FT. WORTH, Texas --- Although the two matches were vastly different the end result was the same as the Wayland Baptist volleyball team won their first two matches at the Wesleyan Hughes Classic on Friday. The Pioneers routed Huston Tillotson University in three, 25-10, 25-16, 25-8, and then went to five sets with the hosts from Texas Wesleyan, 25-21, 22-25, 26-28, 25-21, 15-11.
A new school record was established in the contest against HTU when Wayland served up 19 aces. Senior Kimberli Harger tied an individual mark with seven aces against the Lady Rams.
Ashley Duff, a freshman middle hitter, showed off her arm from the beginning of the day. She had six kills, two blocks and two aces in the opening set against HTU. She would finish the match with a team-high ten kills on 26 attempts, and was in on four blocks.
Four Pioneers hit double-digits in digs, led by Harger with 14. Freshman Heather Choat passed out 21 assists.
All five sets of the nightcap against TWU were close, but ultimately it was the team that made the least mistakes that took the victory, according to WBU coach Jim Giacomazzi.
"We're taking little steps forward to get better now. That last match was ugly. I don't think either team played particularly well. Fortunately we made fewer mistakes than they did in that last set and were able to get the win."
It looked like the Wayland netters would lose it in four after they got down 20-15. Following a Giacomazzi timeout, however, the Pioneers went on the offensive, taking four of the next five points to close the gap to 21-19.
Senior Kate Trejos stepped up at that point. Her kill and a TWU attack error tied it at 21. The Lady Rams took their timeout then, but Harger put the Pioneers in front with a kill. Two straight attacks by Trejos made it 24-21, and another TWU error tied the match at two sets a piece.
The Pioneers were trailing 7-4 in the deciding set when Trejos recorded two straight kills and Natasha Giacomazzi registered a service ace to tie it. A WBU service error on the next point gave the home team it's final lead of the contest.
TWU returned the favor with errors on the next two rallies to put the Pioneers up 10-8. The Lady Rams eventually closed it to 12-11 on two kills, but lost the momentum on yet another error, and Duff and Harger finished it off.
Duff posted a career-high 22 kills in the five-set match. She also had three blocks. Harger nailed down 15 kills, and Trejos contributed 12.
Giacomazzi got a double-double with a team-high 20 digs and 29 assists. Trejos had 19 digs, and Tatiana Gonzalez and Alissa Mitchell added 18 kills each.
Wayland, which improved to 9-4, will meet St. Thomas University at 1 p.m. on Saturday. The Houston school fell to Lubbock Christian in three sets and to TWU in five on Friday.
