FORT WORTH, TX: The Texas Wesleyan University volleyball team (20-9, 9-3 SAC) took sole possession of the third spot in the SAC standings with a 3-2 (25-23, 20-25, 33-31, 25-15, 15-11) win over John Brown University 17-12, 7-5 SAC) at the Sid Richardson Center on Saturday.
 
With the win the Lady Rams run their winning streak to six games. When these two teams met previously in Siloam Springs, AR, the Golden Eagles won a 3-1 contest. Texas Wesleyan had this game marked on the schedule after that, and came out ready for a battle.
 
The first game set the tone, and that tone was intensity. The Rams found a little breathing room with a 4-0 run capped by a Starnisha Bodie service ace for an 8-4 lead. The Golden Eagles chipped away at the lead and tied the set at 10-10 before grabbing a 6-0 rally to make it 14-10 capped by a Molli Pugh, Audrey Dearien block. Wesleyan turned that score around and tied it again at 16-16 and the two teams went back and forth with the lead. TWU made it a 22-19 advantage after a 4-1 run highlighted by an Abby Zipoy kill, and that was enough to take game one by a score of 25-23.
 
The Rams started the second set with a strong 4-1 lead capped by a Shelby Stinnett kill, but that lead quickly diminished and the teams went back to trading the lead. A kill by Dearien made it a 12-8 Golden Eagle lead that gave John Brown enough momentum until an Alanna Hayhurst smash cut the lead to 20-19. JBU held on despite some attacking errors, and Libby Blasingame tied the match with a set winning kill.
 
The third set turned out to be one of the most incredible sets played at the Sid Richardson Center. The Rams bounced out to a 5-0 lead due to a few John Brown mishaps, but the Golden Eagles rebounded and quickly took an 8-7 lead on a Bethany Maddox ace. That spurred an 8-3 Golden Eagle run to extend the lead to 16-9. The Rams fought back with a 7-0 rally capped by a Zipoy kill to regain a 19-17 advantage. The lead did not last as neither team was going to give up the all-important third set. A Melissa Bakke kill gave JBU a 20-19 lead, but a 5-2 Ram run capped by a Hayhurst kill tilted the game back in favor of the Lady Rams at 24-22. The Golden Eagles responded and took a 25-24 lead, but again a Zipoy kill tied the set at 26 all. Hayhurst made it set point with an ace in the next play, but a Blasingame kill evened things up again at 27-27. The set was tied four more time from there as a Pugh kill tied the set at 31-31 before Bodie threw down a kill for set point and a Golden Eagle error gave the Rams a 33-31 game three win.
 
Emotions ran high as these two evenly matched teams went back on the court for a fourth set. It was deadlocked early until an Alyssa Arnold ace put the Eagles up 9-5. John Brown kept the pressure on from there catching Wesleyan off-guard with a 12-4 run to take the fourth, 25-15.
 
John Brown seemed poised with growing momentum, taking a 3-0 lead into the fifth set. The Golden Eagles led 5-3 before a 4-0 rally by Wesleyan capped by a Zipoy kill turned things around to lead 7-5. Kristina Gafford timed a kill perfectly to catch the defense napping to keep the Lady Rams in front 13-8. The Golden Eagles cut the lead to 13-10, but Texas Wesleyan powered home the dagger with a match winning kill from Stinnett to take the fifth set, 15-11.
 
After a big home win head coach Kimberly Weaver commented on her team being able to perform under pressure saying, "Today was a really good illustration of the evolution we have experienced as a team. I am very proud of our ability to weather John Brown's storm. Everyone contributed a big play at the right time. From Star (Bodie) aggressively attacking to score late in the third, to Abby scoring off of a strong ace to get us to match point, it was truly a team effort. Kristina ran a solid offense, and our defense kept up throughout the match. Coming back from an 11-6 deficit and finding a way to win 33-31 was simply remarkable. We are taking the remainder of our season one match at a time, and today we displayed a maturity that is very encouraging."
 
Zipoy led the attack and notched her seventh consecutive double-double with 16 kills and 14 digs. Gafford posted a 46 assists and 18 dig double-double. Stinnett had a huge 15 kill 27 dig double-double night. Shaughnessy Hearn kept the ball alive with 33 digs in the win. Bodie added eight kills and seven blocks for the Lady Rams.
 
The Lady Rams will host Oklahoma City University on Friday, October 30 starting at 7:00 pm.