LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Wesleyan volleyball team (15-10, 3-4 A-R-C) fell in four sets to Wartburg (17-11, 4-3 A-R-C) on Tuesday evening.
The defeat stalled the Prairie Wolves' momentum after they had won four of their previous five matches entering the contest. Ella Foote had 12 kills to lead Nebraska Wesleyan. Jera Schuerman and Molly Ramirez each tallied nine kills. Foote also recorded six blocks, including one solo, moving her into 11th all-time in program history with 54 solo blocks.
The first set belonged to the Knights. The teams traded points early, with Wartburg holding an 11-10 lead, before a 6-1 run opened things up for the visitors. Ramirez's attack error capped the stretch and put the Knights ahead 17-12. Wartburg continued to capitalize on Prairie Wolves errors, adding a service ace to close out the opening set, 25-17.
The momentum slowly began to shift in Nebraska Wesleyan's favor in the second set, thanks to a strong defensive effort. Wartburg errors and a solo block from Ramirez helped the Prairie Wolves build a 12-6 advantage. The teams traded points down the stretch, but Nebraska Wesleyan's defense came up clutch once again. Foote and Mikyna Stoppkotte each recorded a kill and a block as the Prairie Wolves evened the match with a 25-17 second-set victory.
The third set looked much more like the opener. Nebraska Wesleyan appeared to have control before Wartburg rattled off a 6-1 run to take a 23-22 lead. Foote delivered an ace to keep the Prairie Wolves within striking distance, but the Knights responded with three straight points to close out the set. Nebraska Wesleyan suddenly found itself with its back against the wall, trailing 2-1.
The Prairie Wolves looked poised to run away with the fourth set, jumping out to an 11-5 lead following consecutive aces from Elecea Saathoff. Wartburg responded with a 4-0 run to pull within three at 12-9. The Knights continued to build momentum, stringing together several kills as part of a 5-1 run that forced an NWU timeout with the score at 18-17.
The Prairie Wolves had no plans of letting up, regaining a 21-19 advantage. Wartburg answered with three straight aces and another scoring run to keep the pressure on. Nebraska Wesleyan eventually battled back to tie the set at 24-24 on a kill from Macy Plucker. After several lengthy and dramatic rallies, however, Wartburg ended the match with a kill from Ashlyn Hodges.
Wartburg finished with 50 kills to Nebraska Wesleyan's 46. Saathoff and Plucker each recorded 13 digs to lead the Prairie Wolves defensively. Foote led four Prairie Wolves in double figures in points with 17.5.
Tuesday's match concluded Nebraska Wesleyan's regular season, but the Prairie Wolves have secured the No. 5 seed in the American Rivers Conference Tournament. Nebraska Wesleyan will head back on the road for an A-R-C quarterfinal rematch against Wartburg in Waverly on Nov. 10. The winner will advance to face top-seeded Dubuque on Nov. 12 in the Key City.
Unless Nebraska Wesleyan hosts the A-R-C Championship match, Tuesday's contest was the final volleyball match at Snyder Arena this season.
