RALEIGH, NC – The Winston-Salem State Rams (17-6, 13-1 CIAA) took one of their biggest wins of the season, Monday evening when the team took a three-set road win over the Shaw Bears (17-10, 10-4 CIAA). With the win, the Rams take sole possession of first place in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Southern Division. With the win, the Rams improve to 7-1 in the CIAA Southern Division while the Bears and Fayetteville State both sit with two division losses each. 

The match was a hard-fought affair with both teams playing hard, but in the end, the Rams finished the night with the victory, 25-23, 25-16, and 25-14.

The Rams took the win behind a great effort on both sides of the ball as they recorded 33 total team kills while taking advantage of 23 Shaw attack errors in the match. The Rams also benefitted from a stellar service effort with nine service aces in the match as well. Junior outside hitter Teynia Shepherd led the way for the Rams with eight kills in the match. Junior middle blocker Jocelyn Mills added seven kills with a block (none solo).

The first set was the toughest for the Rams, but in the end, the team was able to rally to take the victory. Things looked tough for the Rams early as the team fell behind 8-13 before kicking things into gear. It was an 8-3 run by the Rams that left the match tied, 16-16. After taking control of the set when a Shepherd service ace gave the Rams a 20-19 lead, the Rams ran away with the victory with a 5-3 run to take the win.

The final two sets of the match weren't as dramatic as the Rams took control of each of the final two sets and never looked back in either one. The Rams took control of the set from the beginning with a 7-1 run. Shaw would soon answer with a three-point run that left WSSU on top, 16-10. After only allowing five more points to the Bears, the Rams took the win with a late 4-1 run that gave the team its 25-16 win.

The third set was very similar to the second as the Rams once again took control of the set early and never looked back. The Rams took control of the set early when the team opened on a 9-2 lead that soon ballooned to a 17-8 lead. From there, the Rams fended off a late Shaw rally effort with back-to-back scores that left the Rams ahead 24-24, but a Shaw attack error ended the match and sealed the WSSU victory.

The win was the sixth in a row for the Rams over the last week. After the week, the Rams will get a brief reprieve before returning to action, Saturday at Belmont Abbey. For more information on Rams volleyball, contact the WSSU Office of Athletic Media Relations at (336) 750-2143 or log on to www.WSSURams.com.