Boxscore -- UNO 3, Tarleton State 0
Boxscore -- Abilene Christian 3, UNO 1

TOPEKA, Kan. – The UNO volleyball team split two matches at the opening day of the Washburn Lady Blues Classic on Friday, sweeping Tarleton State 3-0 before dropping a 3-1 contest to Abilene Christian. In the first game, the Mavs took the win with scores of 25-21, 25-23, 25-21, and game two saw a finish of 19-25, 18-25, 27-25, 9-25.

Senior outside hitter Kayla Uhing had a combined 23 kills and 19 digs, while sophomore outside hitter Natalie Ebke recorded 21 kills and 29 digs for the day.

Heading into the final day of competition on Saturday, the Mavericks are 10-6 (2-4 MIAA) on the season.

GAME 1 – UNO 3, TARLETON STATE 0
Against Tarleton State, Uhing led the way with 13 kills, and freshman outside hitter Abby Sorensen totaled six service aces. Ebke also had nine kills with seven digs, and freshman middle blocker Megan Hutson added a career-high six kills on .462 hitting.

Defensively, junior libero Angie Reicks notched 10 digs, and Sorensen and junior Brittany Hanssen had two blocks apiece.

Tarleton State (13-3) was led by Stacie Murrah, who had 10 kills and a pair of blocks.
After tying the first set at 17-17, the Mavs went on a 5-0 unanswered run to make it 22-17. The TexAnns came back for two points on a UNO attack error and a service ace, but two kills by Hanssen made it 24-20. Uhing put down the final point in the 25-21 victory.

The Mavericks battled from behind for much of the second game, as TSU ran out to a 17-9 lead. Nebraska-Omaha then whittled it down within two before the TexAnns put themselves in winning position at 22-17. A Hanssen kill and four Tarleton errors made it 23-22 TSU, and a kill by Chelsea Snyder tied it up.  Sorensen then notched a kill, and a final ace by Ebke gave UNO the come-from-behind 25-23 win.

In the final game, Tarleton State again took a quick 7-0 advantage before a 13-2 run by the Mavs put them up by two. UNO never forfeited the lead, helped by a trio of kills and an ace from Ebke. At match point, Nebraska-Omaha was up by six, but the TexAnns rallied for three points. Hutson nailed a final kill for the 25-21 opening-round victory.

GAME 2 – ABILENE CHRISTIAN 3, UNO 1
Two Mavericks achieved double-doubles in the 3-1 loss to Abilene Christian (10-6), as Ebke totaled 12 kills and a career-high 22 digs, and Uhing finished with 10 kills and a career-best 18 digs. Hutson and junior setter Emily Myers each contributed three blocks in the defensive effort.

ACU grabbed the first two sets, 25-19 and 25-18. In the third game, UNO hung on for a 27-25 victory, aided by five Ebke kills. The set tied six times before the Mavericks went up by six at 23-17. Abilene then rallied to tie it at match point. The two teams traded kills, matching the score again at 25-all, and an Ebke kill coupled with a Wildcat attack error gave Nebraska-Omaha the win.

The comeback was not enough, however, as Abilene Christian roared back in the fourth set with .469 team hitting. All but two Wildcat hitters finished at .333 or better in the final game, led by Jennie Hutt's four kills on a .667 attack percentage. ACU took the win at 25-9 for the overall match win at 3-1.


UNO returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 2, facing Dallas Baptist at 9 a.m. and St. Edward's at 3 p.m.