DALLAS, Texas �€" Despite jumping out to an early
1-0 lead, the Oral Roberts University volleyball team dropped its
season opener to Big 12 foe Texas Tech in four games (24-30, 30-26,
30-20, 30-25) in front of 214 in the first match of the SMU
Radisson Invitational.
ORU (0-1) took the early lead by hitting .351 in the match's first
game, totaling 16 kills with only 3 errors in 37 chances. The Red
Raiders (1-2) came right back in game two, hitting nearly .400 to
draw even at one game a piece.
The Golden Eagles saw their hold on the match completely slip away
in a pivotal game three as they hit a paltry .070 while Texas Tech
cruised to a 30-20 decision.
Junior outside hitter Ori Zuzic (Proec, Croatia)
led the ORU (0-1) attack, recording the year's first double-double
with a 19-kill, 10-dig performance. Zuzic, a 2004 first team
all-conference selection, hit .283 for the match as she committed
only six errors in 46 chances.
Freshman right-side hitter Jaqueline Oliveria
(Minas Gerais, Brazil), seeing action in her first collegiate
match, added 14 kills while junior middle Kim Snow
(DeKalb, Ill.) chipped in with 13.
Junior Cris Alves (Sao Caetano do Sul, Brazil),
who recently became the team's libero after spending two years as
an outside hitter, paced the Golden Eagle defense with 17 digs.
ORU is right back in action tonight at 7:00 p.m. when they take on
tournament host SMU.
--ORU--
