LADY RAMS DROP TWO IN DAY ONE OF CLASSIC
September 18, 2009

FORT WORTH, TX: The Texas Wesleyan University volleyball team (4-8) suffered two losses in day one of the Wesleyan-Hughes Classic. The Lady Rams lost a hard fought five game match (22-25, 25-20, 25-23, 24-26, 12-15) to John Brown (11-1) and lost in four to College of the Ozarks (12-5) by scores of 12-25, 25-22, 23-25, 25-13.

In the match against John Brown, the Lady Rams made it a fight, winning game two 25-20 after losing game one to the Lady Eagles 22-25. The Lady Rams went on to win game three by a score of 25-23, before John Brown took game four 26-24 to force a game five. The Lady Rams let game five just slip out of reach in a back and forth struggle, losing 12-15

In game four Kristen Venhuizen launched a kill that set up a match point for the Lady Rams. Destiny Clemons gave up that point on an attack error after a John Brown timeout. The Lady Eagles took two kills and the win to force game five. In game five the score was brought to a tie five times until a Lady Eagle kill from Kristen Lee gave John Brown an 8-7 lead that they would not relinquish, winning 15-12.

Leaders for the match included double-doubles from three of the Lady Rams squad. Venhuisen tallied 18 kills and 14 digs, Evoni Darling posted 19 assists and 10 digs, and Angelica Arroyo finished with 28 assists and 11 digs. Destiny Clemons also added 14 kills in the match.

In the match against College of the Ozarks, the Lady Rams came out flat giving ten errors in game one. The Lady Rams fought back and evened the match at one with help from Kaitlyn Lowes who had back-to-back kills to give Wesleyan the game. In game three the Rams kept it close, but a service ace from the Lady Bobcats and a kill from Jennifer Nichols lifted the Lady Bobcats to a game four win. College of the Ozarks would eventually take the match with a 25-13 win.

Angelica Arroyo led the Lady Rams with 28 assists. Clemons and Lowes each finishe with 10 kills.

Head coach Christy Clawson had this to say about her team’s performance, “It’s all mental with us. We are a good team; we just have to believe we are a good team. We beat ourselves today. When they do the things they are suppose to do, we will win.  When they do it their way, we will lose.”

In other day one action, John Brown University (11-1) defeated Belhaven College (7-7) in three games (25-14, 25-17, 25-16). College Ozarks (11-5) took a three game match (25-20, 25-17, 25-16) from the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor (3-10). Oklahoma Baptist University (12-3) beat Belhaven three games to none (25-21, 25-17, 25-15) and Mary-Hardin Baylor three games to none (25-13, 25-17, 26-24).

Texas Wesleyan takes on Belhaven College at 1:00 p.m. and Oklahoma Baptist at 7:00 p.m. tomorrow in day two of the Wesleyan-Hughes Volleyball Classic.