Women's Volleyball | 9/22/2014 3:56:00 PM
Live StatsLive VideoEND OF THE LINE
Emporia State wraps up a five match road trip with a visit to Kearney, Neb. to take on #5 Neb.-Kearney. The Hornets enter the match on their first four match losing streak since 2003.
LAST TIME OUT
Down a set in the fourth, Emporia State battle back from a four point deficit to force a fifth set, but could not complete the comeback in a 3-2 loss at Northwest Missouri on Saturday night.
The Hornets trailed 20-17 in the first set before a 5-0 run gave them a 22-20 lead. Josie Williams had three consecutive kills during the run. The set had nine ties and five lead changes before Emporia State prevailed 26-24.
The Bearcats jumped out to an 8-4 lead in the second set and never looked back in a 25-17 win. Northwest started the third set up 8-5 before the Hornets used a 6-2 run of their own to take an 11-10 lead. The Bearcats scored the next five points, three coming off Emporia State errors to take a 15-11 lead on the way to a 25-18 win.
Down 13-9 in the fourth set, Emporia State used a 12-3 run to take a 21-16 lead. The teams would play even over the final eight points as the Hornets won 25-20 to force the fifth set.
There were seven ties and two lead changes in the deciding set with neither team taking more than a three point lead. Northwest led 13-10 when Emporia State answered with a 3-0 run to tie the score at 13 and force a Bearcat timeout. Northwest scored the final two points to secure the win.
Carly Spicer led the Hornets with 21 kills and 18 digs for her second 20 kill outing of the season. Williams added 15 kills on .300 hitting with nine digs.
THE COACHES
Bing Xu is 215-90 in his tenth year as the head coach at Emporia State. He has led the Hornets to five NCAA Tournament appearances and has won at least 18 matches in each of the last seven seasons. He is 0-5 against Neb.-Kearney.
Rick Squiers is 490-69 in his 16th season at Neb.-Kearney and 696-128 in his 22nd year as a head coach. He is 7-0 against Emporia State.
SCOUTING THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 4-4 on the season, having dropped their last four matches. They have not lost five straight matches since falling in six straight during the 2001 season. Half of the Hornets matches this year have gone five sets with Emporia State going 2-2 in those four matches. Only two of the Hornets eight matches have been sweeps, a 3-0 win over Ohio Valley and a 3-0 loss at Washburn that included a 27-25 second set.
Carly Spicer is second in the MIAA in kills at 4.03 per set. She has at least ten kills in every match this season and has recorded double-doubles in five of eight matches in her first year playing the full rotation. She tied her career high with 21 kills and added 18 digs at Northwest Missouri, her second match this season with at least 20 kills and 15 digs. She is the only player in the MIAA with at least two 20 kill matches this season.
Kelly Holden is tenth in the MIAA in digs at 3.76 per set. After getting nine digs in the first match of the year, she has recorded at least ten in the last seven matches with a career high 21 against William Jewell.
SCOUTING THE LOPERS
Nebraska-Kearney is 10-1 on the year, 2-1 in the MIAA and were ranked #5 in this week's AVCA National Poll. The Lopers have swept eight of their 11 opponents. They split their only two five set matches, defeating Ft. Hays State on Sept. 16 and losing their first match of the season to Central Oklahoma on Saturday.
They lead the MIAA in assists and kills and are ranked second in hitting percentage. Three Lopers are ranked in the top ten of the MIAA in hitting percentage - Bailey Sokolowski at third, Kelle Carver at sixth and Katie Weber at eighth – but none are ranked in the top ten in kills. Carver leads UNK at 3.13 kills per set. Erin Seele is second in the MIAA in assists at 11.76 per set.
SERIES HISTORY
This will be the 39th meeting between Emporia State and Neb.-Kearney. The Lopers lead the all-time series 28-10 and have won ten in a row dating back to the 1990 season.
LAST TIME AGAINST MO. WESTERN
Emporia State was swept by #7 Neb.-Kearney in front of over 1200 fans in Kearney, Neb. The Hornets were held to just .050 hitting in the 25-12, 25-12, 25-19 match, including a -.029 mark in the first set. Emporia State did force five ties and a lead change in the third set before falling. Katie Deutschmann led the Hornets with six kills on .333 hitting with 17 assists and three digs. Carly Spicer and Brianna Kaiser both had eight kills.
NEXT SERVE
Emporia State returns home to take on #16 Central Missouri on Friday, September 26. First serve from Slaymaker Court at White Auditorium is set for 7:00 p.m.
