HUTCHINSON, KS - Texas Wesleyan Volleyball (0-2) got some valuable minutes on day one of the KCAC Fall Fling, which features 26 of the best NAIA volleyball teams in the central states. The Lady Rams took No. 25 Ottawa (Kan.) and RV Kansas Wesleyan both to five games before ultimately surrendering victories in each of the two contests. In both matches the Lady Rams lost the first set only to push for a fifth three games later.

Chastiny Brown stepped up in a major way. She had 14 kills against Ottawa - more kills than any of her games as a first-year Ram - and followed the performance up with another 14 kills against Kansas Wesleyan. Newcomer Veronika Webb spiked 16 kills in the nightcap.

Against Ottawa, TXWES lost the first two games 25-14 and 25-20 before nearly making a tremendous comeback. Arianna Alvarado's service ace in Game 3 put Texas Wesleyan up 5-1 in Game 3 and the Rams held the lead the rest of the way. Alvarado pitched in a team-high four aces in the first ten sets of the season. In Game 4, the Lady Rams overcame tons of adversity, with ties at 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27 before TXWES scored the final two points on Ottawa errors. In Set 5, a 5-0 run by Ottawa to give its squad a 10-4 lead was too much of a deficit to overcome.

In the battle with Kansas Wesleyan, Texas Wesleyan won Sets 2 and 3, 25-18 and 25-15, respectively, to take a 2-1 lead in the match. Newcomer McKayla Flowers scored the last two points of the second game and finished with six kills against Kansas. Alvarado had two of her five aces and Brittni Mohle chipped in two kills to put the Lady Rams up 10-4 in Game 3 (TXWES held advantage the rest of the way).

The second time around faced with a deficit in Game 5 - down 6-2 - the Rams responded with a 3-0 run that included two Alvarado kills, squeezing the deficit to one, 9-8. But down 12-11, Kansas Wesleyan edged out the Lady Rams with the final three points.

Total leaders on the day of play outside of Alvarado's four service aces included Brown's 28 kills and eight blocks, Branda Pargas' 49 assists and Madison Lopez' 48 digs. Dating back to last seasons, it was the fourth-straight match for the Lady Rams that went five sets. It was the first time the Lady Rams have played back-to-back five-set back-and-forths in the same day since September 16, 2011.

 The Lady Rams return to action Saturday bright and early - 9 a.m. against York College - with a quick turnaround to face University of Saint Mary (Kan.) at 11 a.m.