PORTALES, N.M. – The Eastern New Mexico University volleyball team picked up its third-straight 3-0 (25-17, 26-24, 25-16) sweep, knocking off Midwestern State in Wichita Falls, Texas on Friday evening. The win gives the Greyhounds a 13-10 record on the season and an 8-5 mark in conference play. With 13 victories on the season, Eastern has matched the total set each of the last two seasons.
"Tonight was probably our best performance on the road this season," ENMU Head Coach Sia Poyer said. "We served really aggressively and kept them out of system. We had a nice comeback in the second set, the third game in a row that we've done that so I think it shows we're improving and our confidence level is slowly on the rise. The bottom line is that it was a win and I'm happy for my kids."
Senior Lauren Frye continued her tear against Lone Star Conference opponents, recording 16 kills and a .483 attack percentage. Brooklyn Biel and Talaitupu Faumui anchored the defense, combining for seven blocks while Andrea Aguilar notched 17 digs in the win. Alexis Aguirre and Kaitlyn Kluna dished out 24 and 14 assists, respectively.
Eastern raced out to an early lead with a 10-2 run after being tied with the Mustangs 4-4 in the first set. Courtney Lawson and Kluna each picked up an ace during the run while MSU committed a trio of errors to help the Greyhounds build a commanding lead. The Green and Silver closed the set with a 6-2 run to take a 1-0 lead in the match.
The Greyhounds overcame an 18-13 deficit in the second set with a 6-1 run to tie the frame at 19. Much like the first set, ENMU closed out the second strong with a 5-1 run. Jennifer Martinez and Frye recorded back-to-back kills to give Eastern a 2-0 lead going to the intermission.
Tied at 10 in the third set, Eastern strung together another big 7-1 run to seemingly put the match out of reach. Biel went 5-for-8 on swings while Frye and freshman Sarah Tuioti-Mariner added six and four kills, respectively.
The Greyhounds return to the court on Saturday, Oct. 29 when they travel to Cameron. First serve is slated for 1 p.m. in Lawton, Okla. For the latest news, follow @ENMUAthletics on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and visit goeasternathletics.com.
