TULSA,
Okla. - The Oral Roberts University volleyball team proved
victorious in a battle of Mid-Con unbeatens Saturday night, as they
topped Western Illinois 3-1 (30-26, 27-30, 30-13, 30-19) to claim
sole possession of the league?€™s top spot.
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The Golden
Eagles also ran their unbeaten streak to 15 matches, including
their first 10 this season at the Aerobics Center.
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Ori
Zuzic (Porec, Croatia) registered a match-high 20 kills
for ORU, while adding seven digs, five service aces, and three
blocks. Jackie Oliveira (Minas Gerais, Brazil)
added 17 kills and hit .433, and Kim Snow (DeKalb,
Ill.) chipped in with 14 markers and six blocks.
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After splitting
the match?€™s first two games, the Golden Eagles used a
9-0 run midway through game three to take control of the match.
That spurt gave them a 17-6 lead, and Western Illinois (9-11, 5-1)
got no closer than eight points the rest of the way as the home
squad cruised to a 30-13 game three win.
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ORU hit .514 as
a team in game four, totaling 19 kills with just one error in 35
attempts.
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The two teams
battle back and forth through the early stages of game four before
a pair of Zuzic kills sparked an 11-3 run, giving the Golden Eagles
some breathing room with a 19-12 advantage. A quick 5-0 spurt would
later give them their largest lead at 26-14 as ORU then settled in
for the 30-19 game four victory.
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Cris
Alves (Sao Caetano, Brazil) led the defensive attack with
a match-high 33 digs while Carol Garbato (Sao
Paulo, Brazil) and Brittany Arnold (Tulsa, Okla.)
combined for another 19 picks.
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Thais
Parada (Sao Paulo, Brazil) flirted with a triple-double
most of the night before finishing the match with eight kills, 54
assists, and seven digs.
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The Golden
Eagles now hit the road for a three game swing, beginning with a
Wednesday night match at Wisconsin-Milwaukee.?
They will also visit Chicago State and IUPUI over the weekend
before heading
back to Tulsa.
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-ORU-
