The Basics
Oral Roberts (0-0) at Missouri State (2-0)
Date/Time: Friday, January 22, 2021 / 5 p.m.

Oral Roberts (0-0) vs. Wichita State (0-0)
Date/Time: Saturday, January 23, 2021 / 12 p.m.
Location: Hammons Student Center / Springfield, Mo.
Live Video: None
Live Stats: MSU Athletics
#ORUVB Notes

TULSA, Okla. – The time has finally arrived for Oral Roberts volleyball to begin competition as it heads to Springfield, Missouri, for the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational hosted by Missouri State Jan. 22-23.
 
Head Coach Frank Craig III leads the Golden Eagles for the first time after taking over the program last March and the squad is prepared to face the host Bears Friday in their season opener at 5 p.m. before closing the weekend against Wichita State at noon Saturday.
 
OPENING SERVE
•ORU begins the shortened 2020 campaign season with the team's only two non-conference tests at the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational before the 16-game league slate begins Jan. 31. The team was predicted to finish seventh in The Summit League standings following a quarterfinal exit at last year's conference championships.
 
•The Golden Eagles will have to replace more than 85 percent of their kills from the 2019 campaign losing five players that totaled more than 100 kills a season ago.
 
•All-Summit League First Team selection CeCe Madison graduated with her team-leading 481 kills and will provide a spot for a new threat to emerge.
 
•Setter Sylvia Lawson is the top returner for ORU in assists and kills as the redshirt sophomore had a great start to her collegiate career posting 1,127 set assists and 88 kills.
 
•Libero Sarah Thiessen ranked fourth in The Summit League a season ago in digs (445) and digs per set (4.20). She was named a Player to Watch in the league's preseason coaches' poll along with middle blocker Sakira LaCour.
 
•Missouri State played twice during the fall taking down Little Rock and Central Arkansas. The Bears were selected to finish fifth in the Missouri Valley Conference this spring.
 
•Wichita State makes its 2020 debut this weekend after being picked to finish fourth in the American Athletic Conference West Division.
 
•Head Coach Frank Craig III added six players in his first recruiting class with the Golden Eagles as four freshmen and two junior college transfers joined the program. Kaia Dunford (Waimanalo, Hawaii), Chloe Salcedo (Garland, Texas), Bryanne Soares (Kapolei, Hawaii) and Jaxie Wakley (Broken Arrow, Oklahoma) enter the collegiate ranks for the first time. Rami Mose (Compton, California) and Aixa Vigil (Surquillo, Peru) made the move to ORU after starting in junior college.
 
For the latest information on ORU Volleyball, follow the Golden Eagles on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, or go to www.ORUAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on the team by downloading the ORU Athletics app from the App Store or Google Play Store.