FORT WORTH, Texas — Texas Wesleyan (15-11, 12-6 SAC) lost a 3-0 match to Nelson (Texas) (22-4, 18-0 SAC) on Tuesday. The Rams used a nine-point run in the second set to get within 23-22 before dropping the set 27-25.
The Rams fought back from an early five-point deficit in the first set, using kills from
Faith McClellan and
Migdaly Bernal, a
Neeley Rutledge ace and a
Loes Peijnenburg kill to cut Nelson (Texas)' lead to 13-11. Earlier, Peijnenburg served consecutive aces to help the Rams pull even at 5-5, and
Haley Fojtik followed with a kill from
Lillian Breaux to tie the set again at 6-6. Nelson (Texas) answered the mid-set push by scoring the next five points for an 18-11 advantage, but the Rams continued to get points from
Madison Grekstas, Bernal, McClellan,
Kayla Myers and Fojtik down the stretch. Myers added a service ace as the Rams reached 18 points, but Nelson (Texas) closed out the set 25-18.
The Rams nearly erased a 23-13 deficit in the second set, using a nine-point push to get within 23-22 before later tying the score at 24-24 and 25-25, but Nelson (Texas) closed out a 27-25 set. Earlier, the Rams fell into a 10-2 hole before kills from
Malaya Young and
Madison Grekstas helped keep the set moving. The Rams found a brief response midway through the set with a
Migdaly Bernal kill, a Bernal ace and back-to-back
Loes Peijnenburg aces, but Nelson (Texas) still built the lead to 23-13. After a Rams timeout,
Faith McClellan's kill returned serve,
Chase Silva applied pressure from the line, and
Madison Grekstas, Fojtik and the block helped the Rams climb back into the set before Nelson (Texas) scored the final two points.
The Rams worked back within 8-6 in the third set on kills from
Migdaly Bernal and
Lilia Ottenwalder, but Nelson (Texas) answered with nine straight points to create the separation the Rams could not erase. Earlier, Bernal,
Loes Peijnenburg and McClellan each supplied kills as the Rams traded sideouts while trying to recover from an early 6-2 deficit. After Nelson (Texas) moved ahead 19-7, the Rams put together three consecutive points, including a block by Peijnenburg and Bernal, to reach 19-10. The Rams added late production from
Florencia Churin, McClellan, Silva and Bernal, with Silva recording a service ace, before Nelson (Texas) closed the set 25-16.
Madison Grekstas finished with nine kills, hit .300 and added two block assists.
Neeley Rutledge collected 16 digs and added two assists and a service ace.
Loes Peijnenburg tallied four service aces, three kills and two block assists. Ottenwalder recorded 11 assists and converted her lone attack for a kill.
The Rams stay home with senior night happening on Friday, October 30 against Langston at 6pm.
