STORM LAKE - Buena Vista appeared in control to pick up a win in its American Rivers Conference opener on Wednesday night against Nebraska Wesleyan inside of Siebens Fieldhouse, but the Prairie Wolves clawed all the way back for a five-set victory and sending BVU to a fourth straight loss.

Sophomore Sydney McLaren finished with a match-high 19 kills to lead the Beavers while Kaitie Serkiz followed with 15 and Hannah Smith added 12.  As a team, BVU had double-digit kills in each of the first four sets but managed only five in the fifth.

NWU hung on to win the opener, 25-23, before the Beavers came roaring back to claim the second 25-16 and the third 25-22.  The fourth set was back-and-forth throughout most of it before the Prairie Wolves began pulling away late for a 25-19 win to force the decisive final set.  In the fifth frame, NWU stormed out to an 8-0 lead as the two team's switched sides, but then the Prairie Wolves had to hold off a valiant comeback effort by the Beavers.  BVU got as close as 13-11 in the set before eventually falling 15-12.

The Prairie Wolves had just eight combined hitting errors over those final two sets after having 19 in the second and third.

Neither team finished with a stellar hitting percentage as BVU was held to 0.96 and NWU at 0.84.

McLaren chalked up her fourth double-double of the year by also registering 12 digs.  Freshman Taylor Wedemeyer turned in her eighth of the year by dishing out 48 assists and adding 15 digs.  Senior Summer Goss had herself a career-high 38 digs and was the fourth time in her career she had at least 30.  She now moves within 29 of 1,000 in her career.  The team's back line defensively had a strong night with 107 digs.  Jade Hays chipped in with 14 while Kaylee Nosbisch added 11.

"Obviously not the outcome we wanted," said BVU head coach Aubrey Havlichek.  "Our back court was relentless and our serve receive was lights out, we just couldn't put the ball away.  Syd (Sydney McLaren) continues to take a majority of our swings, so huge props to her for finding ways to score and maintaining when needed.  I thought Kaitie (Serkiz) was excellent through a majority of that match, we just showed our age and let a confident Nebraska Wesleyan team take control."

Hannah Bellinghausen paced NWU with 17 kills as Cara Svoboda had 11 kills and seven total blocks.

Buena Vista is now 2-9 overall (0-1 A-R-C) with four of those defeats coming in five sets.  The team looks to get back into the win column when it steps outside of conference play to host Bethany Lutheran on Saturday afternoon for part of BVU's Homecoming festivities.  That match is set to begin at 3:00 p.m.