Box Score

KEARNEY, Neb. -  With four starters sick with a stomach virus, including one in the hospital on Saturday afternoon, No. 11 Metro State fell 25-19, 25-23, 25-20 to No. 6 Nebraska-Kearney in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championship in Kearney. The Roadrunners fell to 24-6 overall and UNK improved to 32-1 this season and earned the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Bri Morley (Parker, Colo./Cherokee Trail H.S.), who was the one hospitalized, recovered enough to play and led all players with 17 kills and also had eight digs to earn a spot on the all-tournament team. Emily Greenhalgh (Conifer, Colo./Conifer H.S.) joined her on the all-tournament team and had 11 kills.

Two other ill players played, incluing Julie Causseaux (Dumas, Texas/Dumas H.S.) who had eight kills and Shayne Kovach (Fruita, Colo./Fruita Monument H.S.) who had three in just two sets played.

Defensively, Ngoc Phan (Lone Tree, Colo./Cherry Creek H.S.) had 22 digs and Darcy Schwartzman (Aurora, Colo./Eaglecrest H.S.) and Alex Green (Peoria, Ariz./Cactus H.S.) each had 10.

Schwartzman also had 41 assists, though the Roadrunners hit just .172 as a team.

Metro State led 12-11 in the first, but UNK went on an 11-3 run to take control.

The Roadrunners again led early, holding a 15-11 lead, but the Lopers closed the set on a 6-2 run to come from behind again.

Tied 19-19 in the third set, UNK scored six of the final seven points to win the match.

Metro State will find out its first-round opponent in the NCAA Tournament during the selection show on Sunday at 8 p.m.