Box Score

OMAHA, Neb. -- Juniors Sara Kampschnieder, Kelli Goeser, and Ellen Thommes combined for 50 kills to lead the University of Nebraska at Omaha volleyball team to a 3-2 (25-20, 25-21, 24-26, 23-25, 15-12) upset over 15th-ranked Pittsburg State in Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association volleyball action Friday night at the Sapp Fieldhouse.

With the win, the Mavericks improved to 11-12 on the season and 7-5 in the MIAA. PSU fell to 21-6 and 7-5 in league action. Both teams are now tied for fifth in the conference standings.

Kampschnieder recorded her seventh double-double on the year with a match-high 19 kills, while adding 14 digs. Goeser pounded 16 kills on .342 hitting. Thommes hit .333 with 15 kills and a match-high seven blocks.

Freshman setter Emily Myers dished out 52 assists and added 13 digs to register her team-leading eighth double-double in 2008.

Led by senior Annie Rice (23) and junior Kayla Jansen (24), the Maverick defense notched a season-high 105 digs while holding the Gorillas to a .152 attack percentage. UNO was also aided by an 11-5 advantage in team blocks.

UNO never trailed in the first set, racing out to a 16-9 lead. After a kill by freshman Lizzy Mach, the Mavericks built a 20-13 lead before the Gorillas scored four-straight to close to within three points, but that was as close as they could get as Kampschnieder pounded her fifth kill of the first frame to end the set, 25-20.

The Mavericks started quickly in the second as well, leading 10-6 before four-straight UNO attack errors tied the set at 10. The Gorillas led 14-11 after two more UNO errors. A kill by PSU's Klaudio Grelowska gave the Gorillas a 15-12 advantage. The Mavericks went on a 7-3 run to regain the lead, 19-18, after a kill by Mach. After a UNO service error, the Mavs settled down and closed out the set with a 6-2 run.  

The third set was close throughout with 12 ties and five lead changes. Trailing 24-22, UNO saved two set points on kills by Goeser and Kampschnieder. However, a kill by Grelowska and a hitting error by Kampschnieder allowed PSU to take the set, 26-24.

Thommes had four kills, helping the Mavericks take a 19-15 lead in the fourth stanza. PSU fought back on a pair of Grelowska kills and a kill by Pamela Cartagena to knot the set at 19. After trading sideouts for four-consecutive points, the Gorillas pulled away with three-straight points, thanks to two UNO errors and a service ace to take a commanding 24-21 lead. A kill by Thommes and a block by Goeser and Thommes helped the Mavericks claw back to within one at 24-23. However, a blast by Grelowska off the UNO block forced the deciding fifth game.

The two teams traded points for the majority of the fifth set with 11 ties and neither team leading by more than three points. The Gorillas forced a UNO timeout after a service ace by Emily Vosseler and a kill by Sammie Williams gave PSU their largest lead of the set at 10-8. A kill by Thommmes and a put-down by Goeser allowed UNO to tie the set at 10.  With the score tied at 12, two PSU attack errors gave the Mavericks a 14-12 edge and two match points. On her fifth swing of the final rally of the match, Kampschnieder put the ball to the floor to give the Mavericks the dramatic five-set victory, 15-12.

The Mavericks return to the court Saturday night when they host Southwest Baptist beginning at 5 p.m. in the Sapp Fieldhouse.

Notes
• With her seventh dig, Kayla Jansen became the 21st player in school history to record 1,000 career digs. She now has 1,017 defensive saves to her credit.
• With her seven block assists tonight, Ellen Thommes moved into 13th place on the all-time career charts with 249 total block assists.
• UNO is 2-4 in five-set matches this season