The Lincoln Northwest Falcons will head out on the road to challenge the Gretna Dragons on Thursday.
Last Thursday, Lincoln Northwest came up short against Elkhorn and fell 2-0.
Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 25-14, 25-18.
Despite the defeat, Lincoln Northwest had strong showings from Daimani Gersib, who had three digs and three aces, and Hannah Pearson, who had nine digs and one assist.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Gretna, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Tuesday. They were the clear victors by a 3-0 margin over Hastings on Tuesday. The Dragons haven't had any issues with the Tigers recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.
Gretna's got stronger as the match went on, holding Hastings to fewer and fewer points set over set. The match finished with set scores of 25-15, 25-12, 25-5.
Gretna's win came from a few key players Lincoln Northwest will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Lily Zimmerman, who had nine digs and one assist. Claire Luthi also deserves some recognition as she served her first ace of the season.
Gretna was lethal from the service line and finished the match with 13 aces. That's the most aces they've posted since back in September.
Gretna's record now sits at 20-5. As for Lincoln Northwest, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost four of their last five matches. That's put a noticeable dent in their 7-20 record this season.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Thursday's contest: Lincoln Northwest has really dialed in their serving this season, having averaged 6.5 aces per game. However, it's not like Gretna struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.4 aces. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Lincoln Northwest suffered a grim 3-0 defeat to Gretna when the teams last played back in October of 2024. Can the Falcons avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
