TAYLOR SETS RECORD:

LEADS RAMS OVER PIONEERS
October 7, 2005

FORT WORTH, TX:  Susan Taylor, a senior on the Texas Wesleyan University volleyball team, made a little history on Friday.  The Lady Rams (13-3) defeated Wayland Baptist University (6-14) 3-0 with scores of 30-26, 30-26, and 30-16.  Taylor’s 23 digs in the contest gave her the school’s career record with 1,799 digs.

The Pioneers pressured the Rams early on.  In game one, the Rams jumped out to a 9-4 lead, but the Pioneers gained momentum with an extended point to bring the score to 17-15.  Wayland Baptist would later tie the score at 23, but the Rams pushed ahead and took the 30-26 win thanks in large part to 12 digs from Taylor.

Game two was close throughout.  The Ram’s maintained their largest lead of the game at 23-19.  The Pioneers kept the pressure on at 27-26, but Texas Wesleyan responded, and closed the game out with three consecutive points.

That game two win seemed to take the wind out of Wayland Baptist.  The Lady Rams opened the game with 8 unanswered points, led by as many as 15 and cruised to the 30-16 win.

“Sue kept us in this match in the first two games,” said Head Coach Rick Johansen.  “We have not practiced well lately, and I was a little worried about this match.  Without her digging those balls it might have been different.”

Johansen went on to say, “Sue is the best defensive player that I have ever coached.  She is just very intense, and this is about the third match that she has kept us alive on her own.”

Taylor broke Carmen Biel’s (1994-96) school record of 1,789 career digs.  There was a pause in the action during game two to recognize her accomplishment, and the game-ball was given to her following the contest.

The Lady Rams return to action on Tuesday when they travel to Waxahachie, TX, to take on Mid-America Nazarene and Southwest Assemblies of God.  Those matches are scheduled to begin at 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.  The match with UT-Brownsville scheduled for Saturday has been canceled.