WINSTON-SALEM, NC – The Winston-Salem State Rams (5-4, 2-0 CIAA) had their second straight impressive performance of the day when the team took a three-set win over the Virginia Union Panthers (3-4, 1-1 CIAA), Saturday evening. The win marked the second three-set of the day at the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Volleyball Round-Up as the Rams took the win, 25-14, 25-16, and 25-20.

As a team, the Rams had an impressive overall performance with 37 kills in the match while holding the Panthers to just 26 kills. WSSU senior right side hitter Olivia Owens led the way with 12 kills with just one attack error in the match while junior outside hitter Teynia Sheperd added 11 kills along with five digs. Sophomore libero Michelle Murray-Garcia added a team-high 11 digs while sophomore setter Jasmine Smith recorded 31 assists.

The Rams took the win behind some dominating performances in all three sets of the match. The opening set was the most impressive for the Rams as the team won 25-14. The teams most impressive run came in the middle of the set when the Rams mounted a 6-1 run that gave them a 20-10 lead. From there, the Rams cruised to the win behind a 5-4 run that sealed the match. The second set saw more of the same with the Rams taking a 22-14 lead after mounting a 5-1 run. The Rams cruised to the victory, allowing just two more points to the Panthers while going on a 3-1 run. The toughest set of the match came in the finale. After battling to a 9-9 tie, the Rams took control of the set with a 7-2 run that included five straight WSSU points and left the Rams on top, 16-11. The Rams kept their five-point cushion until the final points of the match. When Virginia Union cut the WSSU lead down to just three points 23-20. However, the Rams would not relent as they sealed the match victory with a 25-20 final score.

With the win, the Rams improve to 2-0 in CIAA play and 5-4 overall. The team will close out the tournament when they take on Bowie State in a 12:00 p.m. match at Whitaker Gymnasium on the campus of Winston-Salem State University. 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.