The third ranked and undefeated UNK volleyball team continued a terrific start to the season at home this weekend, beating Missouri Western in three sets and taking down Northwest Missouri in four.
While the Lopers swept Missouri Western, it was no easy task. Both of the first two sets went to extra points, with the first finishing 35-33 and the second ending 28-26.
UNK Coach Rick Squiers said it did not feel like a sweep.
“That felt like a five setter,” Squiers said. “Couldn’t be more proud of how we fought. We know how it is at the Health and Sports Center, if you get something rolling at the end of a set, then you can go steal one.”
It was evenly matched, with UNK hitting .209 and Missouri Western at .182. Asha Regier and Mia Berg had a big performance, Regier finishing with 18 kills and Berg at 15.
Squiers said there were a lot of players, including Regier, who stepped up.
“That’s one of the best performances I’ve seen her have,” Squiers said. “I think she took some really good swings, especially when there was pressure. Down the stretch, it was hard to finish the deal.”
Peyton Neff finished with 49 assists and Alli Wiese continued to build on her career dig total which leads the NCAA with 28 digs.
Against Northwest Missouri, the Lopers did lose the second set 25-23, but controlled the rest of the match, outsourcing the Bearcats by seven, 13 and 10 in the other three sets. UNK played great defensively, holding Northwest Missouri to hitting .077.
Both Berg and Regier led the way again, Berg having 16 kills with Regier at 10. Neff had 39 assists with Wiese notching 27 digs.
Overall, Squiers was happy with how the weekend went.
“Those Saturday matches are always trying to just find enough energy to score,” Squiers said. “We were really good defensively and the offense kind of came and went a little bit. I’m really proud of how our girls are battling. We don’t give away points, we don’t air a lot and if we do that we think we can play with everybody.”
Missouri Western received votes in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association top 25 poll with a 12-3 record, while Northwest Missouri came out of the weekend with an 8-6 record.
The weekend demonstrated just how tough the MIAA is from top to bottom, with eight of the 12 teams in the conference having a .500 record or better, and seven of those teams with a .692 winning percentage or better.
“For those who wonder what the MIAA looks like, that’s it,” Squiers said. “It’s as deep as I’ve ever seen it.”
UNK stays home this weekend, taking on 11-3 Emporia State on Friday, and 11-3 Washburn at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
