Salem, OR - Nebraska Wesleyan went 2-0 on Saturday, sweeping Willamette University and defeating George Fox University three sets to one. Senior
Molly Ramirez reached double-digit kills in both matches, leading the team with 11 against Willamette and tying
Ella Foote for a team-high 14 against George Fox.
Nebraska Wesleyan 3, Willamette 0 (25-20, 25-14, 25-19)
The Prairie Wolves controlled the match throughout, recording 38 kills while holding the Bearcats to a -.020 hitting percentage. NWU's defensive effort was key, totaling 51 digs and eight team blocks in the three-set victory.
Molly Ramirez paced the attack with a match-high 11 kills and added 11 digs.
Jera Schuerman contributed seven kills and 12 digs, while
Ella Foote was highly efficient offensively, posting six kills on 10 attacks for a .400 hitting percentage. Foote tied
Mikyna Stoppkotte for the team lead with four blocks.
Setter
Elecea Saathoff directed the offense with 30 assists, while libero
Grayson Piening anchored the back row with 11 digs. Piening, Schuerman, and Ramirez each recorded two service aces.
The Prairie Wolves held the advantage in every major statistical category, finishing with more kills (38-21), aces (7-3), blocks (8-2), assists (36-20), and digs (51-39).
Nebraska Wesleyan 3, George Fox 1 (25-27, 25-13, 29-27, 25-16)
In the second match of the day, Nebraska Wesleyan bounced back from dropping a closely contested first set and won the final three sets to secure a 3-1 victory. After falling 27-25 in the opening set, the Prairie Wolves responded by dominating the second set, 25-13, before edging George Fox, 29-27, in another tightly contested frame. Nebraska Wesleyan closed out the match with a 25-16 victory in the fourth set.
The Prairie Wolves delivered a balanced offensive attack, totaling 54 kills while hitting .240 as a team. Nebraska Wesleyan also recorded 12 service aces while holding George Fox to an .089 hitting percentage.
Four NWU players reached double-digit kills, with
Ella Foote and
Molly Ramirez leading the way with 14 apiece. Foote recorded a career high in kills while hitting an efficient .333 on 27 swings, and Ramirez contributed a well-rounded effort with 12 digs, three aces, and two blocks.
Jera Schuerman added 10 kills and two service aces, while
Macy Plucker chipped in 12 kills while hitting .344. Plucker also added four service aces and 10 digs.
Setter
Elecea Saathoff dished out 47 assists and added 10 digs. Defensively, libero
Grayson Piening collected a match-high 18 digs, tying her career high. Junior
Mikyna Stoppkotte was strong at the net, contributing to five of the team's six blocks in the victory.
Nebraska Wesleyan improves to 3-1 after a strong opening weekend in Oregon. The Prairie Wolves will return home to host the P-Wolf Invite next Friday and Saturday, playing two matches each day.
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