Women's Volleyball | 11/6/2025 1:00:00 PM
Matches 24-25
(RV) Emporia State Hornets (18-5, 9-3 MIAA)
at Fort Hays State Tigers (15-9, 4-8 MIAA)
Friday, November 7 • 6:00 p.m. • Hays, Kan. • Gross Coliseum
Series History: ESU leads 57-32 •
Last Meeting: at ESU 3, FHSU 0 (10/11/25)
at #3 Nebraska-Kearney Lopers (23-2, 10-2 MIAA)
Saturday, November 8 • 3:00 p.m. • Kearney, Neb. • Health & Sports Center
Series History: UNK leads 50-11 •
Last Meeting: at ESU 3, UNK 0 (10/10/25)
The MIAA Network •
Live Stats •
Complete Notes in pdf
WEST WRAP UP
Emporia State volleyball wraps up their five-match road swing with road matches against Fort Hays State and Nebraska-Kearney.
LAST TIME OUT
The Hornets traveled to the Show Me State for road matchups against Northwest Missouri and #23 Missouri Western. Emporia State split the first two sets against the Bearcats, before taking sets three and four on their way to a 3-1 win in the match, sealing the season sweep over Northwest Missouri. Against the Griffons, the Hornets fell behind 2-0 in the match, but fought back to take the third and fourth frames, forcing a decisive fifth. Emporia State was unable to complete comeback, falling 15-11 in the fifth set against the 23rd-ranked Griffons.
ABOUT THE COACHES
Ken Murczek is in his third season at Emporia State and has a 48-31 record through the first two years. Prior to Murczek's arrival in 2023, the Hornets last made a trip to the MIAA Tournament in 2018, and have made the trip in each of the first two seasons in his tenure.
Rick Squiers is 811-113 in his 27th season as the head coach for the Lopers. Squiers has led Nebraska-Kearney to a pair of national runner-up finishes and has made the NCAA Tournament each season since 2000.
Jessica Wood-Atkins is 77-118 in her eighth season at Fort Hays State. The Tigers' 15 wins this season are the most in a season since Wood-Atkins took over in 2018.
ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 18-5 this season, with an 9-3 MIAA record. The Hornets have deployed a balanced offensive attack so far this season, as five players are averaging 1.88 kills per set or more this season. Nyia Anderson leads Emporia State with 253 kills and 3.16 kills per set, which rank fourth and sixth in the MIAA respectively. In the middle, Mia Frisbie and Brooklyn Weaver are fifth and seventh in the MIAA in total blocks, and top ten in solo blocks. Boglarka Rady is fifth in the MIAA in digs from the libero position, while Brailee Bogle and Delainee Dexter combine to average 10.57 assists per set as part of the Hornets' 6-2 rotation.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Fort Hays State is 15-9 this season, which marks the most wins by the Tigers in the eight seasons under Jessica Wood-Atkins. The Tigers are led offensively by Gracie Rains and Ashlyn Reeves, as they average 2.78 and 2.31 kills per set respectively. Defensively, Reeves, along with Caiya Stucky Reyes and Carsyn Cormaney have excelled at the net. Reeves has 73 total blocks while Reyes and Cormaney have 53 and 49 respectively.
SCOUTING THE LOPERS
Nebraska-Kearney is 23-2, which has secured their 32nd straight winning season as a program. They rank top five in the nation in both kills per set and assists per set, while also being ranked sixth in hitting percentage and 15th in blocks per set. Carly Purdy and Emilee Lane lead the Loper attack, as they average 3.58 and 3.23 kills per set respectively. In addition to Purdy and Lane, Brynn Stowell has 184 kills of her own with a hitting percentage of .296. Peyton Neff dictates the UNK offense at the setter position, as she averages 11.25 assists per set, the second-best mark in the MIAA. Neff has averaged north of 11 assists per set since 2022, and has more than 4,000 assists in her career. She is a two-time All-American, which includes First Team honors in 2024.
CENTRAL REGION RECOGNITION
The NCAA released their first edition of regional rankings on Wednesday and Emporia State was one of six MIAA teams listed. The Hornets will be looking for their first NCAA Tournament berth since the 2010 season. In addition to the six MIAA teams, the remaining four reside in the NSIC, which showcases the strength of the Central Region. In the latest AVCA Poll, which released on November 3, six MIAA teams and six NSIC teams were ranked or receiving votes.
