The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 3 – South Dakota State 1
Records: ORU (7-14, 4-5) – South Dakota State (10-10, 4-4)
Location: Frost Arena (Brookings, S.D.)
 
BROOKINGS, S.D. – Kaia Dunford logged her team-leading ninth double-double of the year and the Oral Roberts volleyball team picked up a four-set (25-21, 23-25, 26-24, 25-20) road win at South Dakota State Saturday afternoon inside Frost Arena.

Dunford put down 16 kills and scooped up 18 Jackrabbit attacks, both of which led the Golden Eagles. Setter Kalena Vaivai orchestrated the ORU offensive attack as the senior dished out a team-best 38 assists, matching her season-high.

Middle blocker Sakira LaCour put together a strong all-around performance as the senior totaled 13 kills on 27 swings for a .407 attack percentage and also registered eight blocks, which tied freshman Natassia Baptiste for the match-high. For Baptiste, the eight blocks were a new season-high.

With the score tied at 7-7 in the opening set, the Golden Eagles used a 4-0 run to take an 11-7 advantage. After the Jackrabbits drew within two, 13-11, a Trinity Freeman kill sparked a 3-0 stretch for ORU that extended the lead to 16-11. The Golden Eagles registered three of the final four points of the set to claim game one, 25-21.

It was a back-and-forth affair in the second stanza as the game featured 14 ties and nine lead changes. With ORU leading 16-15, the Jackrabbits used a 5-0 run to take the largest lead of the set, 20-16. Dunford broke the stretch with her seventh kill of the match and sparked a 6-0 Golden Eagle run as they regained the lead, 22-20. SDSU responded with a 5-1 run to take set two, 25-21.

Facing a 3-0 deficit in the third game, ORU scored three of the next four points to draw within one, 4-3. The Golden Eagles later took their first lead of the set, 19-17, behind a 6-1 run that started with a Dunford kill and was capped off by an ace from the junior. Out of a Jackrabbits timeout, SDSU scored three of the next four points to even the score at 20-20. The two sides traded the next eight points before back-to-back kills from Dunford and Jeslyn Spencer finished off the set in favor of ORU, 26-24.

ORU took command in the fourth and final set with a 14-2 run that turned an 8-6 advantage into a 22-8 lead. The Golden Eagle run was sparked by Baptiste and capped off by Spencer. Despite the Jackrabbits scoring 12 of the final 15 points, ORU held on to claim the set, 25-20, and the match.

Match Notes

• Saturday's match marked the 27th meeting all-time between the Golden Eagles and SDSU.
• With the win, ORU is now 19-8 all-time against the Jackrabbits and has won three of the last four meetings.
• The Golden Eagles recorded a season-high 16 blocks in the victory.
• ORU matched their season-high for service aces in a four-set match with 10.
• Five different Golden Eagles registered four or more blocks in the contest.
• Offensively, ORU totaled a .261 attack percentage and held SDSU to a .172 mark.
• Dunford's double-double was the 20th of her career.
• Spencer contributed offensively with 10 kills on 22 swings for a .364 attack percentage.
• In the backrow, Breanna Rivas registered 17 digs.
• The sophomore also set a new career-high with three service aces.
• Dunford matched Rivas for the team lead in aces with three.
• Baptiste set a new season-high for blocks as the freshman finished with eight.

Up Next
ORU closes out its three-match road trip at Kansas City Saturday, October 22 at 1 p.m.
 
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