DECATUR, Ill.– Nebraska Wesleyan was downed by (RV) Albion 3-1 Friday night in the opening match of the Millikin Big Blue Showdown at Griswold P.E. Center. The Prairie Wolves took the third set, 26-24, but Albion won the other three, 25-22, 25-21 and 25-15.
Nebraska Wesleyan hit .121 as a team with 46 kills, six aces, 48 digs and seven blocks. Molly Ramirez led the Prairie Wolves with 11 kills despite a -.030 hitting percentage. Ella Foote had three blocks to top the team, and Grayson Piening led with 13 digs.
SET ONE
Mikyna Stoppkotte's kill tied the first set 1-1 after Albion opened the scoring. NWU tied things at three before jumping to a 12-8 lead, prompting Albion to call a timeout.
Ella Foote contributed two kills to keep the lead at four, 14-10.
Despite struggling early, the Brits began to break through the Prairie Wolf defense and force a timeout, 16-16.
Albion reached set point first, 24-21, before taking the set 25-22.
SET TWO
Nebraska Wesleyan shook off set one fast, and was very competitive with the Brits early making it 4-4. The Brits began to gain control after that and not look back. They forced an NWU timeout at 12-7.
The Prairie Wolves went on a 3-0 run, but the scoring streak slowed down a bit toward the middle of the set with Albion taking a 20-16 lead into the Prairie Wolves second timeout.
Macy Plucker dropped a kill followed by another Foote point that brought the Prairie Wolves within two of Albion, 22-20, down the stretch.
Molly Ramirez showed a powerful swing to get within two of Albion again, 23-21.
Albion reached set point 24-21, and ultimately, the Brits came out on top, 25-21.
SET THREE
Nebraska Wesleyan once again started quick, taking a 3-1 lead assisted by an ace from Ramirez and kills from Plucker and Foote.
Albion controlled the middle part of the set, even growing their lead to 20-13.
Ramirez and
Jera Schuerman brought the fire out of the break with two kills a piece on a 10-2 run to give Nebraska Wesleyan their first lead since early in the set, 23-22.
Nebraska Wesleyan was the first to set point at 24-23, and eventually came away with the set win, 26-24 to force a fourth set.
SET FOUR
Albion started set four with a 10-3 lead that it would never give back.
The Brittons held tightly to the lead, 17-9, forcing the Prairie Wolves to take a timeout to regroup.
Out of the break,
Macy Plucker rocketed a kill to make it 17-11 and added one more kill later in the set, 21-12.
Nebraska Wesleyan kept fighting, clawing within seven of Albion, 22-15, but the Brittons took the match, 25-15.
UP NEXT
Nebraska Wesleyan returns to action tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Millikin Big Blue Showdown. The Prairie Wolves face host Millikin at 10 a.m. before closing the weekend against Carroll University at 12 p.m.
