WINSTON-SALEM, NC – The Winston-Salem State Rams (16-11) took their first home loss of the season when the team took a four-set loss to the Belmont Abbey Crusaders (15-11), Friday evening. The Rams played well in spots, but faltered late to take their first home loss of the season, 24-26, 25-22, 23-25, and 16-25.

The Rams took the loss in spite of a solid overall offensive effort, but the team struggled to stop the Crusaders and had a sub-par fourth set to take the loss. As a team, the Rams totaled 37 kills in the match, but totaled just 13 kills in the final two sets, including just six fourth-set kills. WSSU sophomore outside hitter Mia Herrod led the way for the Rams with 10 kills in the match while junior right side hitter Jasmine Smith added eight kills. Freshman libero Mikayla Lytton added a team-high 21 digs in the match.

The first two sets of the match were a close, hard-fought affair with the two teams playing a pair of close sets. In the opening set, the Rams found themselves trailing, 4-7 before the team jumped ahead with a five-point rally to go ahead 9-7. The run included a Smith kill as well as a service ace from junior outside hitter Sydney Holland. From there, the two teams continued to battle until a Lytton service ace tied the set, 22-22. A kill from senior middle blocker Jocelyn Mills gave the Rams 24-23 lead, but the Rams allowed three straight points to the Crusaders to take the 24-26 opening set loss.

The second was just as tough for the two teams, but it was the Rams who came out on top, 25-22. The Rams jumped out early as a Herrod kill capped an 8-3 WSSU run to open the set. After holding the Crusaders off in a rally that cut the WSSU lead down to just two points, 9-7, the Rams regained control with three straight points, including a kill from Holland and a service ace from junior outside hitter Roselyn Mitchell. The Rams pushed their lead to as many as eight points, 18-10 after a kill from junior setter Mya Snow, but the Crusaders would battle back with a rally that cut the WSSU lead down to just one point, 22-21. After carrying their one-point lead to 23-22, the Rams got back-to-back kills from Smith and Herrod to take the 25022 second set victory and tied the set score at 1-1.  

The third set was thrilling, but unfortunately, the Rams did not come out on top as an early lead fell short in the third set loss. Things looked good for the Rams early as the team jumped out to a 7-1 lead. Things got tough for the Rams after a Mills kill left the Rams on top, 11-5. It was then that the Crusaders mounted a 6-1 run that cut the WSSU lead down to just one point, 12-11. After a Holland kill gave the Rams a two-point cushion, 13-11, the Rams allowed Belmont Abbey to score four straight points to fall behind, 15-13. The Rams would not go down easily, however with the team answering with a three-point rally of their own that included a kills from Herrod and Smith that put WSSU back on top, 16-15. After falling behind, 22-23, a block from sophomore middle blocker Christa Brown was the only score that the Rams could muster in the remainder of the set as the team fell, 25-23.

There was not much left for the Rams as the team struggled for much of the fourth and final set. The team's struggles began early and often as the Rams allowed Belmont Abbey to go score 11 unanswered points to fall behind 0-11. The Rams were able to show some life during the set when the team scored five straight points, including three Herrod kills. The effort cut the WSSU deficit down to just seven points, 10-17. The Rams would get no closer as Belmont Abbey closed out the set and the Rams ended the night with the 25-16 loss.

The Rams will return to action, Monday evening when the team hosts the Shaw Lady Bears in a key Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Southern Division match at 7:00 p.m.

For more information on Rams volleyball, contact the WSSU Office of Athletic Media Relations at (33^) 750-2143 or log on to www.WSSURams.com.