SAN ANTONIO, TX: The Texas Wesleyan University volleyball team (9-5) fell 3-1 (21-25, 25-22, 25-20, 25-21) to Our Lady of the Lake University (7-1) at Mabee Gym on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Lady Rams entered the match with the Saints with a little bit of a chip on their shoulder, seeking retribution after a home loss earlier in the season to Our Lady of the Lake. The teams played very closely to start and the first set was tied 5-5 before the Lady Rams went pressed the turbo button. TWU went on a 7-1 run capped by a Zipoy kill to make it a 15-7 game. Wesleyan continued the rally with a 4-1 spurt highlighted by a Bre Blackburn kill to extend the lead to 19-10. The Saints found their bearings and charged back with a vengenge, cutting the lead to 23-20. Zipoy and the Rams held their ground though, and Zipoy put away kill for a 25-22 first set win.
 
The Lady Rams posted a slight 6-3 lead to start the second set, but the Saints quickly caught up and stuck with Wesleyan. The Saints later took a 7-1 run to take a 16-12 lead. The Lady Rams made a run late and tied the set at 20-20 with a Zipoy service ace. OLLU held strong and earned a 24-21 cushion. The Rams did not go down without a fight as it took 17 volleys for two points, and after a Stinnett kill made it 24-22, the Saints tied the match with a 25-22 win.
 
Our Lady of the Lake held an ever so slight edge over the Lady Rams for most of the all-important third set, as the home team held their ground. Zipoy took control of the Wesleyan offense to respond to the Saints, rattling off four consecutive kills to take a 10-7 lead. OLLU would later make a 4-0 run of their own to control the set at 20-16.The Saints kept on their foot on the gas to post a 25-20 third set win.
 
The fourth set proved to be no different than the last three, a tightly contested match until the finish. The Saints just would not let a ball fall on their side of the net, as time and time again OLLU kept the ball alive. Kristina Gafford slyly got a kill to fall on a fake set to keep the deficit at 9-8. Starnisha Bodie followed suit with a strong kill the defense could not handle to take an 11-10 advantage. The Saints regained the lead and after Alanna Hayhurst tied the set at 15 apiece, Our Lady of the Lake posted a 10-6 run to take the match 3-1 after a 25-21 fifth set.
 
The difference for the Saints was the ability to defend to net, out blocking Wesleyan 13-5.
 
Abby Zipoy led the Rams and all players with 18 kills, adding 15 digs in the effort. Shaughnessy Hearn led all players with 22 digs in the match. Stinnett posted 14 kills in the loss. Gafford led all players with 38 assists, tacking on 11 digs as well.
 
The Lady Rams will look to rebound with a match against Tarleton State University on Monday, September 14. That match is scheduled for a 6:00 pm start in Stephenville, TX.