FORT WORTH, TX - Texas Wesleyan Volleyball (25-8) fell behind 2-0 to Huston-Tillotson (26-6) with a 25-5 loss in Set 2. The five points were the least amount of points scored in a set all season, but the 20-point defeat was actually a blessing in disguise, helping the Lady Rams overcome a 2-0 hole to claim a thrilling five-set triumph - 22-25, 5-25, 25-13, 25-19, 15-10 to advance to the NAIA National Tournament in Sioux City, Iowa for the second time in three seasons.

With Huston-Tillotson firing on all cylinders, Head Coach Jessica Ransom played a bunch of players their first minutes, looking for a spark and a way to turn things around. Down 23-3, Texas Wesleyan got a kill from one of those inserts - Madison Little - and then Alejandra House forced an attacking error, recording back-to-back points. The little slice of momentum prompted lineup changes in Set 3. Little would start, and Alvarado would move to the right side. The battle was never the same.

"As a coaching staff we knew if (Alvarado) wasn't having success on the outside we were going to move her to the right side because they don't defend that as well," Ransom said. "That's what we did in the third set and that helped us gain momentum. We were able to utilize her especially the way (Little) stepped up. Tonight was the night we needed (Little) and she stepped up big, it was no surprise to the coaching staff that she was able to do that, it was just throwing her out there and being able to prove that."

To start Set 3, Little earned two kills to go with Chastiny Brown's two kills and Brittni Mohle's ace to build a 5-1 advantage, prompting a quick timeout from the opposing Lady Rams. Alvarado earned two kills that began a 7-0 run, expanding TXWES' third-set advantage to ten, 15-5. HTU never stood a chance in Set 3, only getting as close as eight when Texas Wesleyan controlled the game 18-10.

With one freshman now re-adjusted to the opponent, it was time to focus on another freshman on the front line. Sydney Charlton, who quietly entered the national postseason with three-straight outings with at least eight kills (no such outings the previous 11 matches), was the only Ram with a positive hitting percentage the first two sets and her dominance from start to finish was the glue that held the comeback together. She had four kills in Set 4 and earned the last mega point to seal the comeback, the second time in 2019 volleyball has won a five-set match after trailing 2-0 (Our Lady of the Lake, August 31).

"It feels so good - we got it," Charlton said. "After the loss, we just realized we needed to come together as a team rather than pull apart. We re-focused. In high school, we were always able to go far but I've never gotten this far. We're just ready to play together as a team - I'm very excited."

Charlton finished with 13 kills and just one attacking error (the second most kills she's had in a match this season). It was the third-consecutive time the Lady Rams have played a NAIA Opening Round playoff match to five sets and TXWES is now 2-0 in such contests at the Sid Richardson Center. The Lady Rams have now won four in a row at home when the match goes to a fifth set, a streak that dates back to 2016.

"(Charlton) and I are very similar, we're quiet and consistent," Ransom said. "I think often times she is overlooked but she's always contributing both offensively and defensively. Tonight we got her a lot of one-on-one looks and she was terminating. She has been a go-to person as the season has gone on. It's definitely fun being on your home court and being able to fight back. Being down two sets to zero, really ugly sets ... this is what we've been working towards all season the girls, they earned it."

Little finished with four kills and Alvarado ended up with nine after the slow start. Brown contributed eight kills and 2.5 blocks. Madison Lopez reached out for 25 digs defensively while Brenda Pargas and Morgan Burns kept the passing steady with 26 and 15 assists, respectively. Mohle, the four-year senior chipped in six kills and seven digs. She's the only player on the team that has ever played on the national tournament stage and the team will look to her for guidance. Most of the players and staff have never even been to the state of Iowa - including Ransom and Charlton.

"(Mohle) has been a leader for us all year, she is a vocal leader, she leads by example," Ransom said. "It's huge (she's been to Iowa). Everyone looks to her as kind of our 'what's next' so she's able to offer that to us. We obviously want to continue winning, but now it's also about enjoying each others company the rest of the year."

Pool play schedule and pairings will be announced on www.naia.org on Sunday, November 24 after 11 other schools from around the country won opening round games Saturday, including nine other teams who were awarded the opportunity to host the match. The NAIA National Championship will run from December 3-7.