The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 3 – St. Thomas 0
Records: ORU (11-5, 5-2 SL) – UST (2-16, 1-7 SL)
Box Score
Location: Schoenecker Arena (St. Paul, Minn.)
 
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Sakira LaCour could not be stopped as she led the Oral Roberts volleyball team to a sweep at St. Thomas (25-17, 25-19, 25-15) Thursday night at Schoenecker Arena. The junior put away 15 kills on just 20 swings as the Golden Eagles defeated the Tommies in the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
 
Rami Mose promptly put away the opening point and the visitors jumped to a 3-1 lead then capitalized on a 6-1 run that stretched its lead and forced a UST timeout. The break did not stop the momentum as the next five points went to the Golden Eagles for a 15-4 lead behind kills from Bryanne Soares, Jeslyn Spencer and Sakira LaCour as they closed the set, 25-17.
 
ORU quickly scored three-straight points for a 5-2 cushion, but the middle of the frame was the LaCour show. The junior buried all four points of a 4-2 burst that built a 14-9 edge and she reached double-digit kills on just 14 swings overall. Back-to-back kills from Jaxie Wakley followed by a Tommie error gave the Golden Eagles a 20-14 advantage and the visitors secured the stanza, 25-19, scoring four of the final five points.
 
The Golden Eagles wasted no time taking command of the third set pushing out to an 11-4 lead thanks to consecutive swings by Trinity Freeman and Wakley. The margin swelled to nine, 17-8, as LaCour and Vigil combined for a block and LaCour added another kill. ORU continued to dominate the set and cruised to the win, 25-15, leading by as many as 12 points in the final frame.
 
Inside the Box Score

• LaCour excelled the entire night starting with four kills on seven swings in the opening set then exploded for eight kills in the second on 10 attempts. She finished with 15 kills and an incredible .750 hitting percentage.
• Freeman added a 10-kill, 10-dig double-double to go with four block assists. It was her first collegiate double-double performance.
• ORU controlled the net totaling nine blocks to three by the Tommies getting one solo block and five block assists from Wakley.
• Soares tallied 33 set assists and six digs, while Sylvia Lawson added four assists in the third set.
• Sarah Thiessen ended with a match-high 16 digs to lead the Golden Eagles defensively.

 
Up Next
ORU ends a four-match road stretch facing the Fighting Leathernecks of Western Illinois Saturday at 6 p.m.
 
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