Box Score
FORT WORTH, Texas — After playing its eighth five set match of the year, and fifth on the road, Southern Nazarene is glad to wrap up the regular season with two matches at home after falling, 3-2 (15-25, 25-10, 23-25, 25-15, 16-14), to Texas Wesleyan.
The Crimson Storm (21-13) had swept the Rams (14-17), 3-0, just two weeks ago, but SNU struggled with 45 different errors and 38 came off attacks. SNU hit just .043 (45-38-164).
Morgan Loewen led the way for SNU as she ripped 14 kills while Ellen Martin and Kira Roberts each had 10 kills. Martin recorded her second double-double of the season with 12 digs and Roberts posted six blocks; the second most in her career. Taryn Steele also notched 12 digs and dished out 42 assists to go with a trio of blocks.
Sarah Groesbeck was one dig short of tying a career high with 24 digs and Brittany Sexton added 11 digs as well.
The first two sets couldn't have been more lopsided for either team as the Crimson Storm took control early in the first set and never let up until the start of the second. After winning by 10 points in the first set, SNU scored just 10 points in the second set. The Storm were within one, at 6-5, early in the set before the Rams closed the set with a 19-4 run to tie the match at 1-1.
TWU controlled a majority of the third set, yet it never led by more than five. The Rams had their biggest lead at 19-14 before the Storm took their first lead of the match at 21-20 on a Loewen kill. A TWU error made it 22-20 for SNU before the Rams broke the 8-1 run with a kill. SNU answered back two straight kills from Loewen to take set point at 24-21. TWU cut it to 24-23 before Martin gave SNU a 2-1 lead with a kill.
It was all Texas Wesleyan in the fourth as they hit .242 (12-4-33) and led from start to finish to force a fifth and final set.
The lead changed hands seven times in the final set as neither team led by more than two at any point. SNU led 13-11 before the Rams tied it with two straight points. Martin gave SNU match point at 14-13, but TWU put it away scoring three straight points with a kill, an SNU error and then an ace.
SNU closes out the regular season by hosting Lubbock Christian, Friday at 7 p.m., and Wayland Baptist, Saturday at 1 p.m.
