August 29, 2025
Waxahachie, TX – The No. 21 Nelson University Lady Lions returned to the Sheaffer Center for their 2025 home opener, welcoming a packed house for Day 1 of the Texas Two Step Tournament. The Lions delivered a thrilling five-set victory in their first match before falling in a Top-25 showdown under the lights.
Game One – Nelson 3, Texas A&M–Texarkana 2
The home opener lived up to every ounce of anticipation, as Nelson battled the Eagles in a back-and-forth clash that went the distance. The Lady Lions came out swinging, taking the first two sets behind powerful offensive runs and the steady hands of setter Cassidy Hargesheimer, who dished out 22 assists in the match.
Texarkana stormed back to force a decisive fifth set, but the Lions rose to the moment. With the home crowd roaring, Nelson outlasted the Eagles 15–11 in the final frame to secure a gritty 3–2 win (25–21, 25–21, 20–25, 15–25, 15–11).
Game Two – No. 11 McPherson 3, Nelson 0
The nightcap featured a national Top-25 clash as Nelson squared off against No. 11 McPherson College. Fueled by the energy of a raucous crowd, and highlighted by the return of Nelson volleyball alum and legend Tessa Glick the Lady Lions left everything on the floor in a battle of long rallies and momentum swings.
Despite the fight, Nelson couldn't string together the finishing points to swing the momentum, falling 0–3 (17–25, 21–25, 22–25).
Key Stats (Day 1 Combined)
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Moore: 24 kills across two matches
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Smith: 20 kills on the day
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Hargesheimer: 39 assists across the doubleheader
Next Up
The Lady Lions return to the Sheaffer Center on Saturday, Aug. 30, to close out the Texas Two Step with another pair of marquee matchups:
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10:00 AM – vs. Kansas Wesleyan University
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2:00 PM – vs. Evangel University (Mo.)
Nelson University (formerly SAGU) is a private Christian university, established in 1927 by P.C. Nelson. The University is located 30 minutes south of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Waxahachie, Texas, and offers more than 70 associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees on campus or online. For more information, visit www.nelson.edu or by calling 1-888-YES-NELSON.
