UNION, N.J. – The Nebraska Wesleyan volleyball team split their season opening matches on day one of the Kean University tournament that is being played in Union, N.J.  NWU was swept in the opening match, 3-0, by Johnson & Wales of Rhode Island but then bounced back with an impressive come from behind 3-1 win over New York University.
 
NWU dropped the first set against NYU, 30-28, despite having several chances at set point.  The Prairie Wolves then won the next three sets in scores of 25-21, 25-13, 25-21 to earn their first win of the 2017 season.
 
After hitting under .100 in the first set, the Prairie Wolves responded with 40 kills over the next three sets with only 10 errors.  Kierra Harder led the way for Nebraska Wesleyan with 15 kills and an impressive .464 hitting percentage.  She was the lone NWU player to reach double figures in kills.  Cora Svoboda had nine with Sidney M ell and Hannah Bellinghausen each adding eight.
 
Celine Dunlap posted a double-double for NWU with a 19 assists and 13 digs to tie for team-lead in digs.  Anna Gottsch dished out 22 assists while Lizzie Saale also recorded 13 digs.
 
Nebraska Wesleyan faced stiff competition in their season debut against Johnson & Wales.  The team from Providence, Rhode Island was coming off  an 33-1 season in 2016.  They looked like they were picking up where they left off in the previous season sweeping the Prairie Wolves in scores of 25-14, 25-16, 25-20.
 
The Prairie Wolves had only 23 kills with a .093 hitting percentage in the opener compared to 45 kills for Johnson & Wales.  NWU was led by Bellinghausen who had six kills in the match.  Gottsch had 10 assists in her first varsity match as a setter.  Saale led the team with eight digs.
 
Nebraska Wesleyan will play two more matches on Saturday on day two of the Kean Invite.