The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 1 – Omaha 3
Records: ORU (3-14, 3-12 SL) – UNO (12-5, 11-4 SL)
Location: Baxter Arena (Omaha, Neb.)
Box Score
 
OMAHA, Neb. – The Oral Roberts volleyball team claimed set one before dropping the next three at Omaha (25-21, 23-25, 16-25, 18-25) Friday night from Baxter Arena.
 
The Golden Eagles capitalized on six service errors by the Mavericks on the way to an opening set win and only trailed 1-0 during the frame. Sakira LaCour capped a 5-1 run for ORU that pushed to a 9-5 advantage. Omaha closed the gap to one on three separate occasions only to have the visitors stop any run and maintain its lead with timely offense and costly mistakes from the Mavericks. A Jaxie Wakley service ace gave ORU an 18-14 edge and stretched that lead to six, 22-16, before closing out the set 25-21.
 
After a Sylvia Lawson and LaCour block started the second stanza, the next five points went to Omaha, including three-straight service aces, but the Golden Eagles were able to recover. ORU forced three-consecutive attack errors to jump in front, 8-7, and the lead went back and forth as no team could generate more than a two-point cushion until Omaha got back-to-back kills breaking a 23-23 tie to even the match. Overall the set featured 14 tie scores and nine lead changes.
 
The momentum carried into the third set for the Mavericks as they opened a 5-0 lead until a Kaia Dunford kill stopped the run. The Golden Eagles cut the deficit to 10-6 before Omaha used another 6-1 run for a commanding 16-7 edge and cruised to the set win 25-16.
 
The Mavericks scored the first three points of the fourth set, but Wakley provided ORU with an offensive burst burying consecutive swings pulling even, 7-7. After a Lawson block tied the score, 8-8, Omaha tallied the next four points for a 12-8 advantage until a kill by Aixa Vigil ended the run. Three more kills by the Mavericks made it 16-10 for the home side and the Golden Eagles were unable to mount a comeback falling 25-18.
 
Inside the Box Score

• Sarah Thiessen paced the Golden Eagles defensively totaling 21 digs, her eighth match of the season recording 20 or more digs.
• Wakley led ORU with 14 kills on 22 swings without an error for a .636 hitting percentage.
• Lawson and Bryanne Soares combined for 35 set assists with 18 and 17, respectively, while Soares added 10 digs to complete the double-double.
• Vigil added a 12-kill, 12-dig double-double.

 
Up Next
ORU closes the regular season Saturday evening taking on the Mavericks of Omaha at 5 p.m. inside Baxter Arena.
 
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