FORT WORTH, Texas — Texas Wesleyan University participated in the Texas Two Step tournament, facing two challenging opponents on Saturday at the Sid Richardson Center. In their first match, Texas Wesleyan (3-5) was defeated by McPherson College in straight sets, falling 0-3. Despite the loss, Texas Wesleyan recorded a total of 25 assists in the match. The Rams followed that match up with a five-set thriller victory over Texas A&M-Texarkana, winning 3-2.
In their first match, Texas Wesleyan initiated the first set with a point from an attack error by McPherson's Miriam Maino. The back-and-forth continued, with
Faith McClellan securing multiple kills, assisted by
Kayla Myers, to keep the score even at various points. However, McPherson responded with a series of successful plays, including kills and service aces, to pull ahead. As the set progressed, Texas Wesleyan found itself trailing despite a notable block by
Haley Fojtik and McClellan. Substitutions were made to shift momentum, but McPherson extended its lead through consistent scoring, capitalizing on errors from Texas Wesleyan. The set concluded with McPherson taking a 25-13 lead.
In the second set, Texas Wesleyan faced early challenges, starting with a service error that allowed McPherson to gain an advantage. Despite a kill by McClellan and a service ace from
Loes Peijnenburg, McPherson capitalized on several attack errors to extend its lead. A timeout by Texas Wesleyan at 7-2 did little to halt McPherson's momentum. Texas Wesleyan showcased resilience with a series of points, including a kill from
Vanya Palmeros, narrowing the gap to 14-11, prompting a timeout from McPherson. Despite a late push with points by
Migdaly Bernal and a kill by
Tamara Blakley, Texas Wesleyan was unable to overcome the deficit, with McPherson securing the set 25-21.
The third set saw Texas Wesleyan begin with strong contributions from McClellan and Palmeros, each securing early kills to keep the score close. Despite these efforts, McPherson built momentum with Tori Buss leading with multiple kills. Midway through the set, McPherson capitalized on a series of attack errors by Texas Wesleyan, extending its lead. Although
Jordan Daniell and
Lillian Breaux worked to counter with key plays, McPherson maintained control, closing the set with a 25-15 advantage.
In the fourth set, Texas Wesleyan maintained a strong defensive stance, preventing McPherson from gaining any momentum. The home team effectively controlled the pace, making it challenging for the visitors to break through, but the set concluded without either team scoring.
McClellan recorded six kills and contributed two block assists for Texas Wesleyan, adding up to a total of seven points. Myers facilitated the offense with 10 assists and added three digs.
Neeley Rutledge was active defensively with nine digs and chipped in with one service ace. Breaux also supported the offensive effort by dishing out nine assists over two sets.
In their second match, Texas Wesleyan began the first set with early challenges, including a service error that gave the Eagles an initial 3-0 lead. Despite this, the Rams responded with a kill by
Faith McClellan, leveling the momentum. The set saw back-and-forth scoring, with significant contributions from
Vanya Palmeros and
Lilia Ottenwalder, who helped the home team equalize and eventually take the lead at 10-8. As the set progressed, Texas Wesleyan continued to capitalize on the Eagles' errors and maintained a narrow lead, sealing the first set 25-21 with a decisive kill by
Loes Peijnenburg.
The second set began with a strong showing from Texas Wesleyan, as
Migdaly Bernal's early kill set the tone for a competitive stretch. The Rams maintained momentum with key blocks by
Loes Peijnenburg and Bernal, leading to a 6-2 run. However, the Eagles responded with several points, narrowing the gap. Despite a late kill by Palmeros, Texas Wesleyan dropped the set 30-28.
Texas Wesleyan began the third set with a strong performance, quickly establishing momentum through a service ace by
Kayla Myers and a kill by
Jordan Daniell, resulting in a 3-0 start. Midway through the set, the Rams maintained control with key plays from McClellan and Palmeros, closing the set 25-17.
The fourth set saw Texas Wesleyan struggle as the Eagles gained momentum, ultimately winning the set 25-11. However, in the decisive fifth set, Texas Wesleyan gained an early advantage with a kill by Bernal and a service ace from her, extending the lead to 7-2. Despite a brief rally from the Eagles, Texas Wesleyan maintained its composure, responding with a decisive kill by McClellan and capitalizing on an opponent error to close the set 15-12 and secure the match victory.
Bernal led Texas Wesleyan with 14 kills and added two blocks, contributing 16 points. Myers was effective in setting, recording 22 assists and achieving a perfect attack percentage of 1.000.
Neeley Rutledge anchored the defense with 27 digs. Peijnenburg excelled at the net, tallying five total blocks and adding four kills.
The Rams start conference play next weekend as they start things off with a match against University of Science and Arts inside the Sid Richardson Center on Friday, September 4, at 6pm.
