Roadrunners Swept by No. 10 UNK

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DENVER - The No. 17 Metro State volleyball team was swept by No. 10 Nebraska-Kearney 26-24, 25-21, 29-27 in three close sets at home on Saturday. The Lopers improved to 15-3 overall and 7-0 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference as they moved into the driver's seat for the conference title, while the Roadrunners fell to 10-5 overall and 5-2 in the RMAC.

Emily Greenhalgh (Conifer, Colo./Conifer H.S.) put down 18 kills for Metro State to lead all players, a career-high for a three-set match. She also had three blocks, including two solo. Bri Morley (Parker, Colo./Cherokee Trail H.S.) had 15 kills and six digs. However, no other Roadrunner had more than six kills and the team was limited to a .173 hitting percentage.

Setter Darcy Schwartzman (Aurora, Colo./Eaglecrest H.S.) dished out 41 assists and had four kills in eight attempts to go with a career-high 21 digs. It was just the third time this season a Metro State player has reached the 20-dig plateau in a match and the first time in a three-set match.

Greenhalgh opened the match with three straight kills as she had nine in the first set alone, nearly half of the team's 20 kills in the first. However, the team hit just .185, despite Schwartzman's 15 assists. Trailing 16-13, Metro State rattled off four straight points to take a 17-16 lead. Metro State held set point at 24-23, but the Lopers scored the next three points to take the set 26-24.

The Roadrunners opened the second set with an 8-4 lead, but UNK rallied with five straight points to take a 9-8 lead. Metro State trailed by as much as 18-13, but was able to cut the lead to 19-18 and traded points to 22-21 when the Lopers scored the final three points to win 25-21.

The third set was even throughout. However, UNK took a 19-15 lead after scoring three in a row. A kill by Lisa Jones (Pueblo, Colo./Pueblo East H.S.) and two in a row from Morley evened the set at 22-22. The Roadrunners fought off set point twice, before holding set points of their own at 26-25 and 27-26, but the Lopers again rallied with three straight points to take the set and the match.

Metro State will host Colorado College in a non-conference match on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

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