LINCOLN, Neb (August 30, 2023) - It's finally here—this weekend marks the start of the 2023 volleyball season for the Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves. Head coach Rayna Cain's twelfth year at the helm of the program kicks off in La Verne, CA as the Prairie Wolves compete in the 2023 Pacific Coast Classic.

The Prairie Wolves will compete against four teams in the tournament. On Friday, September 1, Nebraska Wesleyan will play the Chapman Panthers at 10:30 a.m. CT and Occidental College at 12:45 p.m. CT.  On Saturday, September 2, Nebraska Wesleyan will take on Lewis & Clark College and Whittier College.

Friday, September 1 – Nebraska Wesleyan vs. Chapman – 12:30 p.m. CT | Live Stats 
Friday, September 1 – Nebraska Wesleyan vs. Occidental College – 2:45 p.m. CT 
Saturday, September 2 – Nebraska Wesleyan vs. Lewis & Clark – 12:30 p.m. CT 
Saturday, September 2 – Nebraska Wesleyan vs. Whittier College – 5:15 p.m. CT
 

HISTORY VS. CHAPMAN

• The Prairie Wolves and Chapman Panthers will meet in this match for the third time in the history of the program. The Prairie Wolves lead the series 3-0.
• The Panthers are coming off of a 9-15 finish in the 2022 season, where they finished fifth in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with a record of 7-9.
• Chapman won three of their final four matches to finish the 2022 campaign.

HISTORY VS. OCCIDENTAL

• This will be the first matchup between the Prairie Wolves and the Tigers.
• The Tigers are coming off of a 6-17 finish in the 2022 season.

HISTORY VS. LEWIS & CLARK

• The match will feature the first-ever meeting between the Prairie Wolves and Lewis & Clark Pioneers. 
• The Pioneers are coming off a 2-19 campaign in which they finished with a 1-15 record and ninth-place finish in the Northwest Conference.

HISTORY VS. WHITTIER

• The Prairie Wolves and Whittier Poets will meet in this match for the first time in the history of the program. 
• The Poets had a 9-16 record and a 5-11 conference record in 2022 when they placed seventh in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

MEET THE NEWCOMERS

• For the 2023 season, the Prairie Wolves welcome four freshmen and one transfer. Alli Mullin, Elecea Saathoff, Jaclyn Riedl, and Molly Ramirez are among the newcomers as freshmen. Also joining the group as a transfer is Ellah Hofer.
• Mullin was a member of a Class A Lincoln Southwest Silverhawks squad.  
• Saathoff won four state volleyball championships between Diller Odell and Lincoln Lutheran. Saathoff started for three seasons and has more than 1,000 assists in his career.
• Riedl attended Maine West High School in Des Plaines, Illinois, where she was named female athlete of the year and an all-conference performer.
• Ramirez, a Pleasant Valley High School alumna, won the 5A Iowa State Championship in 2021 and was selected Academic All-State
• Hofer returns to Nebraska after a season at North Central College in Illinois.

RETURNERS

• Six rising sophomores, three rising juniors, two rising seniors, and two fifth-years are all returning for the Prairie Wolves.
• Sophomores Kobie Patten and Raegan Holle return for their second season at Nebraska Wesleyan. Patten returns after tallying 45 kills and 316 digs across 109 sets last season. Holle also tallied an additional 232 digs last season.
• Last year, junior outside hitters Addie Thomas and Mackenzie Scurto led Nebraska Wesleyan in their second seasons as Prairie Wolves, serving as hitting powerhouses for the team. Thomas led the team in kills with 389, and Scurto came in second with 195.
• Rising seniors Shae Gallery and Lauren Maciejewski bring back key leadership and experience, participating in a total 122 sets as a class for the Prairie Wolves last season. Gallery led the team with 73 blocks as a middle hitter last season. 
• Kennady Klein played in all 109 sets for the Prairie Wolves as the libero recorded 504 digs in her senior campaign, while also surpassing the 1,000 career digs mark. She has 1,146 career digs going into her fifth season.
• For the Prairie Wolves, middle blocker Nyah Chambers is also back for her fifth season. With 61 blocks, Chambers was second on the squad last season. Chambers also led the Prairie Wolves in solo blocks with 19, which was a team-high.

RAYNA CAIN 

• After concluding year eleven with a 19-11 record, Rayna Cain enters her twelfth year as the program's head coach with over 150 career wins.
• Cain, a four-time All-Conference player for Wayne State College, is the thirteenth head coach in Nebraska Wesleyan volleyball history.