STEPHENVILLE – For the second time in three games, Tarleton played a first-place opponent in the Lone Star Conference.
 
The TexAnns defeated Texas Woman's 3-1 on Oct. 16 when the teams were in a three-way tie with Angelo State. Tonight, Tarleton took on Angelo State and defeated the Rambelles 3-1 in a thriller in front of a sold out crowd at Wisdom Gym to take over sole possession of first place in the Lone Star Conference.
 
Since Tarleton's loss to Angelo State on Sept. 16, the TexAnns have gone over a month without a loss, running its winning streak to 11 in a row and moved them to 19-3 overall and 9-1 in the LSC. The TexAnns are also 10-0 at home and have won 30 of the 34 sets at Wisdom Gym.
 
Tarleton went on an 8-1 run in the opening set after trailing 4-5 and never fell behind again en route to a 25-23 set win. During the run, Kelsey Raglin provided a pair of kills and an ace and finished the set with five kills. Angelo State tied the score at 23 and Hailey Roberts delivered with the go-ahead kill that led to the set win on a Rambelle attack error for the final point. The TexAnns held Angelo State to a -.028 hitting percentage in the opener.
 
The second set featured 17 ties and seven lead changes that Angelo State ultimately won 26-28 to even the match at 1-1. Tarleton jumped out to a 7-2 lead but the Rambelles made it a 7-6 game and the two teams would exchange points in a one-point game until Tarleton jumped ahead by two at 18-16. Tarleton led 26-25 but couldn't capitalize.
 
The TexAnns hit under .150 for the first two sets, but shaped back into form for the third set with a hitting percentage of .289 and pulling off a wild 28-26 win to take a 2-1 lead in the match. Tarleton led throughout the set until Angelo State tied the score at 20. The Rambelles led 22-23 but Roberts followed with a kill to tie the game at 23 and Meg Umbel blocked Angelo State's next attack that gave Tarleton the lead. Facing the set point, Roberts put the set away with one of her seven kills on the set.
 
Tarleton saved its best performance of the match for the end, defeating Angelo State 25-19 while hitting a game-high .310 percent and holding the Rambells to a .194 hitting percentage. Trailing 6-8, Tarleton went on a 9-0 run to take a commanding 15-8 lead. During the run, Alexander had a pair of kills and two huge blocks. With the sold out crowd at Wisdom Gym on its feet, Roberts put an end to the Rambelle's night with back-to-back kills to win the match.
 
Roberts, who leads the nation in kills, posted a double-double with a game-high 24 kills and 12 digs. The TexAnns had three players record double-doubles with Kenya Alexander's 12 kills and game-high 10 blocks followed by Chandler Gow's 49 assists and 11 digs. Gow assisted on 49 of the 59 kills for Tarleton.
 
Xzache Mathis was the third TexAnn to post double-digit kills as she finished with 11. Kelsey Raglin followed with six kills, nine digs and three blocks. Meg Umbel had a pair of kills and four blocks. Ayssa Garcia led with 14 digs and Adrianna Knutson led with two aces and added six digs.
 
Tarleton will head to Wichita, Kansas on Saturday, Oct. 24 for two non-conference games against Lubbock Christian and Newman.