OKLAHOMA CITY — Texas Wesleyan University (11-9, 8-4 SAC) lost the match to Mid-America Christian University (10-8, 6-6 SAC) 3-2 on Friday at Gaulke Activity Center. The Rams rallied from a 24-19 deficit in the fourth set to take a 25-24 lead, but Mid-America Christian took the set 27-25 and won the fifth set 15-12.
The Rams dropped the opening set 25-11 after Mid-America Christian built separation early and finished with another extended scoring push. The Rams got on the board through a Mid-America Christian attack error, then answered with kills from
Florencia Churin and
Migdaly Bernal as
Kayla Myers helped set up early offense. Churin added another kill to make it 16-8, and
Loes Peijnenburg followed with a kill for the Rams' next point, but Mid-America Christian moved from 17-9 to 23-9 before
Vanya Palmeros stopped the run with a Myers-assisted kill. A late service error gave the Rams one more point before Mid-America Christian closed the set at 25-11.
The Rams closed the second set by winning the final two points after Mid-America Christian tied it 24-24, getting a Churin kill from Myers before a
Malaya Young and
Vanya Palmeros block finished a 26-24 set win. Earlier, the Rams worked out of a 14-13 deficit as a Mid-America Christian service error, a
Loes Peijnenburg and
Migdaly Bernal block, a Bernal kill and a Palmeros kill helped push the visitors in front 17-14. Myers added a service ace for a 19-15 lead, and the Rams later stretched the margin to 23-17 with help from a Palmeros and Peijnenburg block and another Churin kill. Mid-America Christian answered late to pull even, but the Rams responded at set point and finished the set with the 26-24 result.
The Rams broke open the third set with a 6-0 run from 12-8 to 18-8, powered by
Loes Peijnenburg's service pressure, including two aces, and a Young kill from Myers. Earlier, the Rams established the lead with early kills from Churin and
Migdaly Bernal, plus blocks involving
Madison Grekstas, Young,
Vanya Palmeros, Peijnenburg and Churin. After Mid-America Christian briefly stopped the run, the Rams kept control with Bernal and Young kills before
Chase Silva served back-to-back aces to make it 22-11. Grekstas and Peijnenburg added late kills, and the Rams finished the set on a Mid-America Christian service error for a 25-14 win.
The Rams erased a 24-19 deficit with six straight points, getting a Young-
Madison Grekstas block, three
Loes Peijnenburg kills and a
Neeley Rutledge service ace to move ahead 25-24, but Mid-America Christian answered with the final three points to take the set 27-25. Earlier, the Rams opened with four straight points behind two Peijnenburg kills, a Churin kill and a
Vanya Palmeros ace before Mid-America Christian responded to go in front 6-4. The Rams later turned a 10-10 tie into a 14-10 lead while Rutledge served, with Rutledge recording two aces and Peijnenburg adding two kills from
Lilia Ottenwalder. Mid-America Christian pushed back through the middle and late stages, moving ahead 24-19 before the Rams' final rally forced the set past 25.
The Rams erased an early deficit and moved in front 11-10 in the fifth set, but Mid-America Christian scored the final three points to take the set 15-12. The Rams fell behind 3-0 before
Loes Peijnenburg delivered a kill and a service ace, and Young and
Madison Grekstas later combined on consecutive blocks to cut the margin to 7-6.
Madison Grekstas kept the Rams within one with kills at 8-7 and 9-8, and
Vanya Palmeros followed with a kill before a Mid-America Christian error tied the set at 10-10. Peijnenburg's kill from Myers put the Rams ahead 11-10, and Churin answered a two-point Mid-America Christian swing with a kill to tie it again at 12-12, but the home team closed with three straight kills for the 15-12 finish.
Loes Peijnenburg led the Rams with 15 kills, four service aces and 21 points while adding four total blocks.
Neeley Rutledge recorded a team-high 18 digs and added three service aces. Myers finished with 24 assists, nine digs and one ace. Young posted six total blocks and added six kills while hitting .273.
The Rams travel to Chcickasha, OK to take on University of Science & Arts on Saturday, October 10 at 1pm.
