AMES, Iowa - Omaha volleyball (3-4) fought to the finish but came up short in a 3-1 loss at Iowa State (7-1) Sunday at Hilton Coliseum.
The Mavericks nearly flipped momentum in the second set, rallying late with strong swings from freshman Faith Venable (Lincoln, Neb.) and senior Kali Jurgensmeier (Wahoo, Neb.), in addition steady setting from sophomore Julia Owens (Tempe, Ariz.). Iowa State answered behind middle Pam McCune, who delivered timely points to close the frame.
Jurgensmeier came alive in the third set to extend the match, recording a team-high in kills while adding seven digs and even an assist. Owens directed the offense with 19 assists and 10 digs for a double-double and Venable matched Jurgensmeier with 11 kills of her own.
Omaha trailed by seven early in the fourth but stormed back behind senior Morgan DeBow (Overland Park, Kan.), who tallied 10 kills overall with half of them coming in the set. The Mavericks pulled within two late in the frame before Iowa State pulled away to seal the match.
Jurgensmeier finished with 11 kills, eight digs, two assists and an ace, Venable chipped in 11 kills and DeBow's late surge gave Omaha a spark on the outside. The Mavericks look to carry their fight into a home weekend against (RV) South Florida on Friday, Sept. 19 and No. 17 Kansas on Saturday, Sept. 20. Both matches at Baxter Arena will air on the Summit League Network.
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