The Lady Rams volleyball team travel to Shawnee, Oklahoma, to the campus of Oklahoma Baptist University for a tri-match with Southwestern College of Kansas and OBU.
In the first match the Lady Rams battled a tough team from Southwestern College-KS before bowing in the fifth set 11-15. The Lady Rams won sets two and four forcing the showdown in the fifth and final set.
Midway through the second set, freshman outside hitter Chantelia Washington (Austin,TX/Travis HS) went down with a sprained ankle while trying to block at the net. The Lady Rams were trailing 17-19 at the time and rallyed off eight consecative points to win the second set 25-19.
Sophomore setter Eloisa Nava (Los,Fresnos,TX/Los Fresnos HS) quarterbacked the Lady Rams offense with 27 assists, 10 digs, and had attacking support from freshman right side April Newcomb (El Paso, TX/Franklin HS) with 11 kills, 5 solo blocks and 6 assist blocks. Newcomb had support from senior middle Samantha Mendez (Natalia, TX/Cisco JC) with 9 kills, 4 solo blocks and 6 assist blocks. Freshman Taneshia Johnson (Austin, TX/McCallum HS) in her first appearance on the varsity add 10 kills, 1 solo block, and 3 assist blocks.
The defense was led by senior libero Stephanie Castro (Austin,TX/Travis HS) with 19 digs supported by freshmen Ashley Hollis (Benbrook, TX/Western Hills HS) and Teneshia Harmon (Killeen, TX/Shoemaker HS) each with 11 digs.
In the second match, the Lady Rams faced NAIA #17 ranked Oklahoma Baptist University in a long match losing in three sets 14-25, 14-25, and 23-25 .
Newcomb again led the Lady Rams with 10 kills, 1 solo block, 3 assist blocks, with support from Mendez with 6 kills, 3 solo blocks, 4 assist blocks. Nava directed the attack with 21 assists and 9 digs. Defensively, Castro and Harmon supported Nava's 9 digs with 12 and 8 respectively.
The Lady Rams next match will be on Sunday, September 27, at 2:00 pm against Bacone College in Muskogee, OK.