STEPHENVILLE, TX: The Texas Wesleyan University volleyball team (9-6) dropped a 3-0 (25-14, 25-14, 25-15) match to NCAA DII opponent Tarleton State University (8-2) at Wisdom Gym on Monday.
 
The Lady Rams ran into a very hot TexAnns team who boast six straight set wins, while their only two losses were five set matches.
 
Tarleton State bounced out to a 9-2 lead to start the match, but the Lady Rams went on a 5-2 run started by an Abby Zipoy kill and capped by a Kiersten Mebane kill to cut the lead to 11-8. A Shelby Stinnett kill made it a two-point deficit at 12-10, but the TexAnns took control with an 11-4 run to take the first set.
 
Tarleton State continued their offensive jumping out to a 14-4 advantage before Wesleyan scored consecutive points. Stinnett tallied back-to-back kills to make it a 14-6 game. Shaughnessy Hearn beat the defense and put down a service ace late, but the TexAnns were unfazed and took the second set by a score of 25-14.
 
The third set was a tightly contest game to start, as the Rams took a 2-1 lead on a Zipoy kill. The set was tied nine times before TSU took an 8-0 rally to make it a 17-9 game. The Lady Rams could never recover, dropping the set 25-15.
 
Kristina Gafford posted 22 assists in the match as the Rams were held to only 24 kills. Hearn had 12 digs for the Rams. Stinnett had seven kills, while Zipoy and Mebane each tallied five kills.
 
The Lady Rams will look for a different outcome when they open conference play with Southwestern Christian University on Friday, September 18. The match is set for a 7:00 pm start at the Sid Richardson Center.