CANYON – Career defensive performances from Adrianna Knutson and Michaela Rodriguez, paired with the seventh career 30-kill performance by Hailey Roberts, helped Tarleton turn back West Texas A&M in a five-set thriller at the Box Friday night.
 
Led by the seventh career 30-kill performance by Hailey Roberts, Tarleton jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the match with dominant wins (25-12, 25-19) before the Lady Buffs fought back to take the next two sets 26-24, 25-23 to force a Tarleton into its second five-set match of the season, but the reigning league champions would not be denied as the TexAnns took the final game 15-12 and the match 3-2 to improve to 10-2 on the season and 3-1 in Lone Star Conference play.
 
Roberts, Tarleton's two-time All-American, led the way for the TexAnns with 31 kills one a career high 81 swings. She became just the second TexAnn ever to top 80 swings in a single match, coming in two swings behind Jelena Miljanic's school record 83 attempts from November 6, 1999 against Angelo State.
 
The game opened in an 8-8 through the first 16 points of the match, but a kill from Autumn Taylor turned the tide for Tarleton in the opening match and started a run of seven straight TexAnn points to put Tarleton up 15-8. The TexAnns wouldn't stop there as they outscored the Lady Buffs 10-4 down the stretch to take an advantage in the match.
 
Tarleton hit .321 offensively in the opening set while the defense held West Texas A&M to a (-).071 hitting percentage.
 
The TexAnns would not slow down in the second set as a set-opening kill from Hailey Roberts started a 12-8 run to open the game. After West Texas pulled within one at 13-12, Roberts went on one of the best runs of her career with five consecutive kill shots to push the Tarleton lead back to 18-12. The teams split the final 14 points of the set with Roberts accounting for two straight Tarleton kills to cap off the Tarleton win 25-19.
 
After West Texas A&M edged out Tarleton in the third and fourth sets by two points each time to even the match at 2-2 and force the deciding fifth set.
 
The set opened in the favor of West Texas as the Lady Buffs scored four of the first five points to take a 4-1 lead, but an attack error by WT turned the tide and Tarleton never looked back. After the error made it 4-2, Rebecca Dauenhauer and Roberts combined for a block to spark an 11-4 Tarleton run to put the TexAnns up 13-8.
 
West Texas A&M pulled within one at 13-12 before Roberts landed her 31^st kill of the night to put Tarleton up 14-12 and force West Texas to take a timeout. Out of the break, Schlorff ended it right away with her career-high fourth service ace of the night.
 
Roberts added 14 digs to her offensive performance for her 10^th double-double of the season and the 49^th of her Tarleton career. Meanwhile, Jordyn Keamo, who dished out 58 assists of Tarleton's earned points, added a double-double of her own with 11 digs.
 
Tarleton got 47 digs from its two defensive specialists – both of which set career highs. Michaela Rodriguez set a personal best with 17 digs while Adrianna Knutson boasted the first 30-dig game of her career with 30 on the night. The TexAnn defense held West Texas A&M to an .086 hitting percentage for the match.
 
Hannah McManus also cracked double figures in kills as the sophomore middle landed 12 kills and blocked a team-high five shots.
 
The TexAnns will get on the road and head to Odessa for a 2 p.m. match Saturday afternoon against UT Permian Basin, who fell to No. 8 Angelo State Friday night in straight sets.