61 kills (12.2 avg.). The Lopers, who hit a season-low .122 in Topeka, entered the match hitting .288 and averaging 14 kills per set.
Beahm hit a team-best .310 and had 10 kills in 29 swings with Sterling at 16 kills and 10 digs and Cyza providing a team-high 20 kills and four blocks. In the backrow, libero Jensen Rowse (Minden) had 21 digs. Finally, defensive specialists Lexi Stephens (Ankeny, Ia.) and Rhianna Wilhelm (Henderson) combined for seven aces.
UNK heads to Pittsburg State (12-7, 6-4) and Missouri Southern State (8-9, 3-5 this weekend. MSSU knocked off Washburn last Friday night while Pitt lost in five on Saturday afternoon.
Courtesy UNK Athletics