PORTALES, NM – Saturday night Tarleton did what no other team in the Lone Star Conference managed to do this season – make the grueling western road trip to Silver City and Portales, New Mexico and come away with two victories.
 
The TexAnns, who battled back from a 0-2 deficit to take care of Western New Mexico in five sets last night, kept the good times rolling with a sweep of Eastern New Mexico in Portales Saturday. The Greyhounds entered the match having won eight in a row at home this season, including a win over Angelo State last night.
 
Tarleton also handed the Greyhounds their first home sweep since October 31, 2015.
 
The match opened up in an even fashion as the Greyhounds held a slim 16-14 lead through the opening 30 points. Hailey Roberts' first kill of the night came on the 31^st point of the match to cut the Eastern lead down to one and force the Hounds into a timeout.
 
Out of the break, the TexAnns kept rolling.
 
Michaela Rodriguez served up eight more points in a row, including a pair of aces, to build the Tarleton lead to 23-16. Eastern was able to tip-toe its way to 20 points in the set, but kills from Abby Mackey and Elizabeth Muliaga put the set away at 25-20.
 
Tarleton kept its momentum in the second set and jumped out to a 14-12 lead before taking a timeout. Out of the break, Eastern scored to cut the Tarleton lead to one before a service error on the ensuing possession started the decisive run for Tarleton. The TexAnns scored seven unanswered points to extend their lead to 21-13. Tarleton eventually put the set away at 25-16 on an Eastern attack error.
 
Eastern New Mexico came out swinging in the third set to the tune of a 6-4 lead early on, but Tarleton answered with a 13-6 run to force the Hounds into a timeout at 17-12. The TexAnns maintained their lead up to 23-21 before taking the final timeout of the match. Out of the break, Eastern New Mexico made two attack errors to deliver a Tarleton victory.
 
The TexAnns improve to 24-5 on the year and 16-4 in Lone Star Conference play. It's the third straight season that Tarleton has won at least 24 games in a season.
 
Roberts was the only TexAnn to crack double digits in the kill column as the junior landed 11 to go along with 11 digs for her second double-double of the road trip. Jordyn Keamo led the team with 16 assists while Chandler Gow passed out 11 off the Tarleton bench. Hannah McManus also added nine blocks up front.
 
The TexAnns earned the No. 2 seed in next week's Lone Star Conference Championship Tournament in San Angelo. Action begins Thursday afternoon in the Junell Center and Tarleton will play the second game of the quarterfinal round with a 2:30 p.m. showdown against Western New Mexico.
 
The winner of the championship tournament receives an automatic bid into the NCAA playoffs. Tarleton is currently ranked No. 3 in the South Central Regional Rankings, which ranks the region's top eight teams for potential placement in the national playoffs.