INDIANOLA, Iowa – It took five sets and a rally from a 2-1 deficit, but the Nebraska Wesleyan volleyball team snapped their five-match losing streak with a much needed 3-2 road victory at Simpson College on Thursday night (Oct. 11) in Indianola, Iowa.  NWU won the five set thriller in scores of 25-21, 22-25, 18-25-22, 15-11 to earn the first American Rivers Conference victory of the year.
 
NWU improves to 6-11 and moves to 1-4 in conference play to keep their hopes alive to reach the postseason tournament with three league matches remaining.
 
The match started out great for the Prairie Wolves as they never trailed in the opening set.  NWU built up an 18-9 lead as they outscored Simpson 9-3.  That lead was too much for the Storm to overcome as NWU got the 25-21 win.
 
Set two was just the opposite as Simpson went up 5-4 and they held the lead the majority of the set.  NWU was able to pull even then eventually take the lead.  The Prairie Wolves scored four straight points with two kills from Kierra Harder and another from Cora Svoboda to get ahead 19-15.  After a timeout, Simpson got on a roll and scored six straight points to overtake the lead.  They would hold on to win 25-22.
 
Simpson was able to pound out 17 kills with just two errors in the third set as they controlled the set that had only two ties and one lead change.
 
Needing the win to keep the match alive, the Prairie Wolves struck early and often in set four.  NWU scored five straight points to make the score 15-7 and they would never trail again.  The Prairie Wolves got to set point at 24-17, but Simpson scored five straight points.  Finally, an attack error by Simpson sealed the win at 25-22 to force a fifth set.
 
In the deciding fifth set, NWU scored three straight points to take a 6-3 lead and they would maintain that advantage.  Simpson got within one point at 8-7, but a Storm service error gave the Wolves a two point lead and they kept adding on.  Karrie Sestak and Cassidy Plooster had kills making the score 12-7.  After a Simpson ace made the score 14-11, NWU used a timeout to regroup and go for the win.  Hannah Bellinghausen pounded out the kill to give the Prairie Wolves the key conference win.
 
NWU had 64 kills in the match as they hit .205 as a team.  Kierra Harder led the way with a double-double of 20 kills and 22 digs.  She was one of three Prairie Wolves to reach double figures in kills.  Hannah Bellinhausen had 14 kills, with Cora Svoboda chipping in 13. 
 
Cassisy Plooster also had a double-double with 50 assists and 14 digs.  Lizzie Saale recorded a team-high 29 digs, with Kelsie Stovall getting 23 digs.
 
NWU will remain in Iowa to prepare for the one-day Wartburg Classic on Saturday as the Prairie Wolves will play a pair of matches.