FORT WORTH, TX - On Tuesday, in a Sooner Athletic Conference tournament matchup, No. 2 seed Texas Wesleyan swept No. 7 seed College of the Ozarks 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-23). Â
The first set saw intense exchanges, with Texas Wesleyan capitalizing on early Bobcats' errors to gain an initial advantage. TXWES widened the lead with strategic kills from Grace Pavelka, Sydney Alexander, and Hanna Rubis. Although Ozarks narrowed the gap behind effective kills from Bri Linehan and Abby Chadwell, Texas Wesleyan kept the momentum, securing the set 25-20 after a decisive kill by Makenna Gantt.
In the second set, both teams battled point-for-point early on. The Rams gained traction through kills by Alexander and Emily Lewis, pulling ahead as Ozarks struggled to counter. Despite defensive stands from Bobcats' Bailey Chamberlain, TXWES maintained control with powerful kills from Lyric Biggiers and Rubis. Although Ozarks pushed back with service aces by Brooklyn Crawford, the Rams closed out the set 25-19 with a final kill by Alexander, reinforcing their strong offensive front.
The third set was a tighter affair from both sides, featuring rapid-fire rallies and crucial blocks. Texas Wesleyan took a substantial lead at 17-10 with key kills from Biggiers and Gantt. However, Ozarks rallied with standout blocks and service aces from Kamryn Link and Chamberlain, closing the gap to 23-24. In a nail-biting finish, a service error from Ozarks secured the final set for Texas Wesleyan at 25-23, marking a well-earned 3-0 sweep and highlighting the Rams' teamwork and resilience under pressure.
Texas Wesleyan's leading contributors included Biggiers with ten kills, Lewis with three aces, and Rubis with three blocks.
With the victory, the Rams advance to the semifinals to play the No. 3 seeded John Brown University at 4 p.m. Friday in the Sid Richardson Center. In the other semifinal match, the No. 1 seeded Nelson will face off against No. 5 seeded Oklahoma City University. The winner of both semifinal matches will advance to the finals, to be played on Saturday at 1 p.m. in the Sid Richardson Center.
