The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 0 – South Dakota 3
Records: ORU (7-21, 4-12) – South Dakota (26-2, 15-1)
Location: Cooper Aerobics Center (Tulsa, Okla.)
 
TULSA, Okla. – In their 2022 home finale, the Oral Roberts volleyball team fell in four sets (25-23, 17-25, 12-25, 19-25) to South Dakota Saturday afternoon inside the Cooper Aerobics Center.

Prior to the match, the Golden Eagles recognized their two seniors in Sakira LaCour and Jeslyn Spencer for all their contributions to the program.

Outside hitter Kaia Dunford led ORU in kills for the 14th time this season after finishing with 15 on the afternoon. LaCour followed with 13 kills on 18 attempts for a .722 hitting percentage. 

Kalena Vaivai paced the offensive attack for the Golden Eagles as the Wailuku, Hawaii, native dished out 38 assists. On the backrow, Breanna Rivas scooped up a team-best 11 Coyote attacks.

With ORU leading 6-4 in the opening set, the Coyotes used a 7-0 run to take an 11-6 advantage. The Golden Eagles responded with a 4-0 stretch to draw within one, 11-10. After South Dakota pushed their lead to 17-13, ORU once again cut the deficit to one, 17-16, following a 3-0 run. The Golden Eagles later regained the lead, 20-19, with another 3-0 stretch and Dunford totaled three of the final four points of the set as ORU took the game, 25-23.

Behind a 5-0 run, the Golden Eagles jumped out to a 7-3 lead in the second set. A 4-1 stretch by the Coyotes cut the ORU advantage to one, 8-7. South Dakota later claimed the lead, 15-14, with a 4-1 run and scored 10 of the final 11 points of the game to win the second set, 25-17.

In the third stanza, the Coyotes used runs of 7-1 and 9-1 to take the set, 25-12. South Dakota continued to roll in the fourth as they raced out to a 9-2 start. After the Golden Eagles rallied to cut the deficit to three, 21-18, following a 3-0 run, the Coyotes responded with a 4-1 stretch to claim the set, 25-19, and the match.

Match Notes

• Saturday's match marked the 25th meeting all-time between the two squads.
• Trinity Freeman and Spencer also reached double-figure kills for ORU with 11 and 10, respectively.
• LaCour and Dunford totaled two blocks each on the afternoon.

Up Next
The Golden Eagles hit the road to face Western Illinois Thursday November 17 at 6 p.m.
 
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