The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 0 – South Dakota 3
Records: ORU (2-10, 2-8 SL) – USD (10-4, 9-1 SL)
Location: Sanford Coyote Sports Center (Vermillion, S.D.)
Box Score
 
VERMILLION, S.D. – The Oral Roberts volleyball team could not hold off South Dakota suffering a three-set loss (24-26, 11-25, 15-25) Sunday afternoon inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.
 
An efficient start in the first set gave the Golden Eagles a chance to take the early lead, but four service errors and six USD aces negated that work. The Coyotes took a 4-1 lead to start until Sakira LaCour and Jaxie Wakley posted back-to-back kills and took an 8-7 advantage as Jeslyn Spencer served up an ace. The action see-sawed with 10 tie scores and four lead changes before the Coyotes pushed to a 24-21 advantage. ORU fought off three-straight set points and forced a home timeout that turned the momentum as USD blocked the final two points winning 26-24.
 
A kill by Aixa Vigil evened the score, 2-2, in the second set for ORU. The rest of the stanza belonged to the Coyotes as the deficit stretched to 14 points during a 9-0 run that was ended on a Wakley kill. The Golden Eagles tallied four-straight points making it 20-9 before USD closed the set 25-11.
 
After falling behind 3-1 in the third set, the Golden Eagles rattled off five-consecutive points jumping in front 6-3 forcing USD into three errors. The Coyotes answered back and used a 12-2 burst for a seven-point advantage. ORU got two kills by Vigil around a LaCour service ace pulling the margin to 16-12 and it was USD that claimed nine of the final 12 points for a 25-15 decision.
 
Inside the Box Score

• Sarah Thiessen posted 12 digs to lead ORU and has reached 10 or more digs in every match during the campaign.
• Vigil paced the team with eight kills as the junior failed to reach double-digit kills for the first time this season. She also had nine digs.
• LaCour totaled a match-leading five block assists and led ORU with a .222 hitting percentage with three kills on nine swings.
• Wakley and Spencer each finished with four kills, while Wakley added the Golden Eagles' only solo block and two block assists.
• Bryanne Soares was one dig shy of a double-double recording 17 set assists and nine digs.
• The Golden Eagles out-hit the Coyotes .156 to .100 in the opening set, but were held to a negative hitting percentage in the final two sets.

 
Up Next
ORU returns home for its next two weekends starting with a two-match series against Summit League returner Kansas City Mar. 12-13 at the Cooper Aerobics Center and streaming live on ORUSN.
 
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.