SIOUX CITY, IA: The Texas Wesleyan University volleyball team (27-6) dropped a straight set match (25-18, 25-18, 28-26) to No. 16 Cornerstone University (28-7) in day two of the 2017 NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship sponsored by Delta Hotels-Marriott at the Tyson Events Center on Wednesday.
Texas Wesleyan hit a solid .209 in the match, but the Golden Eagles finished with a .282 average in a very back and forth match despite the 3-0 outcome. Cornerstone committed just a few less errors than TXWES, which seemed to be the difference in the box score, along with a +6.5 advantage in blocks in favor of CU.
"We are facing the best teams in the land, teams that will only make a few errors, so that's new for us." said Head coach
Priscilla Morgan. "That's Nationals, facing teams that don't make it easy. That puts us into a position of earning more points and having all aspects of our game on-point. If we embrace that mindset and consistently execute plays, then we can be successful."
Brianna Jaramillo set the tone with a pair of kills for the first points of the match, but the Golden Eagles responded with a 6-0 run. The Lady Rams cut the lead to three after a
Tierra Coverson,
Sasha Robinson block. Again, the Golden Eagles protected the lead with a 6-2 rally to take the first set.
Cornerstone continued to be stingy with the lead in the second set and again the Lady Rams kept it close. The Golden Eagles had just enough opportunities to hold a 3-point or less lead for the majority of the frame. Stinnett tallied her fourth kill of the set on a Robinson assist to make it an 18-16 game. In a near mirror of the first, Cornerstone finished the set on a 6-2 run for another 25-18 win.
The Lady Rams and Golden Eagles were tied 12 times in the third set, as neither team let the other on a big rally. Stinnett tied the game at 13 apiece on an ace, but Cornerstone let out a 5-0 burst for a 20-16 lead. TXWES fired back with a five-point rally, with Stinnett responsible for three kills in that span. That put the Lady Rams in a set-point position at 24-22, but the CU went back-to-back to Heather Carlson to square the game at 24-24. Coverson dropped a bomb for a 1-point edge before Ellie Van Laar and the Golden Eagles made it 26-25 on a block and kill on consecutive plays.
Brittni Mohle responded with a clutch kill to even things up, but a pair of CU blocks helped the Golden Eagles edge out the set, 28-26.
Jaramillo led all players with 13 kills, splitting defenses to find the open spots on the hardwood.
Robinson earned her 12th double-double of the season with 27 assists and 15 digs. The junior also got in on two blocks. Stinnett notched 11 kills in the match.
The Lady Rams will conclude pool play tomorrow in a match with No. 19 University of Jamestown (ND). The Jimmies are 1-1 in pool play, taking a five-set match from Cornerstone and dropping a straight set match to Lindsey Wilson.
