SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The Texas Wesleyan volleyball team (26-10) closed the 2019 season with a 3-1 (25-18, 25-13, 24-26, 25-21) win over College of St. Mary (Neb.) (25-17) in the final day of pool play at the 2019 NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship presented by Marriott South Sioux City River Front at the Tyson Events Center on Wednesday.
The volleyball program earn a win at the final site of the national tournament for the first time since 2005.
The Lady Rams hit .258 for the match and finished with four players it was the first time the team finished with four players posting double digits in kills since way back on September 27 – a five-set road win at Wayland Baptist.
Veronika Webb led with 16 kills and hit .481,
Brittni Mohle tacked on 14,
Arianna Alvarado posted 13, while
Chastiny Brown finished with 12.
Five seniors played in their final collegiate game on Thursday. Bown,
Madison Lopez, Mohle,
Brenda Pargas and
Brianna Sitton were those student-athletes.
The Lady Rams had the offense clicking early, getting kills from four different players in their first 10 points.
Veronika Webb highlighted a 4-0 burst with a kill to take a modest lead late in the set. The junior went a perfect 6 for 6 hitting in the win. TXWES hit .441 (19-4-34) as a team, its best set in pool play.
In set two, the Flames found an early lead, but it was
Brittni Mohle who sparked a rally after a back-corner kill tied it at 6 apiece. That started an 8-0 run capped by a Webb solo block to make it a 14-6 game. The Rams continued with solid play to take the set handily, 25-13. At this point,
Chastiny Brown, Mohle and Webb have a combined 24 kills.
In set three, Texas Wesleyan let the Flames hang around. Saint Mary took a slight edge after a Kinsley Tinglehoff service ace made it 17-13, prompting head coach
Jessica Ransom to take a timeout. The Lady Rams climbed back with a 5-0 burst to tie the set at 18-all on a Mohle kill. Not to be outdone, the Flames jumped back out to a 23-20 lead, but the Lady Rams answered.
Madison Little put down a kill to get within one before a Mohle ace made it match point at 24-23. The Flames were able to flip the script though, and after a couple of Ram errors and an Elizabeth Dlouhy kill, forced a fourth set.
Down 10-5 early in the fourth set, the Lady Rams found a way back in it once again. TXWES went on a 7-2 run to tie the set on the heels of three consecutive Mohle kills. Saint Mary held on to a slight advantage well into the set until
Arianna Alvarado tied knotted things up for the fourth time, a part of a 7-0 rally. TXWES stayed in the driver's seat from there and two more kills from Webb ended the match.
Morgan Burns tallied 26 assists, while Pargas had 24. Lopez finished with 22 digs, and Sitton posted 13 in the win.
Missouri Baptist and Grand View (Iowa) will move on to bracket play from Pool D. The NAIA will crown a champion on Saturday.
Ramblings
- Today marked the first ever meeting between the two programs.
- The Volleyball program is making its 11th appearance at the NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship.
- The team has made two Runner-up finishes (1982, 1990), as well as two final four (1986, 1987) and two elite eight (2004, 2005) appearances at the national tournament.
- The team sponsor, The Arena sports academy, is Sioux City's new multi-sport venue and community sports project with the intent on bringing competitive youth sports to the fore-front of the Siouxland area. Jeff Carlson, a partner with The Arena and a former NAIA student-athlete, shared his vision and passion for role that sports play in the community. For more information, visit hessecarlsonarena.com and follow them on Twitter at @HessCarArena, on Facebook @hessecarlsonarena, and on Instagram @arenasportsacademy.
