FAYETTEVILLE, NC – The Winston-Salem State Lady Rams (15-15) had no answer for the Chowan Hawks (26-5), Saturday when the team took a tough three-set loss in the semifinal round of the 2014 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Volleyball Championship Tournament. The Lady Rams gave a solid effort in the match, but the team could not find an answer for the high-powered Hawks and they fell 24-26, 17-25, and 21-25.

As a team, the Lady Rams had a strong offensive showing with 33 kills and just 18 attack errors, but the team's defense could not say the same. Junior right side hitter Olivia Owens led the attack with 14 kills and two total blocks (none solo). However, she was the only Lady Ram to reach double-digit kills in the match. Senior setter Kayla Brass added 21 assists as well. Defensively, the Lady Rams struggled as they allowed 50 kills to the Hawks and totaled 18 blocks (two solo). Freshman outside hitter Jasmine Smith added 14 digs in the match while freshman libero Haley Miller recorded nine digs.

The Lady Rams played well in spots, but could not overcome some droughts throughout the entire match. The team's struggles began early in the opening set as the Lady Rams fell into an early 6-12 deficit. The team was able to spark a late rally when they went on a 5-2 run that tied the set, 20-20 and erased the deficit. From there, the two teams would battle their way to a 24-24 tie before back-to-back Hawk kills ended the set for the Lady Rams, 24-26.

Things got especially tough for the Lady Rams in the second set when a strong start gave way to a costly drought. The Lady Rams played their way to a 10-10 tie with the Hawks before falling behind, 13-18. The team was able to rally  and pulled to within three points of the Hawks, 16-19 before a 6-1 Hawks run closed out the set for the Lady Rams. The team struggled throughout the run as their sole point came from a Chowan attack error.

Though challenged, the Lady Rams made a strong effort to fight back in the third set and attempted to stage their second straight rally from a two-set deficit, but the effort was not enough. The team kept the match within reach as they tied the Hawks 10-10 before allowing five straight points. From there, the Lady  Rams continued to chip away at their deficit as a kill by freshman outside hitter Sydney Holland capped a late run by the Lady Rams and cut the WSSU deficit down to two points, 20-22. However, another late drought stopped the Lady Rams in their tracks as the team allowed a 3-1 run that once again saw a Hawk attack error be the sole score of the run to end the match.

With the loss, the Lady Rams complete the 2014 season with a 15-15 record and their fourth straight trip to the CIAA semifinals. 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.