FORT WORTH, TX: The Texas Wesleyan University volleyball team (3-1) took a pair of wins in the final day of the SAC/RRAC Conference Clash over the University of St. Thomas (1-3) and Langston University (0-4). The Lady Rams won 3-0 (25-18, 25-15, 25-23) against the Celts before taking a 3-0 (25-10, 25-19, 25-19) game from the Lady Lions at the Sid Richardson Center on Saturday.
 
The Lady Rams took on the UST Celts in the first match, doing a great job of controlling the tempo throughout the entire match. Wesleyan held a slight lead at 11-7 after Abby Zipoy punched a kill down the middle of the Celt defense. Allanna Hayhurst threw down a kill to extend the lead to 13-8. The Rams kept a five spot lead on St. Thomas until TWU took a 5-0 rally highlighted by a Kristina Gafford kill to make it a 23-15 advantage. The Celts allowed a few late errors that gave the Lady Rams a 25-18 first set victory.
 
Shelby Stinnett started the second set with three consecutive service aces on the way to a 4-0 lead. Texas Wesleyan kept a slight lead on the Celts, and a 6-0 rally helped along with a few more Stinnett aces and a Starnisha Bodie smash made it a 20-10 lead. St. Thomas cut into the lead slightly, but Zipoy and company took the second set 25-15.
 
The third set was tied at 3-3 before the Rams took a 6-1 run capped by a Bodie kill to jump out to a 9-4 lead. Texas Wesleyan pushed the lead on some salty play from Zipoy, who tallied an ace and a kill to make it a 17-11 game. The Rams kept the ball moving and kept the Celt defense off balance, as Zipoy knocked down the last point for a 25-23, 3-0 match win.
 
Zipoy led the attack with 17 kills, hitting .333. Stinnett added nine kills, 11 digs, and 5 aces in the win. Gafford had 29 assists and 11 digs in the match. Shaughnessy Hearn kept the ball alive with 23 digs.
 
In the match against Langston, the Lady Rams overwhelmed the Lady Lion defense with fast play and hard hitting. Texas Wesleyan took the first set easily at 25-10, that started by jumping out to a 17-3 lead capped by a Kiersten Mebane kill. Zipoy threw down the final kill to take the set.
 
The Lady Lions regrouped and held their own in the second set as head coach Kimberly Weaver incorporated some of her younger players on the court. Stinnett kept the Rams on top with a kill to make it a 12-9 lead before the Lady Lions tied the game at 14-14. Kori Williams got an ace and a Ram error allowed Langston to tie up the set. Wesleyan grabbed a 6-0 rally capped by a Hayhurst kill to jump back out to a 20-14 advantage. That offensive burst gave the Lady Rams what they needed to finish the second set with a 25-19 win.
 
Again, the Lady Lions kept the set close, tying the game early at 4-4 after an Ashley Michalski ace. Texas Wesleyan sprinted out on a 7-0 run to take an11-4 lead capped by a Zipoy ace. The Rams kept a comfortable lead and a Bre Blackburn ace made it a 20-13 game. The home team kept the intensity up and a Bodie kill sealed the match with a 25-19 win.
 
Stinnett posted 13 kills, hitting .545 in the win. Zipoy had 13 kills, 12 digs, and six service aces in the effort. Gafford tallied 35 assists in the match. Mebane found seven kills in the match.
 
The Lady Rams will stay at home to play Arlington Baptist College on Monday, August 24 starting at 7:00 pm in the Sid Richardson Center.