KEARNEY - On Saturday, April 21st, the Health & Sports Center will welcome five NCAA Division I institutions as the Lopers host the 2012 Big Guns Invitational.

The tournament will feature a two court, 13 match format in a jammed packed Saturday of high level NCAA volleyball action.

Staring at 9:00 a.m., the Lopers will take on two Kansas State squads, Wyoming, and Northern Colorado. Matches will be best 2 of 3 with scoring to 25 for the first 2 games and 15 for the 3rd game or a 60 minute running clock.

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LINCOLN - Paige Hubl played three sports — volleyball, basketball and soccer — at Lincoln Southeast. She played them well.

But after high school, Hubl was ready to pass on college sports. That's when Nebraska volleyball coach John Cook came with an offer to walk on at NU. Game on.

KEARNEY – Nebraska-Kearney volleyball coach Rick Squiers announced that setter Maggie Anderson will join the Lopers next season.

In the fall, UNK added three players to its 2012 roster in middle hitter Kalei Fertig (Kearney), setter Erin Seele (Johnstown, Colo.) and outside hitter Mari Jo “MJ” Massanet (Manhattan, Kans.).

Anderson, no relation to current Loper Kaleigh Anderson, helped the Lincoln Southwest Skyhawks to conference, city and district titles this year. Southwest finished with a 29-6 record as they also qualified for the Class A state tournament.

KEARNEY - The Nebraska-Kearney volleyball team wil hold its annual postseason banquet on Sunday, January 29th, 2012 and the event is open to the public.

Cost is $ 20.00 per person. Tickets can be purchased in the UNK main athletic office or the volleyball office. Both are located in the Health & Sports Center.

The banquet, starting at 5:00 p.m., will be held at Kearney's Holiday Inn and includes dinner, awards, coach and senior remarks and the 2011 highlight video.

KEARNEY — Nebraska-Kearney junior outside hitter Ariel Krolikowski and sophomore middle hitters Haley Lake and Ellie Pesavento have earned 2011 All-Central Region honors.

The trio was selected to the AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association) all-region team, which is chosen by a panel of head coaches.

Krolikowski (Grand Island) and Lake (Lincoln SE) were two of the 14 players selected with Pesavento (Omaha Marian) being one of six honorable mention choices.

KEARNEY - Junior outside hitter Ariel Krolikowski and sophomore middle blocker Haley Lake have been named to the 2011 AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association) All-American team.

The team is voted on by a panel of head coaches from around the country.

Lake (Lincoln SE) earns first-team honors while Krolikowski (Grand Island) was named an honorable mention. All-American. They are the 16th and 17th UNK players to earn some kind of All-American honor and the 13th and 14th to do so at the Division II level.

KEARNEY – The 4th-ranked Nebraska-Kearney volleyball team saw its 2011 season come to an end Thursday night as the Lopers fell in five sets to the Colorado School of Mines Orediggers in an NCAA Tournament first round match at the Health & Sports Center.

The opening day of the 64-team NCAA tourney, UNK was the top-seed in the ultra tough Central Regional.

For the second time this year, the Orediggers (19-10) managed to beat the Lopers (32-2) as junior outside Jackie Stabell recorded 29 kills, 15 digs and a block.

Winning an NCAA match for the first time in four tries, and picking up a victory in Kearney for the first time in five years, Mines stopped a two-match losing streak by scores of 26-24, 25-21, 25-27, 20-25, 15-11.

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Tournament Pairings

At UNK Health and Sports Center, Kearney, Neb.
Today
Noon: No. 3 Minnesota-Duluth (27-3) vs. No. 6 Wayne State (23-7)
2:30 p.m.: No. 2 Concordia-St. Paul (28-2) vs. No. 7 Minnesota State (20-8)
5 p.m.: No. 4 Metro State (24-6) vs. No. 5 Southwest Minnesota State (23-6)
7:30 p.m.: No. 1 Nebraska-Kearney (32-1) vs. No. 8 Colorado School of Mines (18-10)
Friday
5 p.m.: UMD/WSC Winner vs. CSP/MSU Winner
7:30 p.m.: Metro/SWMS Winner vs. Mines/UNK Winner
Saturday
6 p.m.: Championship (Winner advances to Elite Eight)

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KEARNEY — At 32-1 and fresh off a second consecutive Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference title, one could assume the regional tournament for the University of Nebraska at Kearney volleyball team would be nothing more than a formality for the Lopers before the Elite Eight in two weeks.

But all bets are off starting Thursday when fourth-ranked UNK hosts the toughest regional on the NCAA Division II bracket.

KEARNEY — Three high school seniors have announced plans to play volleyball for the University of Nebraska at Kearney next fall, UNK coach Rick Squiers said.

The newcomers are middle hitter Kalei Fertig from Kearney High, setter Erin Seele from Roosevelt High School in Johnstown, Colo.; and outside hitter Mari Jo “MJ” Massanet from Manhattan High School in Manhattan, Kan.

“We’re pleased with our 2012 signees. Each will bring a unique blend of skills and talents to Loper volleyball. And, in addition to fulfilling several positional needs for our program, I’m most excited about the quality of people we have joining us next fall,” Squiers said.