The Basics
Score: South Dakota State 2 – Oral Roberts 3
Records: SDSU (9-6, 1-3 SL) – ORU (10-3, 4-0 SL)
Box Score
Location: Cooper Aerobics Center (Tulsa, Okla.)
 
TULSA, Okla. – It took a spirited comeback effort, but the Oral Roberts volleyball picked up a five-set victory over South Dakota State Saturday (25-18, 19-25, 13-25, 25-15, 15-11) extending its Summit League win streak to four.
 
The Golden Eagles hit a blistering .536 in the opening set and took a 5-1 lead after an Aixa Vigil service ace. The Jackrabbits pushed back and moved in front, but three-straight points helped ORU to a 12-10 advantage. With the score tied 14-14, the strong serving of Sarah Thiessen aided a 5-0 run forcing SDSU into using both of its timeouts and the home side closed the set, 25-18, scoring three of the final four points on kills by Jeslyn Spencer, Bryanne Soares and Vigil.
 
The second set featured seven ties and five lead changes as neither team held a margin of more than two points until late when a 6-0 run by SDSU gave the visitors a 20-15 cushion. The Jackrabbits evened the match claiming the set, 25-19. Seven of the first eight points of set three went to SDSU before the Golden Eagles were able to fight back to make it an 8-5 score. SDSU held off each ORU run and forced attack errors to take the frame, 25-13.
 
ORU quickly erased the sour taste and came out firing in the fourth set turning to Sakira LaCour as the junior buried two swings and Soares dropped in a service ace for a 7-2 edge. Spencer added a kill for a 10-3 cushion and the Jackrabbits called their second timeout of the stanza. Three-straight points for the Golden Eagles stretched the margin to nine, 19-10, and pushed the match to a fifth set by winning, 25-15.
 
Facing a 3-1 deficit in the fifth, ORU slowly chipped away at the Jackrabbits and evened the score, 6-6, on a Spencer swing before moving ahead as Trinity Freeman found the floor. Three service errors by SDSU allowed the Golden Eagles to stay in front and kills from Vigil, Soares and Spencer secured their fourth-straight victory, 15-11.
 
Inside the Box Score

• ORU put away 16 kills on 28 swings to just one error in set one registering a .536 hitting percentage and hit above .400 in each of the final two sets for a .304 mark in the match.
• LaCour had kills on seven of her first eight swings through two sets and finished with 12 kills on 21 swings without an error posting a .571 hitting percentage. She also led ORU totaling five blocks.
• Vigil equaled LaCour offensively recording 12 kills and added 11 digs for a double-double. Spencer also reached double-digit kills chipping in 10, including four kills on four swings in the fourth frame.
• Soares tallied a match-best 41 set assists and 18 digs securing a double-double.
• ORU won its first four Summit League outings for the first time since 2017 and fifth time since 2000.

 
Up Next
The Golden Eagles hit the road for their next four matches starting with a mid-week clash Oct. 5 against the only other unbeaten team in league play, Omaha.
 
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