CONCORD, WV – The Winston-Salem State Rams (15-9) could not find the offensive answers when the team took a hard-fought four-set loss to the West Virginia Wesleyan Bobcats (7-17), Saturday morning. A second set win was as much as the Rams could muster as the team fell, 21-25, 25-21, 14-25, and 16-25.

The Rams struggled to put points on the scoreboard in the loss, but there was no shortage of effort by the team. The Rams totaled 37 kills in the match while allowing the Bobcats to rack up 50 kills. WSSU sophomore middle blocker Christa Brown led the way for the Rams with eight kills in the match. Fellow sophomore outside hitter Mia Herrod added eight kills of her own. Defensively, senior outside hitter Teynia Shepherd led the way for the Rams with 13 digs and four total blocks (none solo). Freshman libero Mikayla Lytton added 16 digs as well.

The opening set was an entertaining affair as the Rams fell behind early, but the team staged a late rally that fell short. The set was close early as the Rams and the Bobcats played to a 6-6 tie to start open the match. Later in the set, the Rams fell behind by as many as six points, 17-23 before the team staged a four-point rally that included three kills by Herrod and one by senior middle blocker Jocelyn Mills that pulled the Rams to within two points, 21-23. However, the Rams allowed back-to-back scores by the Bobcats to seal the loss.

The second set saw a much better effort by the Rams. After playing to a 9-9 tie to open the set, the Rams would claim their first lead of the match when a Bobcat attack error put the Rams on top, 18-17. The score came in the midst of a six-point WSSU run that included two kills each from Brown and Herrod. Once in the lead, the Rams never looked back as a service ace from junior outside hitter Sydney Holland and a block by Mills and junior setter Jasmine Smith closed out the set and gave the Rams the 25-21 win to tie the match at 1-1.

The momentum swung the other way in the third set of the match in a big way. The Rams opened the set on a down note as the Rams allowed 10 unanswered points to the Bobcats to fall behind 0-10. The Rams opened things up as they mounted a 5-1 run that included a kill from Brown and Shepherd that pulled the Rams to within six points, 5-11. After falling behind, 12-17, the Rams allowed an 8-2 run by the Bobcats to take the 14-25 loss.

The final set was another tough one for the Rams with West Virginia Wesleyan pulling away late to give the Rams their second loss of the day. The Rams had a solid effort to open the set as the team took a 9-8 lead on a kill from Brown to open the set. Things got tough for the Rams as the team allowed a 7-1 run to the Bobcats to fall behind 10-15. The Rams would keep their deficit at five points, 14-19 before the Bobcats scored five straight points to go ahead 24-14. A Mills block would end the drought for the Rams while the Rams benefitted from another Bobcat attack error. However, the match was ended when the Rams allowed a final kill from the Bobcats to take the loss.

With the loss, the Rams fall to 15-9 on the season. The team won't have long to wait before their next action as the team would go on to take on the host Concord Mountain Lions later in the day. For more information on Rams volleyball, contact the WSSU Office of Athletic Media Relations at (336) 750-2143 or log on towww.WSSURams.com.