PELLA, Iowa – The Nebraska Wesleyan volleyball team battled hard but ultimately fell short in a five-set heartbreaker against Central College in their American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) opener on Wednesday, September 24, 2025. The match, played at P.H. Kuyper Gymnasium on Central's campus, saw the Dutch emerge victorious with scores of 25-22, 25-22, 23-25, 23-25, and 11-15. With the loss, NWU drops to 10-3 overall and 0-1 in the A-R-C, while Central improves to 12-5, 1-0 in conference play.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1: The match began with both teams trading errors, struggling to find a rhythm early on. Nebraska Wesleyan found its footing when
Jera Schuerman delivered the team's first kill, tying the set at 5-5. A kill from freshman
Macy Plucker and an ace by fellow freshman
Ava Stone propelled the Prairie Wolves to a 7-6 lead. NWU maintained a slight edge before unleashing a 5-1 run, punctuated by a
Molly Ramirez kill. Kills from Plucker and Schuerman, combined with a Central setting error, extended the lead to 18-13. Central mounted a comeback, tying the set at 22, but the Prairie Wolves dug deep, securing the final three points with clutch kills from Plucker and Ramirez to win 25-22.
Set 2: The back-and-forth battle continued into the second set. NWU gained momentum with a 4-0 surge, highlighted by kills from Ramirez and Schuerman, taking a 10-7 lead. Central responded emphatically, seizing a 20-17 advantage. However, Plucker and Ramirez answered with crucial kills to level the score at 20. Central briefly took the lead following an NWU service error, but the Prairie Wolves rallied, claiming five of the final six points to secure another 25-22 victory.
Set 3: The third set mirrored the previous two, with both teams exchanging blows. Central took an early lead, but NWU countered with a 4-0 run, featuring a kill from
Ava Stone and an ace from
Sydney Benson, to lead 4-1. Central responded, tying the set at 7. Plucker and Ramirez ignited another NWU 4-0 run, pushing the lead to 11-7. Undeterred, Central embarked on a 9-5 run, knotting the score at 16. A timely kill from
Jera Schuerman momentarily halted Central's momentum, and Ramirez and Plucker added kills late in the set, but Central ultimately prevailed 25-23.
Set 4: Central carried their momentum into the fourth set, maintaining a slight edge throughout. Despite resilient play from the Prairie Wolves, Central managed to hold on, securing another 25-23 victory to force a decisive fifth set.
Set 5: In the final set, NWU siezed early control with a quick 4-1 lead. From there, the pendulum began to swing to the Dutch and they got the energy in the gym on their side. Central completed the comeback, winning the set 15-11 and the match 3-2.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Macy Plucker: The freshman sensation led the Prairie Wolves with 16 kills, adding 9 digs and a solo block to her impressive performance.
- Molly Ramirez: The veteran right side recorded 15 kills on 40 swings.
- Elecea Saathoff: The junior setter had a career-high 21 digs while also dishing out 41 assists.
- Raegan Holle: The senior libero anchored the defense with 17 digs.
- The match featured a total of 21 lead changes and 38 tie scores.
- The Prairie Wolves had 8.0 blocks on the night.
- Central College hit .123 as a team, while Nebraska Wesleyan hit .073.
UP NEXT
The Prairie Wolves return home to Snyder Arena to face in-state foe Northeast Community College on Friday, September 26, at 7 p.m. The match will be SMA Awareness Night, with fans encouraged to wear purple and make donations to support SMA awareness.
