TOPEKA, Kan. — The University of Nebraska at Kearney volleyball team swept Central Oklahoma and downed Northwest Missouri State in five sets to win the MIAA Spring Tournament Saturday evening at Topeka.
The event concludes the unusual 2020-21 season for the Lopers. With the NCAA canceling the championships in the fall, this spring didn’t officially count.
Despite being banged up since the season began in February, UNK posted a 16-3 mark. The Lopers beat UCO, 25-22, 25-23, 25-16, in the afternoon semifinals while Northwest swept Central Missouri.
UNK, which got swept by the Bearcats a week earlier, closed the championship match on a 6-2 run to win 25-18, 25-18, 22-25, 23-25, 15-13. Four unforced Northwest errors and a kill from UNK senior middle Anna Squiers erased an 11-9 deficit and put the Lopers at match point.
The Bearcats scored the next two points but redshirt freshman outside Cecilia Beahm recorded a kill to end things.
UNK setter Madison Squiers was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. She was joined on the all-tournament team by her sister, Anna, and Loper right-side hitter Mary Katherine Wolfe.
