Lincoln, NE - Fueled by a gut wrenching loss to Dubuque, Nebraska Wesleyan bounced back in dominant fashion Wednesday night, defeating Doane in three sets. With the win, the Prairie Wolves improve to 14-7 overall.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Set One: With a raucous crowd behind them, Nebraska Wesleyan came out swinging in set one, with Ava Stone and Macy Plucker each recording two kills to build a commanding 13-2 lead. Doane attempted to get back into the set with a short 3-1 run, but a series of errors coupled with another Ava Stone kill put NWU ahead 18-6 and in pole position to claim the first set. The Tigers again answered with a 3-0 run, but Macy Plucker and Molly Ramirez slammed the door on the Tigers with back to back kills to reclaim a 20-9 advantage, a Doane error would extend NWU's lead to 21-9. From there, Doane would go on to claim five of the next nine points, as NWU claimed set one 25-14.

Set Two: Nebraska Wesleyan started hot in set two, with Molly Ramirez, Macy Plucker, and Ava Stone helping NWU build an early 5-1 lead. Doane responded by claiming six of the next nine points to cut NWU's lead to one. A Jera Schuerman kill temporarily halted the Tigers rally, but Doane claimed four of the next five points to take an 11-10 lead. The Prairie Wolves fought back with a 3-0 run, before Doane scored three straight to retake the lead at 14-13. Macy Plucker and Ava Stone kills helped NWU retake a 15-14 lead, but the Tigers answered back to tie the set at 15. From there, the two teams traded points until the score was tied at 18. With the set hanging in the balance, a costly Doane error followed by a Kobie Patten ace, flipped momentum in NWU's favor, as the Prairie Wolves went on to outscore Doane 7-2 the rest of the way to claim set two 25-20.

Set Three: In set three it was Doane setting the tone early, as the Tigers jumped out to a 14-6 lead. A Molly Ramirez kill, started a key sequence that turned the tide of the set, as Doane proceeded to commit an error, before Ramirez recorded another kill, which was followed by another Doane error. While the Tigers answered with a kill of their own, a rejuvenated Nebraska Wesleyan team started to flex their muscle, as Macy Plucker, Jera Schuerman, and Ella Foote each recorded kills as NWU clawed back to cut the Tiger lead to 21-18. Doane responded with a kill to retake a four point advantage, but kills by Molly Ramirez, Ava Stone, and Ella Foote, along with a Tiger error helped NWU tie the set at 22. Sydney Benson then delivered two key aces to help NWU gain a 24-22 advantage, before Ava Stone and Ella Foote recorded a match clinching block to claim set three 25-22. 

TEAM STATS
Points: NWU 52 | DU 36
Kills: NWU 37 | DU 29
Aces: NWU 3 | DU 2
Blocks: NWU 12 | DU 5
Assists: NWU 35 | DU 28
Digs: NWU 49 | DU 38

INDIVIDUAL STATS
Molly Ramirez: 10 kills,4 blocks
Macy Plucker: 10 kills, 8 digs, 3 blocks
Ava Stone: 7 kills, 3 digs, 8 blocks
Elecea Saathoff: 32 assists, 8 digs
Raegan Holle: 16 digs, 1 assist

UP NEXT
Nebraska Wesleyan will host Wartburg in a senior day match on Satruday, October 25th. The match is scheduled to begin at 12:00 p.m.