Point Lookout, MO – Following a strong 3-1 match win at home against JBU, the Lady Cats welcomed the Rams of Texas Wesleyan University to The K to kick off a two-match weekend. With a 7-3 record in their previous 10 games, they looked to continue their momentum. The Lady Cats had another opportunity to avenge an earlier loss in the season, as they did against JBU on Wednesday.

After the first point of set one went to the Rams, the Lady Cats got on the board immediately after, and a Bri Linehan kill gave the Lady Cats the early advantage, 2-1. After the Rams scored three straight, Kamryn Link ended their run with a kill as the Lady Cats trailed 3-4. A Bailey Chamberlain block kept the score close at 4-5, and after a Rams point, Bri Linehan recorded a kill, followed by a Brooklyn Crawford kill to tie up the set 6-6. Neither team was willing to give in as they exchanged points, with another Brooklyn Crawford kill putting the score at 7-7. The Rams, however, went on a 6-0 run as the Lady Cats used their first timeout down 7-13. The Lady Cats scored out of the timeout, but they were quickly answered by three straight Rams points. Grace Hancock ended the opponent’s momentum, and the Lady Cats looked to inch back into the set, now looking at a 9-17 deficit. A kill by Bri Linehan was met with two Rams points and the Lady Cats used their last timeout down 10-20. A Rams service error out of the timeout was followed by a Rams kill, and a Brooklyn Crawford kill put the score at 12-22.  Looking at set point, the Lady Cats put together four straight points to reduce their deficit to 16-24, as the Rams took their first timeout. The Rams recorded a kill to end the set, 25-16.

The Lady Cats looked to bounce back from set one, as Bailey Chamberlain recorded a kill to put them on the board. The teams exchanged points as an Abby Chadwell kill kept the set tied at 3-3. Three straight Lady Cat blocks posted by Abby Chadwell, Christa Duffel, and Brooklyn Crawford put the team up 6-3. The Rams responded with five straight to take the lead, 8-6.  Christa Duffel put an end to the run with a kill and Brooklyn Crawford added a kill to knot up the score 8-8. The Rams responded with three straight and the Lady Cats called a timeout, looking to stay in the set. Christa Duffel recorded a kill to put the Lady Cats within four, trailing 9-13. A Bri Linehan kill kept the Lady Cats within close, and trailing 10-14, Linehan followed it up with another kill. Bailey Chamberlain posted a block as the Lady Cats continued to cut into their deficit. Bri Linehan put up another kill, and after an attack error, the Lady Cats found themselves tied at 14-14. An Anna Howe ace added to the scoring streak and a Kamryn Link kill put an exclamation mark on the Lady Cats' 6-0 run, forcing the Rams to take their first timeout. A Bri Linehan kill had the Lady Cats up 18-16, and they looked to put the set away. The Rams, however, scored three straight to take the lead, 19-18, before a Rams service error tied the score. The Lady Cats fell behind 19-22 and took their last time out. Two straight Lady Cat points out of the timeout had them looking at a late comeback and a Jocee Pettyjohn ace tied the set, 22-22. A Rams rotation error and a Christa Duffel kill led to a Rams timeout as the Lady Cats were one point away from a set-two win. The Lady Cats did not give the Rams an ounce of hope out of the timeout, scoring immediately to win 25-22.

After going down 1-4 to start the third, Bri Linehan and Bailey Chamberlain recorded back-to-back kills to inch closer, but the Rams quickly responded. With the Lady Cats down 4-6, Brooklyn Crawford and Bri Linehan teamed up for a block, and a Rams attack error tied the score at 6-6. The Rams, however, put up three straight before Brooklyn Crawford put an end to the run with a kill. After an impressive rally, the Lady Cats had the set tied, 10-10 before the Rams put up two consecutive points. Grace Hancock recorded a kill to keep the Lady Cats within striking distance, but the Rams put together a scoring run to take the lead 16-11, forcing a Lady Cats timeout. A kill by Christa Duffel was met with a Rams kill and the Lady Cats found themselves in a 12-18 hole, looking to make another comeback. Bri Linehan recorded a kill that was quickly followed up by a Rams kill. The Lady Cats were down 14-21, but a Brooklyn Crawford kill and a Rams attack error inched the team closer. After two more points, the deficit was only three at 18-21. The Lady Cats called their last timeout down 18-22, looking to replicate their late set two heroics. A Brooklyn Crawford kill out of the timeout gave the Lady Cats some life, and the Lady Cats showed some strong defense in the following rally that ended with a Grace Hancock kill. A Rams ace ended set three, 25-20.

The Lady Cats needed to win two straight sets, but the Rams were first on the board with two points before a Bri Linehan kill started the Lady Cat offense. Early in the set, the Lady Cats were down 3-9, forcing their first timeout. Christa Duffel ended the Lady Cats' scoring drought with a kill, and they looked to cut into their 4-11 deficit. The Rams, however, put up five more to the Lady Cats one, and the Lady Cats took their final timeout of the set down 5-16. The Lady Cats were the first to score out of the timeout and a Kamryn Link ace tacked on another point. Now down 8-17, a block off the hands of Bri Linehan and Bailey Chamberlain and an Anna Howe ace crept them closer to their opponent’s lead. After a few Rams points, the Lady Cats were down 11-21. The Lady Cats scored three straight before the Rams could answer. A Brooklyn Crawford kill made the score 15-22, and the Lady Cats tacked on two more to cut their deficit to five. Christa Duffel recorded a kill but the Rams responded quickly and the Lady Cats were facing set point down 18-24. A Christa Duffel kill and a Bailey Chamberlain kill highlighted the Lady Cats’ two straight points but a Rams kill ended set four, 25-20. The Lady Cats lost the match, 1-3.

Bri Linehan, Christa Duffel, and Brooklyn Crawford led the offensive attack with 10, 8, and 8 kills, respectively. Kamryn Link and Maddie Michel both put up 16 assists. Mica Chadwell recorded 30 digs, and Anna Howe followed with 11.

The Lady Cats will return to The K on Saturday at 1 p.m. against Nelson University.