#7 Lopers Sweep Hays to Start League Action

 Outside hitter Grace Schmedding had a team-high 15 kills and freshman Taryn Arbuthnot served up four aces as seventh-ranked Nebraska Kearney swept rival Fort Hays State (-12, -12, -17) Wednesday night in Kansas.

This was the MIAA opener for both the Lopers (12-1) and Tigers (10-4). They'll meet again on Oct. 30th in Kearney but that will be a non-con match.

A former FHSU player, Schmedding (Olathe, Kan.) paced an offense that hit .388 and saw seven different players record at least two kills. Schmedding (.382) reached her total in a team-high 34 swings with outside Carly Purdy (eight; .471 pct.) and right side Brynn Stowell (six; .415) combining for 14 kills and each hitting over .400. From the service line, Arbuthnot (Sumner) helped slow down a cat-quick offense. Aced eight times, the Tigers didn't get into a rhythm until the third set and hit just .152.

"I was extremely concerned after the way they had been playing and watching them on film. They get that fast offense cranking and get in rhythm and then you just can't stop them," said UNK head coach Rick Squiers. "We didn't let that happen right from the very start. We served tough enough, and Taryn really terrorized them. We never let them get any confidence."

Libero Ellie Spang (15), Arbuthnot (11) and setter Callie Squiers (10) had double-digit dig totals, with middle Sydney Davis (Dannebrog) at a team-best three blocks. Finally, Squiers and freshman Ellie Eckman (Lincoln SW) combined for 32 assists.

"Our offense was clicking, we got offense from a lot of different places, setters moved the ball around well, and serve receive was good," said Squiers. "You never know how that (return to Hays for Schmedding) is going to go. That's the Grace Schmedding we wanted to have, and she's been that all year. A couple of the swings she took tonight were the hardest I've seen here hit a ball in her career. She just snapped them off right to the floor."

Hays was led by Ashlyn Reeves (seven kills; .313 pct.).

UNK visits No. 13 Washburn Saturday at 6 p.m. The 'Bods (10-2) play the Tigers on Friday night.