Monday Morning Sports – Husker Volleyball Passes Texas, Postgame Comments, UNK Women Beat Top Ranked Fort Hays, Kearney Basketball Results, Mahony Signs with UNK, Local Sports Schedule

HUSKER VOLLEYBALL DOMINATES TEXAS, ADVANCES TO FINAL FOUR:

Behind strong serving, suffocating defense and stellar offensive performances its freshmen pin hitters, the No. 10 Nebraska volleyball team won a thrilling 3-1 victory over No. 2 Texas late Saturday night at the Longhorns’ Gregory Gymnasium in the final of the Austin Regional. 

With the victory, the Huskers advanced to next week’s NCAA Semifinal in Columbus, Ohio. Nebraska hit .259 in the match while limiting Texas, the nation’s top hitting team, to a .250 attack percentage.

Nebraska advances to next week’s NCAA Semifinals at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The Huskers will take on No. 3 seed Pittsburgh on Thursday at 8:30 PM. The game will be carried on the Husker Sports Network and on KGFW.

HUSKER VOLLEYBALL POSTGAME COMMENTS:

HAIMES – FINALLY OVER THE HUMP

The Nebraska Volleyball team ousted No. 2 Texas in Austin on Saturday evening to advance to another Final Four. Nicklin Haimes summarizes the feeling for the Huskers… 

The Huskers take on No. 3 Pittsburgh on Thursday for a chance at the national championship. The Panthers have taken down Penn State, Kansas, and Purdue to power to a Final Four appearance. 

HAIMES – BULLETPROOF MENTALITY

Nicklin Haimes was a driving force in the win over No. 2 Texas for the Nebraska Volleyball team late Saturday night. Haimes describes what the mentality for the team was coming into the contest… 

The Huskers will take on Pittsburgh on Thursday evening in the Final Four. 

STIVRINS – TEAM CONTINUES TO GROW

Nebraska senior Lauren Stivrins and the Huskers downed No. 2 Texas on Saturday with a 3-1 in Gregory Gymnasium. Stivrins added in the postgame that the Huskers have grown up a lot since the start of the year… 

The Huskers will face a formidable Pittsburgh Panther squad on Thursday in the Final Four. 

UNK WOMEN UPSET TOP RANKED FORT HAYS STATE:

The No. 17/14 Nebraska-Kearney women’s basketball team erased a 12-point third quarter deficit and got another double double from forward Shiloh McCool to stun top-ranked Fort Hays State, 61-56, Saturday afternoon in Kansas.

The Lopers (8-1, 3-0) win in Gross Memorial Coliseum for the fourth time in its last six trips. Meanwhile the Tigers, who are ranked number one in the WBCA Top 25 and 2nd in the Division II Sports Information Directors of America poll, fall to 7-1

This is believed to be the first time a Loper women’s basketball team has beaten a No. 1 ranked team. In January 2016, UNK won at No. 5 Missouri Western State, 82-76

UNK is home next Friday night and Sunday afternoon against Newman and Central Oklahoma. 

KEARNEY HIGH BASKETBALL FALLS TO TALENTED OMAHA CENTRAL SQUADS SATURDAY:

The Kearney High basketball teams faced off against top-flight Omaha Central on Saturday at home, but could not eke out a win for the girls or boys contests. 

The Bearcat girls fell to 2-2 on the year after splitting the weekend with a win at Lincoln East and falling 60-47. 

The Kearney High boys similarly competed well through three quarters, but were edged in the final moments to fall 72-61 to fall to 1-3 on the year. 

Both teams travel to Norfolk and Columbus this weekend for road tilts. All contests will be covered on KGFW. 

KEARNEY CATHOLIC’S MAHONY SIGNS WITH UNK BASKETBALL:

Kearney Catholic Star senior Brett Mahony announced on Twitter yesterday his intention to sign with the UNK Men’s Basketball team and continue his academic and athletic career in Kearney as a Loper. 

Mahony has averaged 17 points per game across his career as a Star, and has played in at least 23 contests each of the past three seasons for Kearney Catholic. The Stars are currently 4-0 on the season as one of the top teams in Class C1.

UNK MEN FALL TO HAYS:

Fort Hays State got off to a fast start and downed Nebraska-Kearney, 64-46, Saturday evening in Kansas.

The Tigers (8-0, 3-0) remain unbeaten while the Lopers fall to 3-5 (0-3). This was the 136th all-time meeting between the two with the last eight contests being split. Hays has taken 10 of the last 11 games in Gross Memorial Coliseum.

UNK has added a game this coming Tuesday (Dec. 14) against NAIA Sterling (Kan.) College. The date helps replace the Colorado School of Mines home game (Nov. 20) that was canceled due to COVID protocols within the Oredigger program. The game tips at 7 p.m.

STORM SWEEP STAMPEDE AFTER FRIDAY LOSS TO LANCERS:

After falling to the Omaha Lancers on Friday night, the Tri-City Storm completed a two-game sweep of the Sioux Falls Stampede in a 4-1 victory at the Denny Sanford Premier Center on Sunday. Lleyton Roed, Christian Fitzgerald, Dane Dowiak, and Tanner Adams each netted goals in the game for the Storm. Arsenii Sergeev recorded the win in goal for Tri-City.

Tri-City hits the ice again on Friday, December 17th in a home game against the Sioux City Musketeers. Puck drop for the game is scheduled for 7:05pm CT.

HUSKER WOMEN REMAIN UNBEATEN:

Alexis Markowski used her first career double-double to finish with a career-high 17 points and 10 rebounds to power Nebraska to a 78-50 women’s basketball win over Indiana State in front of nearly 4,000 fans at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Saturday afternoon.

With the victory, Nebraska improved to 10-0 to start a season with 10 consecutive wins for just the second time in school history, joining the 2009-10 Huskers who opened 30-0 on their way to a Big 12 championship and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Sophomore guard Jaz Shelley matched Markowski for game-high scoring honors with 17 points of her own, while adding four assists, three rebounds and two steals.

Nebraska never trailed in the contest, building an 18-11 first-quarter lead before extending the margin to 39-17 at the half.

Nebraska returns to Pinnacle Bank Area to play Drake on Sunday, Dec. 19. Tip-off between the Huskers (10-0) and Bulldogs (6-2) is set for noon

HUSKER MEN FALL TO TALENTED AUBURN:

Extended runs in each half powered 18th-ranked Auburn to a 99-68 victory over the Nebraska men’s basketball team Saturday morning at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The Tigers used a 13-0 run in the first half and a 14-0 spurt in the second half to win their fifth straight game.

The Huskers had an early one-point lead before Auburn took control with an 18-2 run run over a six-minute stretch midway through the first half

Nebraska falls to 5-6 on the year, and wraps up a five-game stretch against power conference opponents on Sunday, Dec. 19, when the Huskers host Kansas State at 5 p.m. inside Pinnacle Bank Arena.

NEBRASKA’S BREIDENBACH OUT FOR YEAR WITH INJURY:

University of Nebraska men’s basketball coach Fred Hoiberg announced Sunday that freshman forward Wilhelm Breidenbach will most likely miss the remainder of the 2021-22 season with a leg injury suffered during the second half of Nebraska’s game against Michigan on Dec. 7.

Breidenbach, a 6-foot-10, 227-pound forward from Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., had played in each of Nebraska’s first 10 games, averaging 3.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game.

UNK WRESTLING EASES PAST SAN FRANCISCO STATE, CHADRON STATE

The 3rd-ranked Nebraska-Kearney wrestling team used six falls, six tech falls and a major decision to easily get past San Francisco State, 32-14, and Chadron State, 47-3, Saturday afternoon in Chadron.

The Lopers improve to 2-1 and will finish up the fall semester with a dual at No. 15 Augustana next Friday (Dec. 17).

UNK TRACK AND FIELD WINS 11 EVENTS AT PRE-HOLIDAY INVITE

The Nebraska-Kearney track and field team won 11 events at the annual UNK Pre-Holiday Classic Friday night in Cushing Coliseum.

This season-opening meet also featured Fort Hays State, Bethany (Kan.), Hastings, York and several unattached athletes. The UNK men tallied 106 points to outdistance Hays (81) with the Tiger women (92.5) nipping UNK (91). 

The Loper men won seven events, recorded six provisional efforts and had one all-time top 10 effort with the women winning three events and having three new entries in the school record book.

Holdrege junior Cassidy Snyder was UNK’s lone double winner, taking gold in both the weight throw (52-8.25) and shot put (43-10.50). Elm Creek sophomore Claire Cornell was the other Loper women’s field winner, leading the way in the long jump (career-best 18-5.25). That moves into the all-time top 10 at 10th.

Also having a provisional effort was Kearney sophomore Brayden Sorensen. The two-time All-American won the high jump (6-11) with Florida senior Montrez Jackson (6-8-25) two places behind.

Freshman Colby Spangler finished runner up in the triple jump (44-3.25).

Local Results & Schedules:

THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:

SATURDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • GIRLS BASKETBALL: v. Omaha Central @ Kearney High School
    • OCHS 60-47
  • BOYS BASKETBALL: v. Omaha Central @ Kearney High School
    • OCHS 72-61

• UNK:
  • WRESTLING: @ Chadron State
    • UNK wins over San Francisco State
    • UNK wins over Chadron State
  • WOMENS BASKETBALL: @ No. 2 Fort Hays State
    • UNK – 61-56
  • MENS BASKETBALL: @ Fort Hays State
    • FHSU 64-46

• HASTINGS COLLEGE:
  • WOMENS BASKETBALL: v. No. 25 Concordia @ Lynn Farrell Arena
    • Concordia 91-69
  • MENS BASKETBALL: v. Concordia @ Lynn Farrell Arena
    • Concordia 81-66

MONDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • N/a

• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • BOYS BASKETBALL: v. Wood River – 6:30 PM

• UNK:
  • N/a

• HASTINGS COLLEGE:
  • N/a

TUESDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • SWIMMING: Hastings Dual @ Kearney High – 4 PM

• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • SWIMMING: Hastings Dual @ Kearney High – 4 PM
  • GIRLS BASKETBALL: v. Ravenna – 5:30 PM
  • BOYS BASKETBALL: v. Ravenna – 7 PM

• UNK:
  • MENS BASKETBALL: v. Sterling (Kan.) Community College – 7 PM @ HSC

• HASTINGS COLLEGE:

• • N/a

WEDNESDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • N/a

• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • N/a

• UNK:
  • N/a

• HASTINGS COLLEGE:
  • N/a

THURSDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • N/a

• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • N/a

• UNK:
  • N/a

• HASTINGS COLLEGE:
  • MENS WRESTLING: @ Missouri Valley Duals

FRIDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • GIRLS BASKETBALL: @ Norfolk – 6 PM
    • Pregame on KGFW @ 5:45 PM; 1340 AM, 96.1 FM, KGFW.com, KGFW App
  • BOYS BASKETBALL: @ Norfolk – 7:45 PM
    • Pregame on KGFW @ 7:30 PM; 1340 AM, 96.1 FM, KGFW.com, KGFW App
  • SWIMMING: @ Lincoln Southeast Invite
  • WRESTLING: Flatwater Fracas Tournament @ Heartland Event Center

• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • GIRLS BASKETBALL: @ Hastings – 5:30 PM
  • BOYS BASKETBALL: @ Hastings – 7 PM

• UNK:
  • N/a

• HASTINGS COLLEGE:
  • WOMENS BASKETBALL: @ University of Fort Lauderdale
  • MENS BASKETBALL: @ University of Fort Lauderdale

SATURDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • WRESTLING: Flatwater Fracas Tournament @ Heartland Event Center
  • GIRLS BASKETBALL: @ Columbus – 3:30 PM
    • Pregame on KGFW @ 3:15 PM; 1340 AM, 96.1 FM, KGFW.com, KGFW App
  • BOYS BASKETBALL: @ Columbus – 5 PM
    • Pregame on KGFW @ 4:45 PM; 1340 AM, 96.1 FM, KGFW.com, KGFW App

• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • WRESTLING: Kearney Catholic Invite
  • SWIMMING: @ Lincoln Southeast Invite
  • BOYS BASKETBALL: v. Omaha Skutt (@ Hastings College) – 4:30 PM

• UNK:
  • WRESTLING: @ Augustana (Sioux Falls, SD)
  • WOMENS BASKETBALL: v. Newman @ HSC – 5:30 PM
  • MENS BASKETBALL: v. Newman @ HSC – 7:30 PM

• HASTINGS COLLEGE:

• • MENS WRESTLING: @ Kansas City, Avila Duals
  • MENS BASKETBALL: @ University of Fort Lauderdale