Wednesday Morning Sports – UNK Volleyball Downs Emporia, Loper Women’s Basketball Climb Preseason Rankings, Husker Volleyball Ready for Iowa, Frost TV Comments, Local Sports Scores

UNK VOLLEYBALL SQUASHES EMPORIA

The 16th-ranked Nebraska-Kearney volleyball team served up 12 aces to sweep Emporia State Tuesday night in Emporia.

Playing a third straight Tuesday night road match, the Lopers improved to 16-5 and took the season series from the Hornets. UNK also won a third straight match in three sets.

UNK has a key home match with Central Oklahoma on Friday. The Bronchos downed Pittsburg State in Edmond Tuesday to remain in fourth place in the MIAA. The Lopers are in fifth and fell to UCO in four sets earlier this season.

UNK WOMEN’S BASKETBALL RANKED No. 4 PRESEASON

The World Exposure Report has the UNK Women’s Basketball team ranked at No. 4 in their preseason Top 25 in Division 2. 

UNK was voted to finish third in the MIAA by the conference’s coaches poll, behind Central Missouri and Fort Hays State. The UNK Women finished as MIAA Conference Tournament champions and won their first game of the NCAA Tournament last spring. 

HUSKER VOLLEYBALL PREPARES FOR HAWKEYES

The No. 9 Nebraska volleyball team visits Iowa tonight with first serve set for 7 p.m. at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa.

Nebraska has sole possession of first place in the Big Ten standings and is the only remaining unbeaten team at 8-0 in conference play. The Huskers are ahead of second-place Wisconsin (7-1).

Iowa looks to snap a 10-mach losing skid and is 2-16 (0-8 Big Ten). Nebraska leads the all-time series with Iowa 34-0, including 21-0 in the John Cook era. 

Nebraska plays its sixth match against a ranked opponent this Saturday, Oct. 23, welcoming No. 7 Purdue to the Devaney Center at 8 p.m. The match will be televised on Big Ten Network.

HASTINGS COLLEGE EARNS TWO OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Two Broncos were named to the GPAC Offensive Player of the Week on Tuesday.

Keegan Goracke-Johnson, a senior, from Firth, Nebraska, had one of his most productive weeks as a Bronco, scoring two goals while picking up an assist this past week to help Hastings to a 1-0-1 record.

Dekota Schubert, a sophomore, from Castle Rock, Colorado, was instrumental in Hastings going 2-0 last week. She scored two goals against Doane and then scored the game winner against Concordia in the 88th minute for that 1-0 victory. She leads the team with 10 goals this season.

FROST HUSKER FOOTBALL SHOW COMMENTS:

FROST – ADRIAN PLAYING THROUGH INJURY

Head Coach of the Huskers Scott Frost spoke on his weekly television show about how the Huskers slow start against Minnesota may have been because of an injury slowing Nebraska’s signal caller… 

The Huskers fell in an early 21-9 hole to battle back in the second half, eventually falling 30-23.

FROST – HEAD SCRATCHING KICKING GAME

Scott Frost gave his thoughts on the Huskers’ puzzling kicking struggles against Minnesota during his weekly television show….

Frost continued that he still believes in the 2020 Big Ten Kicker of the Year Connor Culp, as the ESPN broadcast stated multiple times that Culp was battling a hip flexor injury.

FROST – LEADERS STEPPED UP AT HALFTIME

Head Coach of the Huskers Scott Frost spoke on his weekly television show about the needed halftime boost coming from the locker room during the loss to Minnesota…

Frost and the Huskers took two days off for the bye week this week in conjunction with the University of Nebraska’s Fall Break. 

FROST – DISAPPOINTING GOAL LINE OPPORTUNITY

Scott Frost broke down his thoughts on the goal line offensive possession that came short for the Huskers against Minnesota…

Frost continued that he can’t blame Adrian Martinez for not crossing the goalline.

UNK DAVIS EARNS MIAA PLAYER OF THE WEEK FOR FOURTH TIME

For the fourth time this season, UNK Quarterback TJ Davis has been named the MIAA Offensive Player of the Week. It’s also the Colorado native’s second consecutive week earning the award. 

Davis had a fourth-straight week with four touchdowns, this time having three passing (11 yards, 42 yards and 38 yards) and one rushing (2 yards). He threw for a career-high 307 yards as the No. 21 Lopers downed Emporia State 42-35.

FLORIDA NATIVE DECOMMITS FROM HUSKERS

The Huskers’ 2022 class just got smaller.

Florida defensive lineman Hayden Schwartz announced he was reopening his recruitment. Schwartz made his decision public on Twitter.

Nebraska gained Schwartz’s commitment back in July about a month after he took an official visit to the school. Schwartz also took an official visit to Michigan on June 4. The defender from Jacksonville, Florida, was one of Nebraska’s preferred targets on the defensive line this recruiting cycle. Schwartz picked Nebraska over 27 offers.

KUBIK NAMED BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Madi Kubik has earned her second straight Big Ten Player of the Week award, the conference office announced Monday. The honor is the third of her career.

NU has counted seven Big Ten weekly award winners this season.

NEBRASKA/PURDUE KICKOFF TIME SET

The Big Ten Conference and ESPN announced Monday afternoon that Nebraska’s Oct. 30 game with No. 25 Purdue at Memorial Stadium will kick off at 2:30 p.m., with television coverage on ESPN2.

The Nebraska-Purdue matchup is the first of three remaining Nebraska home games, including 

games against Ohio State (Nov. 6, TBD) and Iowa (Nov. 26, 12:30 p.m., BTN).

UNK FOOTBALL REMAINS AT No. 21

UNK Football remained at No. 21 in the latest Division II Coaches Poll released on Monday. 

The Lopers, now 6-1 on the season, are atop the MIAA after Northwest Missouri State fell to Washburn on Saturday. 

UNK faces Lincoln on Saturday at home at 2 PM, then will take on Northwest Missouri State on the road. 

Local Results & Schedules:

THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:

TUESDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • VOLLEYBALL: HAC Tournament
    • Kearney – Plays Wednesday

• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • VOLLEYBALL: v. Overton
    • KCHS 3-1

• UNK:
  • VOLLEYBALL: @ Emporia State
    • UNK 3-0

• HASTINGS COLLEGE:

• • N/a

WEDNESDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • VOLLEYBALL: HAC Tournament @ Lincoln East
    • Kearney v. Lincoln Northeast – 5 PM

• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • N/a

• UNK:
  • N/a

• HASTINGS COLLEGE:

• • WOMEN’S SOCCER: v. College of St. Mary
  • MEN’S SOCCER: v. No. 10 Bellevue U.

THURSDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • VOLLEYBALL: HAC Tournament @ Lincoln East

• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • N/a

• UNK:
  • N/a

• HASTINGS COLLEGE:

• • N/a

FRIDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • FOOTBALL: @ Omaha Northwest
    • KGFW Pregame Coverage @ 6:30 PM
  • STATE CROSS COUNTRY:

• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • FOOTBALL: @ Cozad
  • STATE CROSS COUNTRY:

• UNK:
  • VOLLEYBALL: v. Central Oklahoma
  • WOMEN’S SOCCER: @ Northeastern State

• HASTINGS COLLEGE:

• • MEN’S BASKETBALL: @ Sterling, KS
  • VOLLEYBALL: v. No. 16 Dordt

SATURDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • N/a

• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • N/a

• UNK:
  • MEN’S & WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY: @ MIAA Championships, Kearney
  • FOOTBALL: v. Lincoln – 2 PM
  • VOLLEYBALL: v. Newman – 6:30 PM

• HASTINGS COLLEGE:

• • MEN’S & WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY: @ Winfield, KS
  • MEN’S SOCCER: @ No. 21 Northwestern College
  • WOMEN’S SOCCER: @ Northwestern College
  • VOLLEYBALL: v. No. 14 Northwestern College