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STAFF WRITER
With one final regular season match remaining, the Eastern New Mexico volleyball team needed five sets to avoid a meltdown as they defeated the No. 10 Angelo State Rambelles 25-20, 27-25, 13-25, 25-27, 15-9 in Lone Star Conference action Friday night at Greyhound Arena.
It looked as though Eastern (18-11, 13-6 LSC) would cruise to its seventh-sweep of the season as the Hounds took the first two sets, but Angelo State started off the third set strong, blocking Eastern’s first two kill attempts and ending the Hounds’ momentum.
Angelo State (27-3, 17-2) finished with 15 total blocks.
“They’re a great team,” ENMU coach Sia Poyer said. “There’s a reason they are the No. 1 team in the conference. I think they’re No. 1 in almost every defensive category. Those blocks made us lose focus. Volleyball’s such a momentum game that we weren’t able to come back in that set.”
After allowing the Rambelles to tie the match at two sets apiece, the Hounds finally got their momentum back in the fifth set jumping out to a 5-1 lead and never looked back.
Lauren Frye paced the Hounds once again with 24 kills but she was far from the only player in double figures as Brooklyn Biel and Courtney Lawson finished with 13 and 12 kills, respectively. Lawson was one of two Hounds to finish with a double-double adding 18 digs to her stat line and Alexis Aguirre had 35 assists and 12 digs.
“Alexis sets Lauren,” Poyer said. “That’s why there’s such a big number in her assists. They’re a big part of what we do. Lauren does produce a large part of our kills but it’s a team effort. As good as Lauren is, Alexis has to put the ball in the right spot. Against a big blocking team like Angelo you have to set it almost perfect or you’re getting it blocked. The 15 blocks is normal for them.”
Tonight will be senior night as Eastern closes out its regular season against Tarleton State (23-5, 15-4), who also had a five-set match win against Western New Mexico on Friday. Poyer won’t be satisfied with just knocking off a top-10 team.
“This was the first time since I’ve been here that we beat a team in the Top 10,” Poyer said. “But we still have goals. We want to go to the NCAA Tournament. Our players are still working for that goal. I’m glad Tarleton won in five (sets) because we’ll both be a little tired. They (also) have to travel here.”