LINCOLN, Neb. – Nebraska Wesleyan split its matches on the opening night of the 2017 P-Wolf Volleyball Invitational on Friday night at Snyder Arena.  NWU went four sets in both matches, dropping their opener to University of Wisconsin-Platteville, 3-1, but they bounced back to win the nightcap, 3-1 over Westminster College.
 
The Prairie Wolves move to 4-2 on the season and will play two more matches on Saturday starting at Noon against Simpson College in a non conference matchup between the two IIAC schools.
 
Against UW-Platteville to open the night, the Pioneers won in scores of 25-15, 14-25, 25-21, 25-22.  They were nearly perfect in the opening set with 12 kills and 0 errors for a .500 hitting percentage.  Meanwhile, NWU hit .000 with 11 kills and 11 errors.
 
The second set was a polar opposite with NWU pounding out 15 kills and a .355 hitting percentage and UW-Platteville struggling at .086.
 
Nebraska Wesleyan battled point for point with the Pioneers in the third set as the teams were tied at 13-13.  From there UWP went on a big run to get ahead 20-14 and they never looked back.
 
The fourth set was more of the same as the teams were tied at 13-13, then the Pioneers jumped ahead 20-14.  NWU tried to rally and mount a comeback as they got within 24-22, but a kill by Allison Jensen sealed the win.
 
Jensen led UWP with 12 kills and Ashlee Moore added 10.
 
For NWU, Kierra Harder had a double-double of 14 kills and 10 digs.  Sidney Mell also had a double-double with 10 kills and a team-high 19 digs.
 
Anna Gottsch dished out 22 assists in the match for team-high honors in that category.
 
Against Westminster, the Prairie Wolves were dominant in the first set getting a 25-13 victory in the first set, but the Bluejays rallied to win set two 25-17.  NWU earned the win with 25-19, 25-20 wins in the next two sets.
 
In the opening set, Nebraska Wesleyan held Westminster to a negative hitting percentage of -.114 with six kills and 10 errors.  The tables turned in set two with the Prairie Wolves committing seven errors and only six kills to hit -.038.
 
Over the next two sets the Prairie Wolves pounded out 21 kills to earn the victory.  They jumped way ahead in the fourth set 11-3 and then never looked back.
 
It was a balanced attack for NWU as Mell and Hannah Bellinhausen each had nine kills.  Lizzie Saale had a team-high 21 digs and Gottsch dished out 20 assists.  Kelsie Stovall added 13 assists and nine digs.
 
As a team, NWU had nine service aces and six total blocks.