Story by NU Athletic Communications

Lincoln&nbsp;- In a low-scoring Big Ten slugfest dominated by the defenses, Heinrich Haarberg's 44-yard touchdown strike to freshman wide receiver Malachi Coleman on Nebraska's first offensive play of the fourth quarter provided the winning margin in a 17-9 Husker victory over Northwestern on Saturday.

Playing in front of 86,769 fans in the 100th anniversary celebration of Memorial Stadium, Nebraska improved to 4-3 and 2-2 in the Big Ten, while dropping Northwestern to 3-4 and 1-3 in the conference.

Nebraska won despite managing just 248 total yards and committing a pair of first-quarter turnovers. The Huskers rushed for 163 yards on 39 carries and went just 8-for-17 passing for 85 yards.&nbsp;

Northwestern moved for 257 total yards, including 176 yards on 12-of-23 passing with one interception, while managing just 81 rushing yards on 39 carries. The Cats also produced just nine first downs in the game, compared to 17 for the Huskers.

The Blackshirts held the Wildcats to minus-5 rushing yards on 18 second-half carries by recording 13 tackles for loss - Nebraska's most since producing 13 TFL against Illinois in 2019.

Nebraska also played cleaner football than Northwestern, committing just three penalties for 30 yards, while the normally disciplined Cats were flagged eight times for 75 yards.&nbsp;

The Huskers trailed early after Haarberg through an interception on Nebraska's first play from scrimmage to open the game. Devin Turner intercepted the pass to set the Wildcats up with a short field at the Husker 44.

The Blackshirts rose to the challenge and pushed Northwestern back across midfield, but the first seven minutes of the game was played on Nebraska's side of the field.&nbsp;

The Wildcats finally cashed in when Haarberg was intercepted by Rod Heard, who returned it 10 yards to the Nebraska 13. The Blackshirts rose up again, shoving Northwestern back 14 yards to force a 45-yard field goal attempt by Jack Olsen, who connected with the wind at his back to give the Cats a 3-0 lead with 7:18 left in the first quarter.

Haarberg and the Huskers then found an answer by marching 35 yards in nine plays capped by Tristan Alvano's 47-yard field goal against the wind to tie the score at 3-3 with 3:11 left in the period.

Midway through the second quarter, Northwestern put together its only sustained drive of the first half, covering 73 yards in 10 plays, capped by Olsen's 37-yard field goal to regain a three-point lead at 6-3 with 5:48 remaining in the half.

Haarberg and the Huskers rallied for an answer again with a 10-play drive of their own that covered 77 yards and took 5:18. Freshman running back Emmett Johnson carried four times on the drive for 25 yards, while Haarberg capped a drive that featured three of his own runs for a total of 25 yards, with a three-yard touchdown plunge to put the Big Red on top for the first time at 10-6 with 23 seconds left in the half.

Johnson finished the day with a game-high 73 rushing yards on 12 carries, while Haarberg added 72 yards on 16 carries.

Northwestern tried to find an answer in short order, but Tommi Hill closed a strong defensive performance by the Blackshirts with his second interception of the season.

The defenses continued to dominate in a scoreless third quarter, before the Husker offense opened the fourth quarter with a short field. On Nebraska's first play from scrimmage in the period, Haarberg hit Coleman with the long touchdown strike in the middle of the end zone to give the Huskers a 17-6 lead.

Northwestern refused to quit, answering with a 66-yard pass from Brendan Sullivan to Bryce Kirtz. Malcolm Hartzog made a touchdown-saving tackle at the Northwestern 9, and the Blackshirts responded by keeping the Cats out of the end zone again. Olsen salvaged a 25-yard field goal to pull Northwestern within 17-9 with 11:09 left.

The Blackshirts did the rest, putting the exclamation point on the victory with a massive 16-yard sack by Jimari Butler and Ty Robinson at the Northwestern 14.

Defensive tackle Nash Hutmacher led a hard-hitting, aggressive Blackshirt defense with seven tackles, including 2.5 sacks. Isaac Gifford added seven stops of his own, including a highlight reel tackle on the edge through a pair of blockers on a Northwestern screen pass.

Princewill Umanmielen also secured seven tackles, including a pair for losses, while Butler and Luke Reimer each notched six tackles.

Nebraska returns to Memorial Stadium next Saturday to play host to Purdue. Kick-off with the Boilermakers in Lincoln is set for 2:30 p.m. with live television coverage on FS1.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsLincoln&nbsp;- In a low-scoring Big Ten slugfest dominated by the defenses, Heinrich Haarberg's 44-yard touchdown strike to freshman wide receiver Malachi Coleman on Nebraska's first offensive play of the fourth quarter provided the winning margin in a 17-9 Husker victory over Northwestern on Saturday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697983162710.jpeg" alt="Photo by Nebraska Athletic Department Communications" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Nebraska Athletic Department Communications</figcaption>
 </figure>Playing in front of 86,769 fans in the 100th anniversary celebration of Memorial Stadium, Nebraska improved to 4-3 and 2-2 in the Big Ten, while dropping Northwestern to 3-4 and 1-3 in the conference.Nebraska won despite managing just 248 total yards and committing a pair of first-quarter turnovers. The Huskers rushed for 163 yards on 39 carries and went just 8-for-17 passing for 85 yards.&nbsp;Northwestern moved for 257 total yards, including 176 yards on 12-of-23 passing with one interception, while managing just 81 rushing yards on 39 carries. The Cats also produced just nine first downs in the game, compared to 17 for the Huskers.The Blackshirts held the Wildcats to minus-5 rushing yards on 18 second-half carries by recording 13 tackles for loss - Nebraska's most since producing 13 TFL against Illinois in 2019.Nebraska also played cleaner football than Northwestern, committing just three penalties for 30 yards, while the normally disciplined Cats were flagged eight times for 75 yards.&nbsp;The Huskers trailed early after Haarberg through an interception on Nebraska's first play from scrimmage to open the game. Devin Turner intercepted the pass to set the Wildcats up with a short field at the Husker 44.The Blackshirts rose to the challenge and pushed Northwestern back across midfield, but the first seven minutes of the game was played on Nebraska's side of the field.&nbsp;The Wildcats finally cashed in when Haarberg was intercepted by Rod Heard, who returned it 10 yards to the Nebraska 13. The Blackshirts rose up again, shoving Northwestern back 14 yards to force a 45-yard field goal attempt by Jack Olsen, who connected with the wind at his back to give the Cats a 3-0 lead with 7:18 left in the first quarter.Haarberg and the Huskers then found an answer by marching 35 yards in nine plays capped by Tristan Alvano's 47-yard field goal against the wind to tie the score at 3-3 with 3:11 left in the period.Midway through the second quarter, Northwestern put together its only sustained drive of the first half, covering 73 yards in 10 plays, capped by Olsen's 37-yard field goal to regain a three-point lead at 6-3 with 5:48 remaining in the half.Haarberg and the Huskers rallied for an answer again with a 10-play drive of their own that covered 77 yards and took 5:18. Freshman running back Emmett Johnson carried four times on the drive for 25 yards, while Haarberg capped a drive that featured three of his own runs for a total of 25 yards, with a three-yard touchdown plunge to put the Big Red on top for the first time at 10-6 with 23 seconds left in the half.Johnson finished the day with a game-high 73 rushing yards on 12 carries, while Haarberg added 72 yards on 16 carries.Northwestern tried to find an answer in short order, but Tommi Hill closed a strong defensive performance by the Blackshirts with his second interception of the season.The defenses continued to dominate in a scoreless third quarter, before the Husker offense opened the fourth quarter with a short field. On Nebraska's first play from scrimmage in the period, Haarberg hit Coleman with the long touchdown strike in the middle of the end zone to give the Huskers a 17-6 lead.Northwestern refused to quit, answering with a 66-yard pass from Brendan Sullivan to Bryce Kirtz. Malcolm Hartzog made a touchdown-saving tackle at the Northwestern 9, and the Blackshirts responded by keeping the Cats out of the end zone again. Olsen salvaged a 25-yard field goal to pull Northwestern within 17-9 with 11:09 left.The Blackshirts did the rest, putting the exclamation point on the victory with a massive 16-yard sack by Jimari Butler and Ty Robinson at the Northwestern 14.Defensive tackle Nash Hutmacher led a hard-hitting, aggressive Blackshirt defense with seven tackles, including 2.5 sacks. Isaac Gifford added seven stops of his own, including a highlight reel tackle on the edge through a pair of blockers on a Northwestern screen pass.Princewill Umanmielen also secured seven tackles, including a pair for losses, while Butler and Luke Reimer each notched six tackles.Nebraska returns to Memorial Stadium next Saturday to play host to Purdue. Kick-off with the Boilermakers in Lincoln is set for 2:30 p.m. with live television coverage on FS1.

Huskers shut down Wildcats 17-9 

The bling and the banner were nice. What the Denver Nuggets really relished, though, was opening defense of the franchise's first NBA title with a 119-107 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.

“We can't think about last year too much,” Jamal Murray said after the Nuggets followed the raising of their championship banner by dropping the hammer on the Lakers in the NBA's season opener, which featured Nikola Jokic's triple-double and LeBron James taking a few more breathers than normal.

Jokic said the Nuggets fed off the emotion from the pregame ceremony to jump out to an early 18-point lead, which held up even after the Lakers got within three points in the fourth quarter.

“I think we controlled the game the whole time,” said Jokic, who had 29 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists.

Murray added 21 points, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 20, Aaron Gordon had 15 and Michael Porter Jr. had 12.

All of LA's starters also scored in double figures, led by James' 21 points in 29 minutes — his playing time is being monitored at the start of his 21st season.

“It helps,” Murray said with a smile.

James ended up playing about five fewer minutes than he's used to.

“I mean, I always want to be on the floor,” James said, “especially when you got an opportunity to win a game or feel like you can make an impact. But I guess there's a system in place and I'll follow it.”

James, the league's oldest player at age 38, stressed, “I'm not surprised or upset” about the Lakers monitoring his minutes as the season gets going.

Taurean Prince scored 18 points his his debut for the Lakers, his fifth team in nine seasons. Anthony Davis had 17 points, Austin Reaves 14 and D'Angelo Russell 11.

The Lakers trailed by 18 early but trimmed that deficit to 63-54 at halftime and used a 13-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters to pull within 87-84 before Aaron Gordon stopped the run with a 3-pointer.

After James' basket got Los Angeles within 103-96 with just over five minutes remaining, the Nuggets called timeout and came out of it with a 10-3 run featuring 3-pointers by Murray and Porter to put the Lakers away.

“We were trending in the right direction for a while there,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “Each quarter we had given up less and less and then they just kind of blew the game open.”

The Nuggets received their&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/nuggets/status/1716954856705937464?s=20">gold, diamond-encrusted championship rings</a>&nbsp;— featuring a mini championship banner that rolls out from one side — in a pregame ceremony. Murray, wearing a microphone, told teammate Gordon, “I might play the first quarter with it!”

Nuggets coach Michael Malone relished one last hurrah over last season's breakthrough before turning his attention entirely to this season.

“Jason of Beverly Hills, I want to thank them for some&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/nuggets/status/1716956894169063919?s=20">really nice hardware</a>. And then at that point, I was like, ‘Let’s get the game going,'" Malone said of watching the banner rise to rafters at sold-out, shaking Ball Arena.

“And I was also thinking about my father, just wish he was here.”

Brendan Malone, the longtime coach and driving force behind the Detroit Pistons “Bad Boys” defenses in the late 1980s and early ’90s, died earlier this month at age 81.

“So, a lot of emotions tonight but all really positive,” Malone said, “and to end it with a win is a great way to start the season off.”

The Nuggets went 16-4 in the playoffs — including a sweep of the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals — and finished things off by closing out Miami in five games to start a summer of celebrations from Denver's delirious downtown to Jokic's hometown of Sombor, Serbia.

Jokic may have followed up back-to-back MVP seasons by leading the Nuggets to their first NBA title, but TNT left him off its graphic promoting its opening-night doubleheader featuring the Lakers-Nuggets and Suns-Warriors games.

The graphic featured LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Jayson Tatum — the last an odd choice given that the Celtics don't play until Wednesday night. The slight upset Charles Barkley, the co-host of TNT's “Inside the NBA,” who apologized to the Nuggets and their fans for the omission.

That said, Barkley opined in a pregame interview that he thinks the Nuggets will have a tough time repeating.

“I think they're in the mix. I'm a big Bruce Brown fan,” Barkley said of the starting small forward who signed a two-year, $45 million contract with the Indiana Pacers following Denver's title run. “They gotta replace him and the young guys gotta come on, and they're going to have to adjust to being the hunted."

The bling and the banner were nice. What the Denver Nuggets really relished, though, was opening defense of the franchise's first NBA title with a 119-107 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.“We can't think about last year too much,” Jamal Murray said after the Nuggets followed the raising of their championship banner by dropping the hammer on the Lakers in the NBA's season opener, which featured Nikola Jokic's triple-double and LeBron James taking a few more breathers than normal.Jokic said the Nuggets fed off the emotion from the pregame ceremony to jump out to an early 18-point lead, which held up even after the Lakers got within three points in the fourth quarter.“I think we controlled the game the whole time,” said Jokic, who had 29 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists.Murray added 21 points, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 20, Aaron Gordon had 15 and Michael Porter Jr. had 12.All of LA's starters also scored in double figures, led by James' 21 points in 29 minutes — his playing time is being monitored at the start of his 21st season.“It helps,” Murray said with a smile.James ended up playing about five fewer minutes than he's used to.“I mean, I always want to be on the floor,” James said, “especially when you got an opportunity to win a game or feel like you can make an impact. But I guess there's a system in place and I'll follow it.”James, the league's oldest player at age 38, stressed, “I'm not surprised or upset” about the Lakers monitoring his minutes as the season gets going.Taurean Prince scored 18 points his his debut for the Lakers, his fifth team in nine seasons. Anthony Davis had 17 points, Austin Reaves 14 and D'Angelo Russell 11.The Lakers trailed by 18 early but trimmed that deficit to 63-54 at halftime and used a 13-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters to pull within 87-84 before Aaron Gordon stopped the run with a 3-pointer.The Lakers never got closer.After James' basket got Los Angeles within 103-96 with just over five minutes remaining, the Nuggets called timeout and came out of it with a 10-3 run featuring 3-pointers by Murray and Porter to put the Lakers away.“We were trending in the right direction for a while there,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “Each quarter we had given up less and less and then they just kind of blew the game open.”The Nuggets received their&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/nuggets/status/1716954856705937464?s=20">gold, diamond-encrusted championship rings</a>&nbsp;— featuring a mini championship banner that rolls out from one side — in a pregame ceremony. Murray, wearing a microphone, told teammate Gordon, “I might play the first quarter with it!”Nuggets coach Michael Malone relished one last hurrah over last season's breakthrough before turning his attention entirely to this season.“Jason of Beverly Hills, I want to thank them for some&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/nuggets/status/1716956894169063919?s=20">really nice hardware</a>. And then at that point, I was like, ‘Let’s get the game going,'" Malone said of watching the banner rise to rafters at sold-out, shaking Ball Arena.“And I was also thinking about my father, just wish he was here.”Brendan Malone, the longtime coach and driving force behind the Detroit Pistons “Bad Boys” defenses in the late 1980s and early ’90s, died earlier this month at age 81.“So, a lot of emotions tonight but all really positive,” Malone said, “and to end it with a win is a great way to start the season off.”The Nuggets went 16-4 in the playoffs — including a sweep of the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals — and finished things off by closing out Miami in five games to start a summer of celebrations from Denver's delirious downtown to Jokic's hometown of Sombor, Serbia.JOKIC SNUBBED AND PRAISEDJokic may have followed up back-to-back MVP seasons by leading the Nuggets to their first NBA title, but TNT left him off its graphic promoting its opening-night doubleheader featuring the Lakers-Nuggets and Suns-Warriors games.The graphic featured LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Jayson Tatum — the last an odd choice given that the Celtics don't play until Wednesday night. The slight upset Charles Barkley, the co-host of TNT's “Inside the NBA,” who apologized to the Nuggets and their fans for the omission.That said, Barkley opined in a pregame interview that he thinks the Nuggets will have a tough time repeating.“I think they're in the mix. I'm a big Bruce Brown fan,” Barkley said of the starting small forward who signed a two-year, $45 million contract with the Indiana Pacers following Denver's title run. “They gotta replace him and the young guys gotta come on, and they're going to have to adjust to being the hunted."

Nuggets celebrate first NBA championship with banner, rings and 119-107 win over the Lakers

Ratings comments:&nbsp;Lincoln Southwest won the HAC Tournament and stays second, but the big mover is Papillion-La Vista who jumps from sixth to fourth after winning the Metro Conference tournament over Omaha Westside and defeating No. 1 Papillion-La Vista South in the semifinals. Districts begin on Tuesday.

Receiving votes:&nbsp;Beatrice (18-10), RV; Gering (19-9), NR; Omaha Duchesne Academy (15-11), NR.

Ratings comments:&nbsp;Not a lot of games here to review in the final week of the season. Skutt cruised to the River Cities Conference title, while Norris took a 3-1 win over Lincoln Lutheran to end the season. Sub-districts are Tuesday and Wednesday before Saturday’s district final round.

Receiving Votes:&nbsp;Ogallala (24-9), 10; Wahoo (22-10), RV.

Ratings comments:&nbsp;Pierce replaces Ogallala in the final regular season poll in a class that is very strong all top-to-bottom. Gothenburg has lost to Minden twice, but took a set in the Southwest Conference tournament. Platteview jumps past GICC this week.

Receiving votes:&nbsp;&nbsp;Thayer Central (25-3), NR; Hastings St. Cecilia (20-11), RV.&nbsp;

Ratings comments:&nbsp;This late in the season, sometimes teams get analyzed a bit more. Yutan, undefeated in Class C-2, jumps to No. 3 this week. Elmwood-Murdock jumps past Bergan after a win over Freeman. Still no room for Bayard to jump or Thayer Central to get in the ratings.

Receiving votes:&nbsp;Burwell (21-7), RV; Pleasanton (20-9), RV.

Ratings comments:&nbsp;This class has been musical chairs of late and Southwest will take the top ranking into the postseason after winning the RPAC Tournament, coupled with GACC’s loss to Pierce in the Mid-States final.

Receiving votes:&nbsp;Howells-Dodge (15-12), RV; Sandhills/Thedford (23-6), 10.

Ratings comments:&nbsp;Overton lost to Class C-1, No. 3 Kearney Catholic and Cambridge to Class D-1, No. 1 Southwest but are not penalized. Meridian won the Crossroads Tournament, but then lost to HTRS which brings them into the rankings at No. 7 and drops Shelton, Central Valley and Leyton.

<h2>CLASS A</h2><ol>
 <li><a href="https://nebpreps.com/papillion-la-vista-south-claims-allison-weston-invitational-title/" target="_blank">Papillion-La Vista South</a>&nbsp;(33-1), 1</li><li>Lincoln Southwest (28-4), 2</li><li>Lincoln East (25-10), 3</li><li><a href="https://hurrdatsports.com/preps-volleyball/papillion-la-vista-sweeps-omaha-westside-to-win-metro-conference-tournament/" target="_blank">Papillion-La Vista (23-14), 6</a></li><li>Omaha Westside (23-10), 4</li><li><a href="https://hurrdatsports.com/featured/gritty-islanders/" target="_blank">Grand Island (24-8), 5</a></li><li>Millard West (20-12), 7</li><li>Lincoln Pius X (21-10), 8</li><li>Bellevue West (27-9), 10</li><li>Gretna (24-12), 9&nbsp;</li>
 </ol>Receiving votes:&nbsp;none.Ratings comments:&nbsp;Lincoln Southwest won the HAC Tournament and stays second, but the big mover is Papillion-La Vista who jumps from sixth to fourth after winning the Metro Conference tournament over Omaha Westside and defeating No. 1 Papillion-La Vista South in the semifinals. Districts begin on Tuesday.<h2>CLASS B</h2><ol>
 <li>Omaha Skutt (21-13), 1</li><li><a href="https://hurrdatsports.com/preps-volleyball/no-3-norris-sweeps-no-2-elkhorn-north-in-regular-season-rubber-match/" target="_blank">Norris (29-3), 2</a></li><li><a href="https://nebpreps.com/wolves-top-badgers-in-top-five-conference-clash/" target="_blank">Elkhorn North (25-7), 3</a></li><li><a href="https://nebpreps.com/huskers-commit-olivia-mauch-leads-bennington-to-9-0-start/" target="_blank">Bennington (26-6), 4</a></li><li>Waverly (21-9), 5</li><li>Gretna East (24-9), 6</li><li>Crete (21-12), 7</li><li>Scottsbluff (23-9), 8</li><li>Northwest (19-12), 9</li><li>Seward (24-7), 10</li>
 </ol>Receiving votes:&nbsp;Beatrice (18-10), RV; Gering (19-9), NR; Omaha Duchesne Academy (15-11), NR.Ratings comments:&nbsp;Not a lot of games here to review in the final week of the season. Skutt cruised to the River Cities Conference title, while Norris took a 3-1 win over Lincoln Lutheran to end the season. Sub-districts are Tuesday and Wednesday before Saturday’s district final round.<h2>CLASS C-1</h2><ol>
 <li>Minden (31-0), 1</li><li>Gothenburg (29-2), 2</li><li>Kearney Catholic (27-2), 3</li><li>Platteview (22-7), 5</li><li>GICC (23-3), 4</li><li>DC West (25-4), 6</li><li>Malcolm (24-4), 7</li><li>Syracuse (24-7), 8</li><li>Hastings Adams Central (21-6), 9</li><li>Pierce (27-3), RV</li>
 </ol>Receiving Votes:&nbsp;Ogallala (24-9), 10; Wahoo (22-10), RV.Ratings comments:&nbsp;Pierce replaces Ogallala in the final regular season poll in a class that is very strong all top-to-bottom. Gothenburg has lost to Minden twice, but took a set in the Southwest Conference tournament. Platteview jumps past GICC this week.<h2>CLASS C-2</h2><ol>
 <li>Lincoln Lutheran (30-2), 1</li><li>Clarkson/Leigh (29-1), 2</li><li>Yutan (23-3), 5</li><li>Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family (26-5), 3</li><li>Oakland-Craig (26-6), 4</li><li>Elmwood-Murdock (23-5), 7</li><li>Fremont Bergan (23-10), 6</li><li>Freeman (22-5), 8</li><li>Bayard (28-0), 9</li><li>Stanton (22-8), 10</li>
 </ol>Receiving votes:&nbsp;&nbsp;Thayer Central (25-3), NR; Hastings St. Cecilia (20-11), RV.&nbsp;Ratings comments:&nbsp;This late in the season, sometimes teams get analyzed a bit more. Yutan, undefeated in Class C-2, jumps to No. 3 this week. Elmwood-Murdock jumps past Bergan after a win over Freeman. Still no room for Bayard to jump or Thayer Central to get in the ratings.<h2>CLASS D-1</h2><ol>
 <li>Southwest (26-3), 3</li><li>West Point Guardian Angels Central Catholic (22-5), 1</li><li>Amherst (21-7), 2</li><li>Sumner-Eddyville-Miller (24-4), 4</li><li>O’Neill St. Mary’s (27-1), 5</li><li>Elgin Public/Pope John (24-5), 6</li><li>Bruning-Davenport/Shickley (24-4), 7</li><li>Nebraska Christian (22-6), 8</li><li>Johnson-Brock (21-6), 9</li><li>Deshler (25-3), 10</li>
 </ol>Receiving votes:&nbsp;Burwell (21-7), RV; Pleasanton (20-9), RV.Ratings comments:&nbsp;This class has been musical chairs of late and Southwest will take the top ranking into the postseason after winning the RPAC Tournament, coupled with GACC’s loss to Pierce in the Mid-States final.<h2>CLASS D-2</h2><ol>
 <li>Overton (27-2), 1</li><li>Cambridge (23-4), 2</li><li>Wynot (22-6), 3</li><li>Stuart (24-4), 4</li><li>Meridian (21-5), 5</li><li>Wallace (26-3), 6</li><li>Humboldt-Table Rock-Steinauer (20-9), RV</li><li>Shelton (20-9), 7</li><li>Central Valley (20-8), 8</li><li>Leyton (24-6), 9</li>
 </ol>Receiving votes:&nbsp;Howells-Dodge (15-12), RV; Sandhills/Thedford (23-6), 10.Ratings comments:&nbsp;Overton lost to Class C-1, No. 3 Kearney Catholic and Cambridge to Class D-1, No. 1 Southwest but are not penalized. Meridian won the Crossroads Tournament, but then lost to HTRS which brings them into the rankings at No. 7 and drops Shelton, Central Valley and Leyton.

Volleyball coaches poll for week of 10-23

BDS def. Deshler, 25-21, 25-22, 25-15 (3-0)

Bayard def. Perkins County, 25-22, 26-24, 25-20 (3-0)

Bellevue West def. Bellevue East, 25-10, 25-14, 25-12 (3-0)

Bennington def. Gretna East, 25-14, 25-20, 22-25, 25-20 (3-1)

Blair def. Schuyler, 25-16, 25-9, 25-21 (3-0)

Blair def. South Sioux City, 25-16, 25-21, 25-22 (3-0)

Burwell def. Fullerton, 16-25, 25-12, 25-18, 26-24 (3-1)

Cambridge def. Overton, 25-23, 15-25, 22-25, 25-23, 15-8 (3-2)

Centennial def. Fairbury, 26-24, 16-25, 15-25, 25-20, 15-8 (3-2)

Central Valley def. Humphrey St. Francis, 25-20, 26-24, 25-23 (3-0)

Chadron def. Gordon-Rushville, 25-18, 25-19, 25-10 (3-0)

Clarkson/Leigh def. Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family, 25-27, 25-14, 25-12, 25-18 (3-1)

Columbus def. Omaha Marian, 25-20, 25-21, 25-21 (3-0)

Crete def. Beatrice, 24-26, 25-18, 23-25, 25-23, 15-10 (3-2)

Crofton def. Cedar Catholic, 21-25, 25-13, 22-25, 25-16, 16-14 (3-2)

Douglas County West def. Omaha Concordia, 19-25, 25-20, 25-20, 25-17 (3-1)

Elkhorn North def. Elkhorn, 25-5, 25-8, 25-11 (3-0)

Elkhorn South def. Lincoln North Star, 25-20, 23-25, 27-29, 25-20, 15-11 (3-2)

Freeman def. Johnson County Central, 25-16, 25-18, 25-13 (3-0)

Gering def. Alliance, 25-18, 21-25, 18-25, 25-17, 15-8 (3-2)

Gothenburg def. Ogallala, 25-12, 26-24, 25-21 (3-0)

Grand Island Central Catholic def. Adams Central, 22-25, 25-22, 25-22, 25-21 (3-1)

Grand Island def. Omaha Northwest, 25-9, 25-15, 25-19 (3-0)

Gretna def. Omaha Central, 25-18, 25-20, 25-10 (3-0)

Guardian Angels Central Catholic def. Pender, 25-9, 25-14, 25-13 (3-0)

Hastings def. McCook, 23-25, 19-25, 25-19, 25-16, 15-7 (3-2)

Hay Springs def. Cody-Kilgore, 25-21, 25-19, 26-24 (3-0)

Howells-Dodge def. Mead, 25-19, 25-16, 21-25, 25-20 (3-1)

Humboldt-Table Rock-Steinauer def. Falls City Sacred Heart, 26-24, 25-17, 24-26, 25-22 (3-1)

Johnson-Brock def. Diller-Odell, 25-17, 19-25, 17-25, 25-15, 19-17 (3-2)

Kearney Catholic def. Minden, 28-26, 16-25, 17-25, 25-23, 15-8 (3-2)

Kenesaw def. Silver Lake, 25-16, 25-14, 25-17 (3-0)

Leyton def. Potter-Dix, 25-12, 25-15, 25-15 (3-0)

Lincoln East def. Lincoln High, 25-20, 25-10, 25-10 (3-0)

Lincoln Lutheran def. Elmwood-Murdock, 25-18, 25-27, 25-9, 25-22 (3-1)

Lincoln Pius X def. Omaha Burke, 25-14, 25-14, 25-15 (3-0)

Lincoln Southwest def. Omaha North, 25-6, 25-5, 25-7 (3-0)

Malcolm def. Wahoo, 25-14, 25-23, 25-17 (3-0)

Maxwell def. North Platte St. Patrick's, 18-25, 25-21, 15-25, 25-15, 15-7 (3-2)

Meridian def. High Plains Community, 25-16, 25-13, 25-10 (3-0)

Millard North def. Lincoln Northeast, 23-25, 25-10, 25-20, 25-23 (3-1)

Millard South def. Fremont, 25-15, 18-25, 25-22, 22-25, 18-16 (3-2)

Millard West def. Norfolk, 25-9, 25-18, 25-20 (3-0)

Nebraska Christian def. Shelby/Rising City, 25-9, 25-13, 23-25, 25-22 (3-1)

Norris def. Crete, 25-18, 25-16, 25-19 (3-0)

Northwest def. Lexington, 25-13, 25-9, 26-24 (3-0)

Oakland-Craig def. Wakefield, 26-24, 25-17, 25-21 (3-0)

Omaha Duchesne Academy def. Omaha Mercy, 25-12, 25-14, 25-17 (3-0)

Omaha Skutt Catholic def. Ralston, 25-9, 25-10, 25-6 (3-0)

Omaha Westside def. Kearney, 25-21, 25-12, 25-19 (3-0)

Papillion-LaVista South def. North Platte, 25-6, 25-8, 25-12 (3-0)

Papillion-LaVista def. Lincoln Southeast, 25-16, 25-13, 25-13 (3-0)

Paxton def. Sutherland, 25-16, 25-10, 25-10 (3-0)

Pierce def. Battle Creek, 25-15, 23-25, 25-16, 25-21 (3-1)

Plainview def. Tri County Northeast, 25-14, 25-21, 25-19 (3-0)

Platteview def. Ashland-Greenwood, 25-16, 25-23, 25-19 (3-0)

Plattsmouth def. Nebraska City, 25-15, 25-11, 25-16 (3-0)

Sandhills/Thedford def. Arthur County, 25-15, 22-25, 25-15, 25-18 (3-1)

Scottsbluff def. Gering, 25-18, 25-23, 28-26 (3-0)

Scotus Central Catholic def. David City, 19-25, 22-25, 25-16, 25-23, 15-8 (3-2)

Seward def. York, 25-23, 25-17, 23-25, 25-19 (3-1)

Shelton def. Lawrence-Nelson, 25-15, 25-14, 25-19 (3-0)

Southern Valley def. Loomis, 25-16, 25-18, 25-22 (3-0)

Southwest def. Maywood-Hayes Center, 25-17, 25-12, 25-20 (3-0)

St. Mary's def. Elgin Public/Pope John, 25-18, 23-25, 25-18, 25-22 (3-1)

Stuart def. Ansley-Litchfield, 25-18, 25-11, 25-12 (3-0)

Summerland def. Stanton, 25-18, 26-24, 25-22 (3-0)

Sumner-Eddyville-Miller def. Amherst, 25-23, 25-18, 25-20 (3-0)

Syracuse def. Palmyra, 25-10, 25-13, 25-18 (3-0)

Thayer Central def. Tri County, 25-22, 25-21, 25-22 (3-0)

Wauneta-Palisade def. Medicine Valley, 19-25, 25-11, 25-22, 25-22 (3-1)

Waverly def. Plattsmouth, 25-10, 25-12, 25-11 (3-0)

West Holt def. Ainsworth, 25-21, 25-19, 25-17 (3-0)

West Point-Beemer def. Logan View/Scribner-Snyder, 25-17, 25-23, 25-20 (3-0)

Wood River def. Hastings St. Cecilia, 15-25, 25-17, 23-25, 25-22, 15-13 (3-2)

Wynot def. Wausa, 25-23, 25-17, 13-25, 25-23 (3-1)

York def. Lincoln Northwest, 25-11, 25-10, 25-19 (3-0)

BDS def. Deshler, 25-21, 25-22, 25-15 (3-0)Bayard def. Perkins County, 25-22, 26-24, 25-20 (3-0)Bellevue West def. Bellevue East, 25-10, 25-14, 25-12 (3-0)Bennington def. Gretna East, 25-14, 25-20, 22-25, 25-20 (3-1)Blair def. Schuyler, 25-16, 25-9, 25-21 (3-0)Blair def. South Sioux City, 25-16, 25-21, 25-22 (3-0)Burwell def. Fullerton, 16-25, 25-12, 25-18, 26-24 (3-1)Cambridge def. Overton, 25-23, 15-25, 22-25, 25-23, 15-8 (3-2)Centennial def. Fairbury, 26-24, 16-25, 15-25, 25-20, 15-8 (3-2)Central Valley def. Humphrey St. Francis, 25-20, 26-24, 25-23 (3-0)Chadron def. Gordon-Rushville, 25-18, 25-19, 25-10 (3-0)Clarkson/Leigh def. Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family, 25-27, 25-14, 25-12, 25-18 (3-1)Columbus def. Omaha Marian, 25-20, 25-21, 25-21 (3-0)Crete def. Beatrice, 24-26, 25-18, 23-25, 25-23, 15-10 (3-2)Crofton def. Cedar Catholic, 21-25, 25-13, 22-25, 25-16, 16-14 (3-2)Douglas County West def. Omaha Concordia, 19-25, 25-20, 25-20, 25-17 (3-1)Elkhorn North def. Elkhorn, 25-5, 25-8, 25-11 (3-0)Elkhorn South def. Lincoln North Star, 25-20, 23-25, 27-29, 25-20, 15-11 (3-2)Freeman def. Johnson County Central, 25-16, 25-18, 25-13 (3-0)Gering def. Alliance, 25-18, 21-25, 18-25, 25-17, 15-8 (3-2)Gothenburg def. Ogallala, 25-12, 26-24, 25-21 (3-0)Grand Island Central Catholic def. Adams Central, 22-25, 25-22, 25-22, 25-21 (3-1)Grand Island def. Omaha Northwest, 25-9, 25-15, 25-19 (3-0)Gretna def. Omaha Central, 25-18, 25-20, 25-10 (3-0)Guardian Angels Central Catholic def. Pender, 25-9, 25-14, 25-13 (3-0)Hastings def. McCook, 23-25, 19-25, 25-19, 25-16, 15-7 (3-2)Hay Springs def. Cody-Kilgore, 25-21, 25-19, 26-24 (3-0)Howells-Dodge def. Mead, 25-19, 25-16, 21-25, 25-20 (3-1)Humboldt-Table Rock-Steinauer def. Falls City Sacred Heart, 26-24, 25-17, 24-26, 25-22 (3-1)Johnson-Brock def. Diller-Odell, 25-17, 19-25, 17-25, 25-15, 19-17 (3-2)Kearney Catholic def. Minden, 28-26, 16-25, 17-25, 25-23, 15-8 (3-2)Kenesaw def. Silver Lake, 25-16, 25-14, 25-17 (3-0)Leyton def. Potter-Dix, 25-12, 25-15, 25-15 (3-0)Lincoln East def. Lincoln High, 25-20, 25-10, 25-10 (3-0)Lincoln Lutheran def. Elmwood-Murdock, 25-18, 25-27, 25-9, 25-22 (3-1)Lincoln Pius X def. Omaha Burke, 25-14, 25-14, 25-15 (3-0)Lincoln Southwest def. Omaha North, 25-6, 25-5, 25-7 (3-0)Malcolm def. Wahoo, 25-14, 25-23, 25-17 (3-0)Maxwell def. North Platte St. Patrick's, 18-25, 25-21, 15-25, 25-15, 15-7 (3-2)Meridian def. High Plains Community, 25-16, 25-13, 25-10 (3-0)Millard North def. Lincoln Northeast, 23-25, 25-10, 25-20, 25-23 (3-1)Millard South def. Fremont, 25-15, 18-25, 25-22, 22-25, 18-16 (3-2)Millard West def. Norfolk, 25-9, 25-18, 25-20 (3-0)Nebraska Christian def. Shelby/Rising City, 25-9, 25-13, 23-25, 25-22 (3-1)Norris def. Crete, 25-18, 25-16, 25-19 (3-0)Northwest def. Lexington, 25-13, 25-9, 26-24 (3-0)Oakland-Craig def. Wakefield, 26-24, 25-17, 25-21 (3-0)Omaha Duchesne Academy def. Omaha Mercy, 25-12, 25-14, 25-17 (3-0)Omaha Skutt Catholic def. Ralston, 25-9, 25-10, 25-6 (3-0)Omaha Westside def. Kearney, 25-21, 25-12, 25-19 (3-0)Papillion-LaVista South def. North Platte, 25-6, 25-8, 25-12 (3-0)Papillion-LaVista def. Lincoln Southeast, 25-16, 25-13, 25-13 (3-0)Paxton def. Sutherland, 25-16, 25-10, 25-10 (3-0)Pierce def. Battle Creek, 25-15, 23-25, 25-16, 25-21 (3-1)Plainview def. Tri County Northeast, 25-14, 25-21, 25-19 (3-0)Platteview def. Ashland-Greenwood, 25-16, 25-23, 25-19 (3-0)Plattsmouth def. Nebraska City, 25-15, 25-11, 25-16 (3-0)Sandhills/Thedford def. Arthur County, 25-15, 22-25, 25-15, 25-18 (3-1)Scottsbluff def. Gering, 25-18, 25-23, 28-26 (3-0)Scotus Central Catholic def. David City, 19-25, 22-25, 25-16, 25-23, 15-8 (3-2)Seward def. York, 25-23, 25-17, 23-25, 25-19 (3-1)Shelton def. Lawrence-Nelson, 25-15, 25-14, 25-19 (3-0)Southern Valley def. Loomis, 25-16, 25-18, 25-22 (3-0)Southwest def. Maywood-Hayes Center, 25-17, 25-12, 25-20 (3-0)St. Mary's def. Elgin Public/Pope John, 25-18, 23-25, 25-18, 25-22 (3-1)Stuart def. Ansley-Litchfield, 25-18, 25-11, 25-12 (3-0)Summerland def. Stanton, 25-18, 26-24, 25-22 (3-0)Sumner-Eddyville-Miller def. Amherst, 25-23, 25-18, 25-20 (3-0)Syracuse def. Palmyra, 25-10, 25-13, 25-18 (3-0)Thayer Central def. Tri County, 25-22, 25-21, 25-22 (3-0)Wauneta-Palisade def. Medicine Valley, 19-25, 25-11, 25-22, 25-22 (3-1)Waverly def. Plattsmouth, 25-10, 25-12, 25-11 (3-0)West Holt def. Ainsworth, 25-21, 25-19, 25-17 (3-0)West Point-Beemer def. Logan View/Scribner-Snyder, 25-17, 25-23, 25-20 (3-0)Wood River def. Hastings St. Cecilia, 15-25, 25-17, 23-25, 25-22, 15-13 (3-2)Wynot def. Wausa, 25-23, 25-17, 13-25, 25-23 (3-1)York def. Lincoln Northwest, 25-11, 25-10, 25-19 (3-0)

Volleyball area scores from 10-24

Nebraska volleyball junior opposite hitter Merritt Beason was named the AVCA/GameChanger National Player of the Week on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Beason, who was also named Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday for the third time this season, is the first Husker to be named AVCA National Player of the Week since 2017.&nbsp;

The Gardendale, AL, native led the Huskers to a sweep at Northwestern and a 3-2 win over No. 1 Wisconsin last week with 4.25 kills per set, 1.75 digs per set and five blocks and two aces.

Beason began the week with 13 kills on .323 hitting in the sweep at Northwestern. She also had seven digs and three blocks with an ace. On Saturday night in the Huskers' thrilling 3-2 win over the undefeated Badgers, Beason had a match-high 21 kills along with seven digs, two blocks and an ace.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsNebraska volleyball junior opposite hitter Merritt Beason was named the AVCA/GameChanger National Player of the Week on Tuesday.&nbsp;Beason, who was also named Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday for the third time this season, is the first Husker to be named AVCA National Player of the Week since 2017.&nbsp;The Gardendale, AL, native led the Huskers to a sweep at Northwestern and a 3-2 win over No. 1 Wisconsin last week with 4.25 kills per set, 1.75 digs per set and five blocks and two aces.Beason began the week with 13 kills on .323 hitting in the sweep at Northwestern. She also had seven digs and three blocks with an ace. On Saturday night in the Huskers' thrilling 3-2 win over the undefeated Badgers, Beason had a match-high 21 kills along with seven digs, two blocks and an ace.

Beason named AVCA/GameChanger national player of the week

Story by Tri-City Storm Communications

The Tri-City Storm has acquired forward Jake Rozzi from the Madison Capitols in exchange for a 5th&nbsp;Round pick in the 2025 USHL Phase II Draft, and future considerations.

Jake Rozzi, 19, of Kirkland, Quebec, has skated in over one hundred and twenty-five games in his USHL career. Rozzi has netted twenty-four goals, and recorded fifty assists for seventy-four total points in four seasons with the Waterloo Black Hawks, Youngstown Phantoms, and Madison Capitols. He has skated in fourteen career postseason games in the Clark Cup Playoffs. Rozzi won last year’s Clark Cup Championship as a member of the Youngstown Phantoms. He scored eighteen goals and notched twenty-nine assists for forty-seven total points in sixty-one regular season games last year for the Phantoms. He netted four goals and recorded thirteen assists for seventeen total points in fifty-five games played for the Waterloo Black Hawks during his first full-length USHL season in 2021-2022. Rozzi scored one goal and recorded seven assists in five games played this season for the Madison Capitols. He was selected 148th&nbsp;overall in the 10th&nbsp;round of the 2020 USHL Phase I Draft by the Waterloo Black Hawks, and made his USHL regular season debut with the team on April 3rd, 2021, in the Black Hawks’ 4-0 home loss to the Des Moines Buccaneers. Rozzi netted his first career USHL goal on April 20th, 2021, in Waterloo’s 8-4 home victory over the Lincoln Stars. He skated for Selects Academy (AAA, South Kent, Connecticut), and the Lac St-Louis Lions (AAA,&nbsp;Montréal, Quebec) prior to his USHL career. Rozzi previously announced a commitment to play collegiate hockey in the future at Ohio State University.

“We are thrilled to add a player of Jake Rozzi's caliber to our team at this point of the season. His hockey sense and playmaking ability should provide a boost to our lineup every night, and his experience will be a welcome addition to our locker room. Our staff looks forward to being able to work with him on his development on a daily basis.”-&nbsp;President of Hockey Operations/Head Coach Anthony Noreen

“We thank the Capitols for working with us on this trade and transaction. We are excited to announce the acquisition of veteran forward Jake Rozzi to our club. Jake is in his third USHL season, and had a breakout second full season in our league last year, culminating with a long playoff run, and a Clark Cup championship. Jake has been a productive and successful offensive driver and scoring threat over the years. We have a comfortable and confident four-year familiarity dating back to when he played U15 AAA hockey with Selects Academy. Jake played with current Storm defenseman Shaun McEwen and former Storm defenseman Vinny Borgesi (Northeastern University) while at Selects Academy. We feel this move helps upgrade our forward group, and provides another scoring weapon for the coaches as the season progresses.”-&nbsp;General Manager Jason Koehler

Story by Tri-City Storm CommunicationsThe Tri-City Storm has acquired forward Jake Rozzi from the Madison Capitols in exchange for a 5th&nbsp;Round pick in the 2025 USHL Phase II Draft, and future considerations.Jake Rozzi, 19, of Kirkland, Quebec, has skated in over one hundred and twenty-five games in his USHL career. Rozzi has netted twenty-four goals, and recorded fifty assists for seventy-four total points in four seasons with the Waterloo Black Hawks, Youngstown Phantoms, and Madison Capitols. He has skated in fourteen career postseason games in the Clark Cup Playoffs. Rozzi won last year’s Clark Cup Championship as a member of the Youngstown Phantoms. He scored eighteen goals and notched twenty-nine assists for forty-seven total points in sixty-one regular season games last year for the Phantoms. He netted four goals and recorded thirteen assists for seventeen total points in fifty-five games played for the Waterloo Black Hawks during his first full-length USHL season in 2021-2022. Rozzi scored one goal and recorded seven assists in five games played this season for the Madison Capitols. He was selected 148th&nbsp;overall in the 10th&nbsp;round of the 2020 USHL Phase I Draft by the Waterloo Black Hawks, and made his USHL regular season debut with the team on April 3rd, 2021, in the Black Hawks’ 4-0 home loss to the Des Moines Buccaneers. Rozzi netted his first career USHL goal on April 20th, 2021, in Waterloo’s 8-4 home victory over the Lincoln Stars. He skated for Selects Academy (AAA, South Kent, Connecticut), and the Lac St-Louis Lions (AAA,&nbsp;Montréal, Quebec) prior to his USHL career. Rozzi previously announced a commitment to play collegiate hockey in the future at Ohio State University.“We are thrilled to add a player of Jake Rozzi's caliber to our team at this point of the season. His hockey sense and playmaking ability should provide a boost to our lineup every night, and his experience will be a welcome addition to our locker room. Our staff looks forward to being able to work with him on his development on a daily basis.”-&nbsp;President of Hockey Operations/Head Coach Anthony Noreen“We thank the Capitols for working with us on this trade and transaction. We are excited to announce the acquisition of veteran forward Jake Rozzi to our club. Jake is in his third USHL season, and had a breakout second full season in our league last year, culminating with a long playoff run, and a Clark Cup championship. Jake has been a productive and successful offensive driver and scoring threat over the years. We have a comfortable and confident four-year familiarity dating back to when he played U15 AAA hockey with Selects Academy. Jake played with current Storm defenseman Shaun McEwen and former Storm defenseman Vinny Borgesi (Northeastern University) while at Selects Academy. We feel this move helps upgrade our forward group, and provides another scoring weapon for the coaches as the season progresses.”-&nbsp;General Manager Jason Koehler

Storm acquires Jake Rozzi from Capitols

Story by UNK Athletic Communications

Junior outside hitter&nbsp;Asha Regier&nbsp;had a career-high 17 kills to help No. 10 Nebraska Kearney stave off an upset bid from Emporia State (<a href="https://lopers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/stats/2023/emporia-state/boxscore/7524" target="_blank">-9, 14-25, -23, -23</a>) Tuesday night at the Health &amp; Sports Center.

UNK (22-3, 12-3) snaps a rare two-match losing streak and records its 33rd straight victory over the Hornets (11-11, 5-9), dating back 1988.

“It feels like we won the national championship, to be honest with you. It was a tough weekend for us and coming into tonight, your confidence is rattled a little bit, and you know you’re

playing a good team,” said UNK head coach&nbsp;Rick Squiers. “We were very concerned about this match and to be able to grind it out like we did and get a win … it’s so much needed for our team right now.”

First-year head coach Ken Murczek rebuilt the E-State roster this year and the Hornets are much improved. They’ve lost in five sets to No. 17 Central Oklahoma, No. 27 Central Missouri and Northwest Missouri and came in having won four of six.

Five-eight junior outside Sandora Sasaki (Kawasaki, Japan/Salt Lake City C.C.) is one big reason why. She averages 4.67 kills per set and had 32 earlier this year in a four-set win over Fort Hays. Sasaki topped that tonight with 33 kills in 76 swings (.316 pct.), in addition to nine digs, two blocks, an ace and assist.

“I cannot remember too many matches where we’ve had to deal with someone like that. There’s a couple of names that pop into my mind but to know she was going to get the ball … she had an answer for everything,” said Squiers. “It’s almost the equivalent of a running back that’s faster than everyone on the field. She is terrifying and the rest of the league hasn’t solved her either.”

UNK dominated the first set as they hit .476 (12-2-21) while holding Emporia to negative .071 (6-8-28). The Lopers had 5.0 team blocks, three coming from freshman middle&nbsp;Mia Berg&nbsp;(Eureka, Mo.), as well as four aces. However, the Hornets flipped the script in set two, out hitting the Lopers by nearly 200 points with Sasaki having 10 kills in 21 swings and serving up four aces.

There were 16 ties and five lead changes over the final two sets with UNK grabbing a 13-6 cushion in the third after an ace by junior DS&nbsp;Jensen Rowse&nbsp;(Minden). But a rare 11-0 run followed as the Hornets had four kills, four team blocks and took advantage of three unforced Loper attack errors. UNK was down 20-17 before closing on an 8-3 run. Berg had two more block assists with Regier adding four of her kills. This was her best set of the evening as she had six kills in seven swings.

“It was a very hard-fought match and there were some real ugly stretches, but we still found a way,” said Squiers. “The best way to survive an 11-0 run is to make sure you have a nice lead to start with. We got stuck in a rotation and it was beyond frustrating. You try your timeouts, try a few subs but nothing seems to work. We just couldn’t put the ball away.”

Emporia obviously went to Sasaki to try and get to a fifth set, and she responded with 13 kills in the fourth set. The Lopers broke up a 16-16 tie with two kills by senior outside&nbsp;Emersen Cyza&nbsp;(Alliance) and another from grad right side&nbsp;Jaden Ferguson&nbsp;(Lincoln SW). However, E-State came back to tie things on 23 on, what else, a Sasaki kill. Finally, the nearly two-hour match ended after a Sasaki service error and Cyza kill.

Regier’s previous career-high of 14 was achieved on several occasions. She reached her new career-best tally in 36 swings (.361) with Ferguson (12) and Cyza (11) combining for 23 more. Thirteen of those came over the final two sets with Ferguson also at seven digs and four blocks. Next, Berg had six blocks and six kills with Rowse having two of UNK’s nine aces. Finally, libero&nbsp;Lauren Taubenheim&nbsp;(15) and setter&nbsp;Peyton Neff&nbsp;(10) dug up a few of Sasaki’s hot shots.

UNK hosts winless Newman on Saturday at 2 p.m. That’ll be “Senior Day” and the team’s final home match of 2023.

Story by UNK Athletic CommunicationsJunior outside hitter&nbsp;Asha Regier&nbsp;had a career-high 17 kills to help No. 10 Nebraska Kearney stave off an upset bid from Emporia State (<a href="https://lopers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/stats/2023/emporia-state/boxscore/7524" target="_blank">-9, 14-25, -23, -23</a>) Tuesday night at the Health &amp; Sports Center.UNK (22-3, 12-3) snaps a rare two-match losing streak and records its 33rd straight victory over the Hornets (11-11, 5-9), dating back 1988.“It feels like we won the national championship, to be honest with you. It was a tough weekend for us and coming into tonight, your confidence is rattled a little bit, and you know you’replaying a good team,” said UNK head coach&nbsp;Rick Squiers. “We were very concerned about this match and to be able to grind it out like we did and get a win … it’s so much needed for our team right now.”First-year head coach Ken Murczek rebuilt the E-State roster this year and the Hornets are much improved. They’ve lost in five sets to No. 17 Central Oklahoma, No. 27 Central Missouri and Northwest Missouri and came in having won four of six.Five-eight junior outside Sandora Sasaki (Kawasaki, Japan/Salt Lake City C.C.) is one big reason why. She averages 4.67 kills per set and had 32 earlier this year in a four-set win over Fort Hays. Sasaki topped that tonight with 33 kills in 76 swings (.316 pct.), in addition to nine digs, two blocks, an ace and assist.“I cannot remember too many matches where we’ve had to deal with someone like that. There’s a couple of names that pop into my mind but to know she was going to get the ball … she had an answer for everything,” said Squiers. “It’s almost the equivalent of a running back that’s faster than everyone on the field. She is terrifying and the rest of the league hasn’t solved her either.”UNK dominated the first set as they hit .476 (12-2-21) while holding Emporia to negative .071 (6-8-28). The Lopers had 5.0 team blocks, three coming from freshman middle&nbsp;Mia Berg&nbsp;(Eureka, Mo.), as well as four aces. However, the Hornets flipped the script in set two, out hitting the Lopers by nearly 200 points with Sasaki having 10 kills in 21 swings and serving up four aces.There were 16 ties and five lead changes over the final two sets with UNK grabbing a 13-6 cushion in the third after an ace by junior DS&nbsp;Jensen Rowse&nbsp;(Minden). But a rare 11-0 run followed as the Hornets had four kills, four team blocks and took advantage of three unforced Loper attack errors. UNK was down 20-17 before closing on an 8-3 run. Berg had two more block assists with Regier adding four of her kills. This was her best set of the evening as she had six kills in seven swings.“It was a very hard-fought match and there were some real ugly stretches, but we still found a way,” said Squiers. “The best way to survive an 11-0 run is to make sure you have a nice lead to start with. We got stuck in a rotation and it was beyond frustrating. You try your timeouts, try a few subs but nothing seems to work. We just couldn’t put the ball away.”Emporia obviously went to Sasaki to try and get to a fifth set, and she responded with 13 kills in the fourth set. The Lopers broke up a 16-16 tie with two kills by senior outside&nbsp;Emersen Cyza&nbsp;(Alliance) and another from grad right side&nbsp;Jaden Ferguson&nbsp;(Lincoln SW). However, E-State came back to tie things on 23 on, what else, a Sasaki kill. Finally, the nearly two-hour match ended after a Sasaki service error and Cyza kill.Regier’s previous career-high of 14 was achieved on several occasions. She reached her new career-best tally in 36 swings (.361) with Ferguson (12) and Cyza (11) combining for 23 more. Thirteen of those came over the final two sets with Ferguson also at seven digs and four blocks. Next, Berg had six blocks and six kills with Rowse having two of UNK’s nine aces. Finally, libero&nbsp;Lauren Taubenheim&nbsp;(15) and setter&nbsp;Peyton Neff&nbsp;(10) dug up a few of Sasaki’s hot shots.UNK hosts winless Newman on Saturday at 2 p.m. That’ll be “Senior Day” and the team’s final home match of 2023.

Career-night for Regier as UNK ends rare losing streak

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska more than doubled its number of Big Ten wins last season to mark the biggest improvement in Fred Hoiberg's four years coaching the Cornhuskers. He expects the ascent to continue with a roster that ranks as the conference's oldest.

The Huskers went 16-16 for their first non-losing season since 2018-19 despite four rotation players missing time because of injuries. They were 12th in the Big Ten at 9-11 after they won six of their final eight regular-season games.

“Had we stayed healthy last year, I think we would have had a great chance to be an NCAA Tournament team,” Hoiberg said. “We had that grit, defensive mindset and identity, and we wanted to get that same group of guys in here this year. So far that's what I've seen."

The Huskers' roster includes eight players who are entering their fourth or fifth seasons as collegians and appeared in at least 62 games apiece. Three have at least 79 career starts each, and four have started at least 25.

“We've got more depth than any team we’ve had since we’ve been at Nebraska,” Hoiberg said, "and we have the size and verstaility to play a lot of combinations. We can play small, we can play big, we can play gigantic if we want to. When you look at the 3-point shooting of guys in our rotation, the majority are at 35% or better.

“When you have a team where you know what you're going to get, it makes your job easier and more enjoyable.”

Hoiberg's biggest offseason win came in May when 3-point shooting star Keisei Tominaga decided to return to Nebraska rather than enter the NBA draft. Tominaga averaged 13.1 points per game for the season and 20.3 as the Huskers won six of their last nine games. His 40.9% shooting from distance after he became a starter Jan. 18 was highest in the Big Ten among players who attempted at least six per game.

Over the summer he helped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/basketball-world-cup-olympics-paris-1da4d6721440964b0aac1ea1464c3970">lead his native Japan to a spot in the 2024 Olympics</a>&nbsp;with his performance in the FIBA World Cup. He was among just five college players in the World Cup and the only one to average more than 10 points per game.

Juwan Gary started the Huskers' first 17 games and averaged 9.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and a team-high 1.4 steals per game before he sustained a season-ending injury in January.

C.J. Wilcher has played in every game the past two seasons. He had 24 starts last season and scored in double figures 10 times.

Jamarques Lawrence became a starter for the final 12 games and averaged 9.0 points per game in that stretch while shooting nearly 40 percent on 3s.

Derrick Walker, the leading scorer and rebounder last season, is the biggest departure. Sam Griesel and Emmanuel Bandoumel also were starters who graduated. Reserves Wilhelm Breidenbach (Washington), Denim Dawson (Tennessee State) and Oleg Kojenets (Wyoming) left via the transfer portal.

The Huskers added five transfers in guards Brice Williams (Charlotte), Ahron Ulis (Iowa) and Jarron Coleman (Ball State) and forwards Rienk Mast (Bradley) and Josiah Allick (New Mexico).

Williams averaged a team-high 13.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game and shot 40% on 3s and was MVP of the College Basketball Invitational. Ulis was Iowa's starting point guard last season, and Coleman averaged 14.6 points per game last season and led the Cardinals in assists three of his four years.

Mast was an All-Missouri Valley Conference first-team pick last season after leading Bradley with 13.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game and nine double-doubles. Allick was second in the Mountain West last season with 7.3 rebounds per game.

Ulis was among the Iowa athletes found to have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iowa-sports-wagering-hawkeyes-cyclones-dc789365fa46dea091e2278b524fbba5">engaged in underage sports betting</a>&nbsp;in violation of state law and NCAA rules. He has been practicing, but his eligibility remains in question.

There are only two true freshmen on the roster, guard Eli Rice from IMG Academy by way of Gallatin, Tennessee, and forward Matar Diop from Keystone Athletic Academy (Pennsylvania) by way of Senegal.

<a href="https://huskers.com/sports/mens-basketball/schedule">The Huskers open at home</a>&nbsp;against Lindenwood on Nov. 6. They play Oregon State in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on Nov. 18. Their toughest nonconference game is Dec. 3 against eighth-ranked Creighton in Lincoln. Big Ten play starts Dec. 6 at Minnesota.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698166235195.jpeg" alt="&nbsp;Nebraska's Keisei Tominaga (30), of Japan, shoots during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Northwestern on Jan. 25, 2023, in Lincoln, Neb. Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg's biggest offseason win came in May when 3-point shooting star Keisei Tominaga decided to return to Nebraska rather than enter the NBA draft. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz, File)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Nebraska's Keisei Tominaga (30), of Japan, shoots during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Northwestern on Jan. 25, 2023, in Lincoln, Neb. Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg's biggest offseason win came in May when 3-point shooting star Keisei Tominaga decided to return to Nebraska rather than enter the NBA draft. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska more than doubled its number of Big Ten wins last season to mark the biggest improvement in Fred Hoiberg's four years coaching the Cornhuskers. He expects the ascent to continue with a roster that ranks as the conference's oldest.The Huskers went 16-16 for their first non-losing season since 2018-19 despite four rotation players missing time because of injuries. They were 12th in the Big Ten at 9-11 after they won six of their final eight regular-season games.“Had we stayed healthy last year, I think we would have had a great chance to be an NCAA Tournament team,” Hoiberg said. “We had that grit, defensive mindset and identity, and we wanted to get that same group of guys in here this year. So far that's what I've seen."The Huskers' roster includes eight players who are entering their fourth or fifth seasons as collegians and appeared in at least 62 games apiece. Three have at least 79 career starts each, and four have started at least 25.“We've got more depth than any team we’ve had since we’ve been at Nebraska,” Hoiberg said, "and we have the size and verstaility to play a lot of combinations. We can play small, we can play big, we can play gigantic if we want to. When you look at the 3-point shooting of guys in our rotation, the majority are at 35% or better.“When you have a team where you know what you're going to get, it makes your job easier and more enjoyable.”WHO’S BACKHoiberg's biggest offseason win came in May when 3-point shooting star Keisei Tominaga decided to return to Nebraska rather than enter the NBA draft. Tominaga averaged 13.1 points per game for the season and 20.3 as the Huskers won six of their last nine games. His 40.9% shooting from distance after he became a starter Jan. 18 was highest in the Big Ten among players who attempted at least six per game.Over the summer he helped&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/basketball-world-cup-olympics-paris-1da4d6721440964b0aac1ea1464c3970">lead his native Japan to a spot in the 2024 Olympics</a>&nbsp;with his performance in the FIBA World Cup. He was among just five college players in the World Cup and the only one to average more than 10 points per game.Juwan Gary started the Huskers' first 17 games and averaged 9.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and a team-high 1.4 steals per game before he sustained a season-ending injury in January.C.J. Wilcher has played in every game the past two seasons. He had 24 starts last season and scored in double figures 10 times.Jamarques Lawrence became a starter for the final 12 games and averaged 9.0 points per game in that stretch while shooting nearly 40 percent on 3s.WHO'S GONEDerrick Walker, the leading scorer and rebounder last season, is the biggest departure. Sam Griesel and Emmanuel Bandoumel also were starters who graduated. Reserves Wilhelm Breidenbach (Washington), Denim Dawson (Tennessee State) and Oleg Kojenets (Wyoming) left via the transfer portal.WHO’S NEWThe Huskers added five transfers in guards Brice Williams (Charlotte), Ahron Ulis (Iowa) and Jarron Coleman (Ball State) and forwards Rienk Mast (Bradley) and Josiah Allick (New Mexico).Williams averaged a team-high 13.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game and shot 40% on 3s and was MVP of the College Basketball Invitational. Ulis was Iowa's starting point guard last season, and Coleman averaged 14.6 points per game last season and led the Cardinals in assists three of his four years.Mast was an All-Missouri Valley Conference first-team pick last season after leading Bradley with 13.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game and nine double-doubles. Allick was second in the Mountain West last season with 7.3 rebounds per game.Ulis was among the Iowa athletes found to have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iowa-sports-wagering-hawkeyes-cyclones-dc789365fa46dea091e2278b524fbba5">engaged in underage sports betting</a>&nbsp;in violation of state law and NCAA rules. He has been practicing, but his eligibility remains in question.There are only two true freshmen on the roster, guard Eli Rice from IMG Academy by way of Gallatin, Tennessee, and forward Matar Diop from Keystone Athletic Academy (Pennsylvania) by way of Senegal.LOOKING AHEAD<a href="https://huskers.com/sports/mens-basketball/schedule">The Huskers open at home</a>&nbsp;against Lindenwood on Nov. 6. They play Oregon State in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on Nov. 18. Their toughest nonconference game is Dec. 3 against eighth-ranked Creighton in Lincoln. Big Ten play starts Dec. 6 at Minnesota.

Hoiberg hopes Tominaga's return and addition of veteran players allow Huskers to continue their rise

The Tri-City Storm dropped a 4-2 decision on home ice to the Dubuque Fighting Saints Saturday night at the Viaero Center. Artemi Nizameyev and Owen Beckner each netted a goal for Tri-City in the loss. The Storm will hit the road for four consecutive away games before returning home to the Viaero Center for back-to-back games against the Waterloo Black Hawks on Friday, November 10th, and Saturday, November 11th. Tickets to each game may be purchased online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stormhockey.com/" target="_blank">www.StormHockey.com</a>, or by calling the Viaero Center Box Office during Box Office Hours at 308-338-8144. Puck drop for the Storm’s game against the Black Hawks on Friday, November 10th&nbsp;is scheduled for 7:05pm CT. The game on Saturday, November 11th&nbsp;will begin at 6:05pm. Saturday’s game is the Storm’s annual Military Appreciation Night presented by Nebraska Warriors.

Luke Malboeuf netted the lone goal of Saturday’s opening period to give the Fighting Saints a 1-0 lead on the road against the Storm. Malboeuf’s scoring play was assisted by Colin Frank and Fisher Scott. Each team notched eight shots on net during Saturday’s 1st&nbsp;period. The Storm trailed by a single goal entering the 2nd&nbsp;period.

Artemi Nizameyev scored his first goal of the season at 4:49 of Saturday’s 2nd&nbsp;period to bring the game to a 1-1 tie. The goal was netted even strength, and was assisted by Nolan Roed. Less than a minute later, Fisher Scott scored his first goal of the year to give the Fighting Saints another one-goal advantage in the matchup. Scott’s goal was scored at 5:37 of the 2nd&nbsp;period, and was netted even-strength. Joona Väisänen and Gavin Cornforth each notched an assist on the go-ahead goal. The Storm outshot the Fighting Saints 12-9 during the 2nd&nbsp;period, and began the 3rd&nbsp;period with a one-goal deficit.

Owen Beckner netted his third goal of the season to bring the game to a 2-2 tie at 5:57 of Saturday’s final period. Beckner’s even strength goal was assisted by Nick Peluso and Alexander Bales. Seamus Powell responded with his second goal of the year at 11:15 of the period to give Dubuque its third separate lead of the night. Gavin Cornforth and Michael Barron each recorded an assist on Powell’s powerplay goal. The scoring play by Powell was the game-winning goal. The final goal of Saturday’s game was scored into an empty net by James Reeder. Reeder’s goal was his third of the year and was scored at 18:24 of the 3rd&nbsp;period. Joona Väisänen notched his second assist of the game on the goal. The Storm outshot the Fighting Saints 12-7 in the 3rd&nbsp;period, and 32-24 overall in the game. Tri-City dropped the contest by a final score of 4-2 for the team’s first multi-goal loss of the season.

Kevin Reidler picked up the win in goal for the Fighting Saints in a 30-save-on-32-shot performance. Ivan Zhigalov dropped the game in net for the Storm after making 20 saves on 23 shots. The Storm finished the contest 0/5 on the powerplay, and 2/3 on the penalty kill. Saturday night’s game was played in front of 1,220 fans at the Viaero Center.

Tri-City hits the ice again on Friday, October 27th, in a road game against the Dubuque Fighting Saints. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05pm CT. Skate to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stormhockey.com/" target="_blank">www.StormHockey.com</a>&nbsp;for individual game tickets and more information regarding the Tri-City Storm organization.

Story by Tri-City CommunicationsThe Tri-City Storm dropped a 4-2 decision on home ice to the Dubuque Fighting Saints Saturday night at the Viaero Center. Artemi Nizameyev and Owen Beckner each netted a goal for Tri-City in the loss. The Storm will hit the road for four consecutive away games before returning home to the Viaero Center for back-to-back games against the Waterloo Black Hawks on Friday, November 10th, and Saturday, November 11th. Tickets to each game may be purchased online at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stormhockey.com/" target="_blank">www.StormHockey.com</a>, or by calling the Viaero Center Box Office during Box Office Hours at 308-338-8144. Puck drop for the Storm’s game against the Black Hawks on Friday, November 10th&nbsp;is scheduled for 7:05pm CT. The game on Saturday, November 11th&nbsp;will begin at 6:05pm. Saturday’s game is the Storm’s annual Military Appreciation Night presented by Nebraska Warriors.Luke Malboeuf netted the lone goal of Saturday’s opening period to give the Fighting Saints a 1-0 lead on the road against the Storm. Malboeuf’s scoring play was assisted by Colin Frank and Fisher Scott. Each team notched eight shots on net during Saturday’s 1st&nbsp;period. The Storm trailed by a single goal entering the 2nd&nbsp;period.Artemi Nizameyev scored his first goal of the season at 4:49 of Saturday’s 2nd&nbsp;period to bring the game to a 1-1 tie. The goal was netted even strength, and was assisted by Nolan Roed. Less than a minute later, Fisher Scott scored his first goal of the year to give the Fighting Saints another one-goal advantage in the matchup. Scott’s goal was scored at 5:37 of the 2nd&nbsp;period, and was netted even-strength. Joona Väisänen and Gavin Cornforth each notched an assist on the go-ahead goal. The Storm outshot the Fighting Saints 12-9 during the 2nd&nbsp;period, and began the 3rd&nbsp;period with a one-goal deficit.Owen Beckner netted his third goal of the season to bring the game to a 2-2 tie at 5:57 of Saturday’s final period. Beckner’s even strength goal was assisted by Nick Peluso and Alexander Bales. Seamus Powell responded with his second goal of the year at 11:15 of the period to give Dubuque its third separate lead of the night. Gavin Cornforth and Michael Barron each recorded an assist on Powell’s powerplay goal. The scoring play by Powell was the game-winning goal. The final goal of Saturday’s game was scored into an empty net by James Reeder. Reeder’s goal was his third of the year and was scored at 18:24 of the 3rd&nbsp;period. Joona Väisänen notched his second assist of the game on the goal. The Storm outshot the Fighting Saints 12-7 in the 3rd&nbsp;period, and 32-24 overall in the game. Tri-City dropped the contest by a final score of 4-2 for the team’s first multi-goal loss of the season.Kevin Reidler picked up the win in goal for the Fighting Saints in a 30-save-on-32-shot performance. Ivan Zhigalov dropped the game in net for the Storm after making 20 saves on 23 shots. The Storm finished the contest 0/5 on the powerplay, and 2/3 on the penalty kill. Saturday night’s game was played in front of 1,220 fans at the Viaero Center.Tri-City hits the ice again on Friday, October 27th, in a road game against the Dubuque Fighting Saints. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05pm CT. Skate to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stormhockey.com/" target="_blank">www.StormHockey.com</a>&nbsp;for individual game tickets and more information regarding the Tri-City Storm organization.

Storm drops home game to Fighting Saint

Junior middle Phoenix Bailey had 17 kills and five blocks to help Pittsburg State defeat No. 8 Nebraska Kearney in four sets (<a href="https://lopers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/stats/2023/pittsburg-state/boxscore/7523" target="_blank">19-25, -15, 24-26, 16-25</a>) Saturday afternoon in Kansas. The Gorillas (8-14, 4-10) earn their fourth all-time win over the&nbsp;Lopers&nbsp;(21-3, 11-3) and pick up their fifth home win of the fall. Looking to bounce back from a four-set loss at No. 19 Central Oklahoma on Friday night, UNK got off to a rough start as it had seven kills in the first set, compared to 19 for the Gorillas. Five different Pitt players had three or four kills as they finished on a 12-6 run. The Lopers rolled in set two as they had 18 kills, hit .312 and never trailed. Right side&nbsp;Jaden Ferguson&nbsp;(Lincoln SW) had five kills with outside&nbsp;Emersen Cyza&nbsp;(Alliance) and middle&nbsp;Mia Berg&nbsp;(Eureka, Mo.) at four apiece. The match was decided in the third set as there were 12 ties and four lead changes. A kill by middle&nbsp;Trista Marx&nbsp;(Limon, Colo.) made it 22-21 UNK but a Phoenix kill helped Pitt reach set point, 24-23. After a timeout, the Lopers ties things up a kill by Berg but Phoenix responded again and then recorded a solo block to make it 2-1.In the fourth set, Pitt rolled again as they hit .359 (17-3-39) while holding UNK to a .116 effort (11-6-43). Phoenix had five of her kills in this set with senior outside Janae Thurston adding five in nine swings. The Gorillas out hit the Lopers by a .244 to .193 margin overall, recording 12 more kills and digging up 16 more balls. Pitt also had four more blocks with UNK plus one in the serve game. Besides Phoenix, Thurston finished with 14 kills and a team-best 26 digs, sophomore libero Josie McCroskey was at 23 digs and four assists with freshman outside Avery DeLong providing 12 kills, five blocks and a .375 efficiency. Berg paced UNK with 14 kills, four block assists and a .379 attack percentage with Ferguson at 11 kills, 18 digs and a .256 effort. Next, libero&nbsp;Lauren Taubenheim&nbsp;(Lincoln Pius) had 22 digs with Marx at seven kills and a .316 efficiency. UNK hosts Emporia State (11-10, 5-8) on Tuesday night.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Story by UNK Athletic CommunicationsJunior middle Phoenix Bailey had 17 kills and five blocks to help Pittsburg State defeat No. 8 Nebraska Kearney in four sets (<a href="https://lopers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/stats/2023/pittsburg-state/boxscore/7523" target="_blank">19-25, -15, 24-26, 16-25</a>) Saturday afternoon in Kansas. The Gorillas (8-14, 4-10) earn their fourth all-time win over the&nbsp;Lopers&nbsp;(21-3, 11-3) and pick up their fifth home win of the fall. Looking to bounce back from a four-set loss at No. 19 Central Oklahoma on Friday night, UNK got off to a rough start as it had seven kills in the first set, compared to 19 for the Gorillas. Five different Pitt players had three or four kills as they finished on a 12-6 run. The Lopers rolled in set two as they had 18 kills, hit .312 and never trailed. Right side&nbsp;Jaden Ferguson&nbsp;(Lincoln SW) had five kills with outside&nbsp;Emersen Cyza&nbsp;(Alliance) and middle&nbsp;Mia Berg&nbsp;(Eureka, Mo.) at four apiece. The match was decided in the third set as there were 12 ties and four lead changes. A kill by middle&nbsp;Trista Marx&nbsp;(Limon, Colo.) made it 22-21 UNK but a Phoenix kill helped Pitt reach set point, 24-23. After a timeout, the Lopers ties things up a kill by Berg but Phoenix responded again and then recorded a solo block to make it 2-1.In the fourth set, Pitt rolled again as they hit .359 (17-3-39) while holding UNK to a .116 effort (11-6-43). Phoenix had five of her kills in this set with senior outside Janae Thurston adding five in nine swings. The Gorillas out hit the Lopers by a .244 to .193 margin overall, recording 12 more kills and digging up 16 more balls. Pitt also had four more blocks with UNK plus one in the serve game. Besides Phoenix, Thurston finished with 14 kills and a team-best 26 digs, sophomore libero Josie McCroskey was at 23 digs and four assists with freshman outside Avery DeLong providing 12 kills, five blocks and a .375 efficiency. Berg paced UNK with 14 kills, four block assists and a .379 attack percentage with Ferguson at 11 kills, 18 digs and a .256 effort. Next, libero&nbsp;Lauren Taubenheim&nbsp;(Lincoln Pius) had 22 digs with Marx at seven kills and a .316 efficiency. UNK hosts Emporia State (11-10, 5-8) on Tuesday night.&nbsp;&nbsp;