The Basics
Score: North Dakota State 1 – Oral Roberts 3
Records: NDSU (9-13, 3-7 SL) – ORU (13-5, 7-2 SL)
Box Score
Location: Cooper Aerobics Center (Tulsa, Okla.)
TULSA, Okla. – It was a freshman and a senior leading the charge for the Oral Roberts volleyball team in a four-set victory over North Dakota State (25-20, 24-26, 25-18, 25-19) from the Cooper Aerobics Center Thursday night.
Freshman
Trinity Freeman and senior
Aixa Vigil combined for 32 of the Golden Eagles' 57 kills totaling 17 and 15, respectively, to remain a perfect 3-0 at home this season and stay one game out of first place in The Summit League standings.
ORU got off to a quick start shutting down the NDSU attack and held the Bison to a .000 hitting percentage in the first set. A 6-0 run behind the strong serving of
Sarah Thiessen gave the Golden Eagles an 18-11 cushion that caused the visitors to call a timeout. The margin swelled to nine, 21-12, as the home side forced back-to-back attack errors, but NDSU battled back to close the gap to four before ORU closed the set, 25-20, on a deft-touch kill by Vigil.
The Golden Eagles jumped to a 3-1 advantage in the second stanza and pushed to a 15-10 lead following three-straight Bison errors. After a timeout, NDSU scored six of the next seven points to even the score, 16-16, and erased a two-point deficit after its second timeout moving in front of ORU, 23-22. The Golden Eagles had a chance to finish off a second-set win only to see the Bison rally for the final three points to steal the frame, 26-24.
It was the serving of Thiessen again that pulled ORU from an early hole in the third set to take a 7-3 lead as the redshirt senior dropped in two more aces. The Golden Eagles used a 4-0 burst to break an 8-8 tie and needed another 3-0 run after NDSU fought back to even the set, 13-13. Started by a kill from Vigil, the rest of the stanza belonged to ORU as
Jeslyn Spencer tallied three-consecutive kills during a 5-0 stretch helping secure the set, 25-18.
ORU led from start to finish in the fourth frame and capitalized on four NDSU errors building an 11-4 lead after scoring six-straight points. The Golden Eagles shut off any chance for a Bison comeback as the home crowd surged late and the final three points went to ORU completing the win, 25-19.
Inside the Box Score
- In the third set, sophomore setter Bryanne Soares recorded the 1,000th set assist of her ORU career and continued the historic night behind a 50-assist, 13-dig double-double. It was the second time in her tenure to register 50 or more set assists in a match.
- Fresh off her career-best 19 kills last Saturday, Freeman again led the Golden Eagles putting away 17 kills. She shined in the final set burying six swings on nine attempts helping secure the season sweep of the Bison.
- Vigil was at her best all night and finished with 15 kills and a match-leading .462 hitting percentage. The senior completed a double-double effort adding 10 digs.
- Wakley caught fire in the second set posting five of her 12 kills as the sophomore posted a .400 hitting percentage overall.
- Spencer came on strong recording all six of her kills in the final two sets and utilized her angled shots to perfection.
- Sakira LaCour came off her second TicketSmarter Summit League Defensive Player of the Week and did not disappoint totaling six block assists.
Up Next
ORU closes the weekend at home hosting the Fighting Hawks of North Dakota Saturday afternoon live on the ORU Sports Network at 1 p.m.
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.
#GoldenStandard
