WINSTON-SALEM, NC – The Winston-Salem State Lady Rams (10-7, 10-2 CIAA) and the Fayetteville State Lady Broncos (11-5, 10-2 CIAA) had a match for the ages, Monday evening as the Lady Rams staged a thrilling fifth-set comeback to win in a clash of Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) titans. After a pair of impressive 25-18 wins in the first two sets of the match, the Lady Rams dropped back-to-back sets, 15-25 and 19-25. However, in the fifth set, the team dug deep to rally from a nine-point fifth-set deficit to take the emotional win. 

The match fit the bill with two of the top teams from the CIAA met. The Lady Rams and the Lady Broncos have a combined 20-4 record in conference play and matching 5-1 records in the CIAA Southern Division. In the match, the two teams combined for 83 kills, 40 blocks, and 19 service aces. As a team, the Lady Rams totaled 49 kills, but were hampered by 36 attack errors. WSSU freshman outside hitter Sydney Holland led the way for the Lady Rams with 16 kills while fellow freshman Jasmine Smith added a double-double with 10 kills and 14 digs. Freshman middle blocker Missy Fannin also added eight total blocks (two solo) in the match as well.

The Lady Rams cruised early in the match as the team amassed big leads in both of the opening sets. The team took control late in the first set after battling to a 17-17 tie. The Lady Rams went on to close out the set with an 8-1 run that gave the team its opening set victory. The momentum carried over into the second set as the Lady Rams jumped out to an early 11-5 lead. The team would push its lead to as many as seven points, 14-7 before Fayetteville State charged back into the set. The Lady Rams' lead would get whittled down to as few as five points, but the Lady Rams would not relent as back-to-back kills from Fannin and Smith closed out the 25-18 set victory.

Things got dramatic in the third set when Fayetteville State jumped out to a big 9-2 lead. The Lady Rams would work their way back into the set with four straight points to pull with four points of the Lady Broncos, 9-13. However, the Lady Rams would never get back into the set and ended with the 15-25 set loss. The fourth set looked like more of the same with the Lady Rams falling behind, 1-6. The team soon woke up, however, when they cut their deficit down to two points, 5-7. The Lady Rams would keep the set within reach, 15-17 until an 8-4 run by the Lady Broncos closed out the set. 

The final set of the match was an emotional one with neither team backing down. Things looked bleak  early for the Lady Rams as the team struggled to a 1-10 deficit to open the set. After a WSSU timeout, the Lady Rams staged a furious rally, cutting their deficit from nine points down to just two points with an 8-1 run and pulling the score to 9-11. The Lady Rams would not give in as they tied the match 13-13 after an FSU attack error. The tie turned out to be just the beginning as the two teams battled for every point from there on. After a furious back and forth series with neither team managing to claim the set, a Smith kill gave the Lady Rams a 26-25 lead. From there, Holland was able to close out the match with a kill that gave the Lady Rams the 27-25 victory.

With the win, the Lady Rams improve to 10-2 in the CIAA and tie the Lady Broncos at 5-1 in the CIAA Southern Division. Both teams currently hold the second best conference record with Chowan holding an 11-2 record. The Lady Rams will return to action, Wednesday evening when they host the Bluefield State Blues in a 7:00 p.m. match. For more information on Lady Rams volleyball, contact the WSSU Office of Athletic Media Relations at (336) 750-2143 or log on to www.WSSURams.com.