STEPHENVILLE – Rachel Wolf and Jessie Hartman each recorded double-doubles, guiding the Tarleton TexAnn volleyball team to a, 3-2 (22-25, 25-18, 22-25, 25-17, 15-13), come-from-behind win over Texas Woman's at Wisdom Gym Thursday night.
The TexAnns, 5-9 overall and 1-0 in the Lone Star Conference, were down 2-1 heading into the fourth set before back-to-back set wins gave them the match. TWU fell to 7-9 overall and 0-1 in conference play. It was Tarleton's fourth straight win in a conference opener.
Wolf tallied 15 kills and 12 digs on the evening, while Hartman recorded a career-high 55 assists to go along with 15 digs on the night. Wolf led the team with five service aces on the night as well.
Two other TexAnns, Shay Gracy (17 kills) and Erin Lynn (10 kills), both recorded double-digit kills as well giving Tarleton four players with 10 or more kills for the first time this season. Gracy's 17 kills were a match high.
Shea McBrearty led the squad with a match-high 33 digs and Danielle Perkins added 11 digs in the match to give the TexAnns four players with double-digit digs also. It was the first time in team history that four players had double digit kills and digs in the same match.
TWU opened the first set with a 4-1 lead and never trailed to take the first game. Down 23-17 late in the set, the TexAnns came back to pull within three points (23-20), but the Pioneers were able to come away with the first set, 25-22.
The TexAnns stormed back to take a commanding 16-9 lead in the second set behind Wolf's three service aces and Gracy's kill made it an 18-10 game as Tarleton went on to win, 25-18.
An early kill in the third set from Dani Veitenheimer gave TWU a 3-1 lead, but Tarleton won four of the next six points to tie the match 5-5. Both teams traded points back and forth throughout the remainder of the set until a kill from Launa McClung put the Pioneers on top 20-15 midway through the set. A couple of attack errors from two Pioneer players made it 24-22 late, but Danielle Pegues' kill landed inside the court to give TWU a 25-22 win and a 2-1 advantage.
Tarleton went up 3-1 early in the fourth set on a block solo from Gracy and midway through the TexAnns found themselves up 15-10 on a kill from the senior middle blocker. Another kill from Gracy gave Tarleton a 20-14 lead and consecutive kills from Wolf made it a 22-14 lead in favor of the TexAnns as Tarleton went on to win 25-17.
TWU took control of the fifth set early, leading 8-6 as the teams changed sides of the court, but Tarleton won the next two points with kills from Catherine Cutbirth and Lynn to tie the match 8-8. A 2-0 run from the Pioneers made it 10-8 before Tarleton's run of six consecutive points put the TexAnns on top 14-10. TWU would not budge, winning the next three points to make it a 14-13 game, but Cutbirth's final attack landed safely on the other side of the net to give Tarleton the 15-13 set win and a 3-2 match final.
Tarleton finished the match with a season-high 66 kills with a .218 hitting percentage. TWU tallied 55 kills, but the TexAnn defense allowed the Pioneers to just .139 hitting on the night.
The TexAnns will finish up their six match home-stand this Saturday with another LSC match against Texas A&M-Commerce. Following the match, the TexAnn players will be signing autographs for the fans. First service is at 2 p.m. inside Wisdom Gym.
