Loper Veterans Could Return in 2023
Kearney. Neb. – Senior outside hitter Emersen Cyza and senior middle blocker Bailee Sterling represent Nebraska Kearney on the 2022 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II All-American team. The squad is chosen by a panel of D2 coaches from around the nation. A student-athlete first must garner AVCA All-Region accolades to be considered for AA status. Cyza (Alliance) makes the second-team with Sterling (Kearney H.S.) named honorable mention. Both could return to UNK in 2023 as "Super Seniors." Beginning her career at Wyoming, Cyza has led UNK in kills and kills per set each of the past two falls. She becomes the fifth outside in the Rick Squiers era (1999-pre) to earn AVCA All-American honors, following Erin Arnold (2003 & 2004), Kelli Bunger (2006), Julianne Jackson (2019) and Ariel Krolikowski (2011 & 2012). Up to 1,002 kills in college, Cyza was at 3.92 kps in 2022. The average ranks sixth best in school history and is the highest by a Loper in 16 years. She also hit .273, had 17 matches with at least 15 kills and was second on UNK in solo blocks (14).
Sterling, who began her career at Northern Colorado, is the ninth middle in the Squiers era to earn AVCA AA honors. The two-year starter came in at 2.76 kills, 0.94 digs and 0.88 blocks per set while hitting .311. She ranked first on the team in blocks, was second in kills and attack percentage and also served up 27 aces. Other MIAA players on the top three teams were Central Oklahoma junior libero Jaedynn Evans (2nd-team), Northwest Missouri sophomore middle Payton Kirchhoefer (2nd-team), Northwest Missouri senior outside Jaden Ferguson (3rd-team) and Northwest Missouri junior setter Alyssa Rezac (3rd-team).
UNK went 28-6 during the recently completed season, reaching the MIAA Tournament finals and advancing to the NCAA Tournament for a 23rd straight year.
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