The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 3 – Tennessee Tech 1
Records: ORU (1-1) – TTU (0-3)
Location: Hammons Student Center (Springfield, Mo.)
 
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Behind a double-double from Bryanne Soares, the Oral Roberts volleyball team picked up their first win of the 2022 season, defeating Tennessee Tech in four sets (25-14, 25-19, 17-25, 25-18) Saturday afternoon at the Hammons Student Center in Springfield, Missouri.
 
The double-double was the first of the year for the junior setter and the 21st of her career. Soares finished the contest with a team-high 21 assists and 12 digs. Trinity Freeman led the way offensively for the second consecutive match, registering a team-best 13 kills. Kaia Dunford and Jeslyn Spencer also reached double figure kills for ORU, tallying 10 apiece.
 
In her first start of the season, libero Chloe Salcedo scooped up a match-best 15 attacks to anchor the ORU defense. At the net, Sakira LaCour recorded seven blocks, bringing her total to 13 on the weekend.
 
After Tennessee Tech tallied the first two points of the opening set, the Golden Eagles used a 7-0 run to jump in front, 7-2. During the run, Spencer registered two service aces to pace ORU. The Golden Eagles extended their run to a 14-1 stretch to take full command of the opening set as they went on to win 25-14.
 
Set two featured a back-and-forth start between the two squads before Tennessee Tech opened up an 8-5 lead with a 5-1 surge. ORU responded with a 6-1 run that was capped off with a Soares ace to reclaim the lead, 11-9. With the score leveled at 16-16, a Dunford kill sparked a 7-1 Golden Eagle run as ORU took a 23-17 lead. Natassia Baptiste and Freeman finished off the 25-19 set two win for ORU.
 
In the third, TTU scored eight of 11 points to open a 16-10 advantage. After ORU cut the deficit to 18-13, Tennessee Tech used a 5-0 spurt to take a 23-13 lead. Despite scoring the next three points, the Golden Eagles went on to drop the third set, 25-17.

Trailing 11-10 in the fourth, Freeman jumpstarted an 8-1 ORU run with her 12th kill of the match. After Tennessee Tech fought back to within three, 21-18, the Golden Eagles closed out the match with four straight points to claim their first win of the 2022 campaign. Freshman Kedron Burk started and finished the ORU run with her second and third kills of the match.
 
Match Notes

• With the win, the Golden Eagles improved to 1-1 all-time against Tennessee Tech. 
• Freeman registered a career-best .500 hitting percentage in the win. The sophomore didn't record a single attack error in the match.
• Freshman Kyla Randall made her Golden Eagle debut in the win.
• As a team, ORU registered a .276 hitting percentage.
• For the second straight match, the Golden Eagles held the edge in total blocks, 8-4.

Up Next
The Golden Eagles close out the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational Sunday against Missouri State at 1 p.m. inside the Hammons Student Center.
 
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