The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 3 – North Dakota 0
Records: ORU (7-3, 1-0 SL) – UND (1-12, 0-1 SL)
Box Score
Location: Betty Engelstad Sioux Center (Grand Forks, N.D.)
 
GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Behind three players with double-digit kills, the Oral Roberts volleyball overpowered North Dakota on the road securing a sweep (25-17, 25-22, 25-22) Thursday in its first Summit League match of the season.
 
After giving up the first three points, the Golden Eagles responded with an 8-1 run, including six-straight points thanks to a trio of kills by Trinity Freeman and one by Kaia Dunford. The defense helped ORU remain in control holding a 21-13 edge and forced UND into 12 attack errors in the first set as the visitors claimed the frame, 25-17.
 
Freeman put away the opening point of the second set and Jeslyn Spencer followed with a kill as ORU built a 2-0 lead. The Fighting Hawks briefly moved in front before back-to-back swings by Sakira LaCour stretched the margin to 9-5. A 5-1 burst by the Golden Eagles moved the lead to 17-12, but a challenge was overturned on a point that originally went to ORU and UND capitalized by scoring the next two points to even the set, 19-19. LaCour shined again with a pair of kills to put ORU back in front and Aixa Vigil hammered away an overpass giving the Golden Eagles a 25-22 win for a 2-0 set lead on the road.
 
It was four-straight ORU points early in the third set that gave the away side a 5-2 cushion after a Vigil and Jaxie Wakley block and a Sarah Thiessen service ace. Bryanne Soares put the Golden Eagles in front, 11-6, dropping in a kill and UND cut the gap to one, 14-13. LaCour helped ORU regain a five-point lead, 21-15, with two kills on a 3-0 run before Wakley put the finishing touches on the night as ORU ended the sweep, 25-22.
 
Inside the Box Score

• Three different players finished with double-digit kills getting a match-best 12 from Freeman in her Summit League debut. LaCour added 11 behind a .429 hitting percentage, while Wakley had 10 kills on 17 swings hitting .412. Wakley also led the team in blocks registering one solo and four assists.
• Soares closed out her fourth double-double of the year totaling 38 set assists and 14 digs, both of which were match highs.
• Thiessen chipped in 12 digs and had the Golden Eagles only service ace of the night.
• ORU controlled nearly all facets Thursday out-hitting UND by a .248-.052 margin and held a 6-4 edge in blocks moving to 5-5 in its last 10 league openers.

 
Up Next
The Golden Eagles close the opening weekend of league action Saturday afternoon taking on the Bison of North Dakota State at 1 p.m.
 
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