The Basics
Score: No. 5 Oral Roberts 1 – No. 1 Omaha 3
Records: ORU (18-11) – UNO (20-9)
Box Score
Location: Sanford Coyote Sports Center (Vermillion, S.D.)
 
VERMILLION, S.D. – The No. 5 seed Oral Roberts volleyball team got double-doubles from Kaia Dunford and Aixa Vigil, but could not take down regular season champion and No. 1 seed Omaha falling in four sets (15-25, 20-25, 29-27, 15-25) Friday in The Summit League Championship Semifinals at Sanford Coyote Sports Center.
 
A block from Sakira LaCour and Trinity Freeman helped the Golden Eagles to an early 3-1 lead opening the match before the teams traded leads. The Mavericks were able to use a 3-1 run of their own and pushed out to a 12-8 advantage. ORU fought right back and scored the next four points as Freeman, Bryanne Soares and Vigil all put away kills. Omaha took control of the set from that point and scored 12 of the final 14 points to claim the frame, 25-15.
 
The Mavericks capitalized on a 3-0 burst to turn away ORU's 7-6 lead and added another three-point rally for a 15-11 edge in the second set. A kill from Jaxie Wakley started a 5-0 run that was aided by two Dunford swings to put the Golden Eagles in front, 16-15. Dunford added another kill to tie the score, 18-18, but Omaha was able to tally the next four points and closed the set, 25-20.
 
The Golden Eagles fell behind 6-3 during the third set and trailed 14-7 before erasing a seven-point deficit started by blocks from LaCour, Soares and Dunford. Breanna Rivas served up a 5-0 run for ORU that forced Omaha into three attack errors and evened the score, 18-18. It took the fifth set point for the Golden Eagles until Dunford delivered back-to-back kills to secure set three, 29-27.
 
The fourth set featured eight tie scores as the battle went back and forth. Omaha broke a 12-12 deadlock by scoring three-straight points before Wakley found the floor after an ORU timeout. The Mavericks took command of the set behind a 7-1 run and ended the season of the Golden Eagles winning, 25-15.
 
Inside the Box Score

• Dunford reached double-digit kills for the seventh time this season registering 15 kills to pace the Golden Eagles offense. The sophomore added 10 digs to complete her fifth double-double of the year.
• Vigil turned in a 12-kill, 13-dig double-double performance pacing the team in digs.
• LaCour and Freeman recorded five and four block assists, respectively, while Wakley and Vigil each posted a solo block as ORU won the net battle by an 8-7 margin. LaCour was named to The Summit League All-Tournament Team for her efforts on the court in Vermillion.
• Wakley and Freeman each chipped in eight kills to aid the attack.
• Soares tallied 38 set assists to go with nine digs and dropped in two of the team's three service aces.
• Thiessen finished with 12 digs for the outing and closed her illustrious ORU career totaling 1,375 digs.

 
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