Box Score
Photo Gallery

STEPHENVILLE - Shay Gracy had 12 kills to lead the Tarleton TexAnn volleyball team to a 3-0 (25-17, 25-18, 25-19) home-opening win over Texas Wesleyan at Wisdom Gym Wednesday night.

Gracy posted a .500 hitting percentage and added three block assists in the win to give the TexAnns their first win of the season.

Junior Erin Lynn recorded nine kills (.333 hitting percentage) offensively and added four blocks (one solo) on the defensive side of the net.  Sophomore setter Jessie Hartman tallied 18 assits on the evening running the offense.  Junior Margaret Luedecke led the TexAnn defense with 15 digs.

The TexAnns (1-4) opened game one with a 5-2 run forcing the Rams (1-3) to take a quick timeout.  Three consecutive errors from TWU later in the set made it a 17-10 game in favor of the TexAnns.  Both teams traded points throughout the remainder of the set until a kill from Rachel Wolf gave the TexAnns game one 25-17.

The Rams took an early 4-3 lead in the second set, but Tarleton bounced back with a 5-1 run and took an 8-5 lead on another kill from Wolf.  Nine more ties and another four lead changes later gave the TexAnns a 25-18 win to go up 2-0.

Tarleton opened the thrid set with a 2-0 advantage and never trailed or gave up the lead throughout.  Already up 10-8, Hartman and the TexAnns served up six consecutive points to take a commanding 16-8 lead midway through the set.  A 3-0 run from the Rams made it a 16-11 game before Gracy's kill ended the run to make it a 17-11 game.  A couple of kills later, along with a block from Lynn put the TexAnns on top 23-14, and Catherine Cutbirth ended the game on a kill shot give the TexAnns a 25-19 win and a 3-0 sweep of the Rams.

Tarleton looked much more disciplined on the offensive side of the net on Wednesday, finishing the match with a .178 hitting percentage in the match.  The TexAnns hit .243 as a team in the third set, recording a match-high 14 kills in the set.

Kristen Venhuizen led the Rams with six kills, but posted a -.067 hitting percentage in doing so.  She led the Rams with 11 digs also.  

The TexAnns held the Rams to a -.045 hitting percentage on the evening while out attacking the opposing team, 37 kills to 22.

The TexAnns will return to the court this weekend as the team will head to Wichita Falls to participate in the MSU Hampton Inn & Suites Invitational.  Tarleton will open the tournament against No. 4 Emporia State.  First serve is set for 1:30 p.m. at D.L. Ligon Coliseum.