FORT WORTH, Texas — Texas Wesleyan University (4-5, 1-0 SAC) defeated University of Science and Arts (Okla) (6-3, 0-1 SAC) 3-1 (25-16, 23-25, 25-8, 25-20) on Friday. Texas Wesleyan turned a 13-14 fourth-set deficit into an 18-15 lead before closing out the set and match.
Texas Wesleyan turned a 16-15 edge into control of the first set, winning six straight points to reach 22-15 before closing out Science and Arts 25-16. Earlier, Texas Wesleyan worked through an even opening stretch, answering a 3-1 deficit with a
Loes Peijnenburg kill, a
Haley Fojtik/
Vanya Palmeros block and a Palmeros kill as the score moved through ties at 3-3 and 4-4. Midway through the set, Texas Wesleyan used back-to-back blocks involving Fojtik — one with
Faith McClellan and one with Palmeros — to move from 10-9 to 12-9 before Science and Arts later pulled within 16-15.
Migdaly Bernal's kill made it 17-15, and
Jordan Daniell then served five straight Texas Wesleyan points, with kills from Palmeros and Peijnenburg, a Science and Arts attack error and Daniell's ace pushing the score to 22-15. Peijnenburg added a kill for 23-16, Palmeros followed with a kill from Fojtik, and Peijnenburg's service ace ended the set at 25-16.
Texas Wesleyan pushed the second set to 23-23 after facing a 23-21 deficit, using a Peijnenburg kill from
Lillian Breaux and a Bernal kill from
Lilia Ottenwalder before Science and Arts scored the final two points. Earlier, Texas Wesleyan answered the opening point with three straight, including a Daniell service ace, and later built a 7-4 edge after consecutive Science and Arts attack errors. The set tightened through the middle as Texas Wesleyan repeatedly responded to one- and two-point deficits, with Breaux, Palmeros, Peijnenburg and
Madison Grekstas each providing kills that brought the home side even or back in front. Texas Wesleyan moved ahead 21-19 on a Bernal kill from Breaux and a Science and Arts attack error, but Science and Arts came back with four straight points before Texas Wesleyan's final two-point response. Science and Arts closed the set with kills by Jayla Blake and Iyahna Hibbler to take it 25-23.
Texas Wesleyan created separation immediately in the third set, scoring the first seven points after a Bernal kill from Breaux and adding a McClellan block, an Ottenwalder ace and a Peijnenburg kill during the opening stretch. After Science and Arts got on the board, Texas Wesleyan kept answering with sideouts and kills from Peijnenburg, Palmeros and Fojtik, moving ahead 13-3 and later 18-6 on another Bernal kill from Breaux. The front line also turned Science and Arts attacks into points, including a Fojtik/Palmeros block at 14-4 and a Peijnenburg/Palmeros block during the late run. With Texas Wesleyan leading 19-7, Daniell served five straight points and collected three aces as the lead reached 24-7, and Palmeros finished the set with a kill from Ottenwalder for a 25-8 win.
After trailing 14-13 and later being even at 15-15, Texas Wesleyan moved ahead 18-15 on a block by Peijnenburg and Palmeros, a Peijnenburg service ace and a Fojtik kill from Ottenwalder. Earlier, after Science and Arts built a 10-5 lead, Texas Wesleyan used a service error, kills from
Florencia Churin and Bernal and a Churin-Fojtik block to get within 11-10. Science and Arts cut Texas Wesleyan's lead to 19-18, but Texas Wesleyan responded with a bad set by Science and Arts, an attack error and consecutive Bernal kills from Breaux to move to 23-18. After a Texas Wesleyan timeout at 23-20, Bernal delivered another kill from Breaux for a 24-20 lead, and a Science and Arts attack error finished Texas Wesleyan's 25-20 fourth-set win.
Bernal led Texas Wesleyan with 16 kills and 16 points while hitting .429. Peijnenburg added 12 kills on a .407 hitting percentage, two service aces and two blocks.
Neeley Rutledge collected 20 digs. Fojtik posted seven kills on .429 hitting and a team-high six total blocks.
The Rams return to action tomorrow inside the Sid Richardson Center as they face off with SAC foe Mid-America Christian University at 1pm.
