CENTRAL CITY — For years, Nebraska Christian has been one of the toughest foes on the Wolfpack’s volleyball schedule.
On Thursday night, EPPJ came from behind to defeat the Eagles 18-25, 25-15 and 25-19.
After dropping the first set, the Wolfpack took control of the match early in the second set. Tied at eight-all, EPPJ wouldn’t trail the rest of the way. It all started with an ace tip by Elizabeth Moser as EPPJ would go on an eight-to-three run capped with a kill by Braelyn Martinsen. They then finished with a nine-to-four spurt as Camry Kittelson and Mady Kurpgeweit took turns with kills at the net. Kittelson then closed out the set with an ace serve.
Set #3 saw the Eagles put up a better fight as they cut EPPJ’s lead to 22 to 18. The Wolfpack then closed out the set with kills from Kurpgeweit and Martinsen.
Kittelson and Kurpgeweit led hitters with eight kills. EPPJ had six ace serves, led by Martinsen and Gentry Zwingman with two apiece. G. Zwingman also led in serve receive with 26.
In their second match, the Wolfpack were swept by Riverside 25-20 and 25-20.
The match was a game of streaks. In Set #1, Elizabeth Moser sparked a run with four ace serves as the Wolfpack took an 18 to 15 lead. Riverside’s Ella Molt answered back from the service line as the Chargers put together a 10 to 2 run to close out the set.
“I think we had some mental errors at wrong times,” Coach Jordynn Luettel said about the Riverside match. “With that momentum, when it’s on your side, you gotta keep it on your side … I wish we would have been a little bit more consistent.”
The teams were tied at 14-all when Riverside began to pull away. Autumn Murphy’s ace serve highlighted a five-zero run as the Chargers took a 19 to 14 lead.
….see more at this week’s Elgin Review.
