Box Score FORT WORTH – The Texas Wesleyan Lady Rams may have been a half-game ahead of Wayland Baptist in the Sooner Athletic Conference standings, but the Pioneers proved who is really ahead when they got on the court Friday night.
"When we're on the road, I like that 'W,'" Wayland coach
Jim Giacomazzi said after the 21
st-ranked Pioneers took out Texas Wesleyan, 25-17, 25-20, 25-18.
"They took a set off (No. 12) Oklahoma Baptist, so we didn't come in thinking they were a push-over," Giacomazzi said. "We took them seriously, just like we're going to take Southwestern Assemblies seriously."
Those two teams do battle at 11 a.m. Saturday in Waxahachie. SAGU (10-8 overall, 3-3 SAC) won its first three conference matches over Mid-America Christian, St. Gregory's and Southwestern Christian before falling in its last three to OBU, John Brown University and Oklahoma City.
"They're a solid team," Giacomazzi said of the Lady Lions, who like Wayland went 4-0 at a tournament at Kansas Wesleyan earlier this season. "They're a good team. They can play ball."
Saturday's match will be the first meeting between the programs since 2008.
Friday night's win for Wayland (18-3, 4-1) over Texas Wesleyan marked the Pioneers' 13
th sweep of the year and seventh straight victory sweep.
"Overall I'm pleased with what we did today," Giacomazzi said.
Wayland was in control most of the match. The Pioneers led the first match, 13-11, when they scored three straight points to begin to pull away, eventually take it, 25-17.
The Lady Rams led in the first half of the second set and were up, 13-11. But back-to-back-to-back kills by
Grecia Rivera,
Cindy Horn and
Shahala Hawkins put the Pioneers on top, and they never relinquished the lead again. WBU won it, 25-20, on a shared block by Hawkins and
Claire Jacobsma.
The third set was never close after Wayland jumped out to a 4-1 lead. The Pioneers were in command, 18-7, when Texas Wesleyan went on a mini-run and pulled to within 18-13. But WBU regrouped and finished it out, 25-18.
Westerman had a solid night overall. In addition to her 36 assists, she had 10 digs, two kills, a pair of aces and 1½ blocks. Rivera was Wayland's big hitter with 15 kills and only two errors while hitting .406, followed by Hawkins and Jacobsma with seven kills each. Rivera also tallied 12 digs, as did libero
Mercades Torres.
Emily Welch had two of WBU's seven aces, and the Pioneers recorded six blocks. Hawkins had three block assists while Jacobsma had one solo and three block assists.
"We're getting better in all positions," Giacomazzi said.
Wayland hit .254 overall while holding the Lady Rams to .111.
"I was very pleased with our passing tonight," Giacomazzi said. "We've improved a lot in that skill. (Texas Wesleyan) had a couple of gals who (jump-served) well and had good pace on the ball."
