The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 3 – St. Thomas 0
Records: ORU (5-9, 2-0) – St. Thomas (2-13, 0-3)
Location: Cooper Aerobics Center (Tulsa, Okla.)
 
TULSA, Okla. – The Oral Roberts volleyball team picked up their second consecutive Summit League win as they defeated St. Thomas in straight sets (25-23, 25-15, 25-20) Tuesday night inside the Cooper Aerobics Center.

A junior and a sophomore led the way offensively for the Golden Eagles as Kaia Dunford and Trinity Freeman downed 12 kills apiece. Kalena Vaivai dished out a match-best 29 assists and registered five kills in nine attempts, while also scooping up seven St. Thomas attacks.

On the defensive end, Chloe Salcedo led ORU in digs for the third straight game as the sophomore finished with 12. Sakira LaCour continued her dominance at the net as the senior finished with a match-high four blocks. 

In the opening set, the Tommies jumped out to a 4-0 start before a service error broke the run. A LaCour service ace capped off a 4-1 stretch that brought ORU to within one, 9-8. After a Dunford kill leveled the score, 11-11, the two sides went back-and-forth for the next 24 points as the score remained deadlocked, 23-23. A LaCour and Vaivai block followed by a Bryanne Soares service ace finished off the set as ORU took the game, 25-23.

Eight of the first 11 points of the second stanza went the way of the Golden Eagles, leading to a Tommies timeout. St. Thomas responded with a 4-0 run that cut the lead to two, 16-14, and forced an ORU timeout. Out of the stoppage, the Golden Eagles closed the set on a 9-1 run, capped off by a Dunford kill. 

With the score tied at 9-9 in the third, ORU used a 4-0 run to take a 13-9 advantage. The Golden Eagles lead later grew to five, 20-15, following a Vaivai kill. ORU held the Tommies at arm's length the rest of the way as they claimed the set, 25-20, and the match courtesy of a Freeman kill.

Match Notes

• Tuesday's contest marked the third meeting all-time between the Golden Eagles and Tommies.
• With the win, ORU is now 3-0 all-time and has not dropped a set in the series. 
• The victory marked the second straight season that the Golden Eagles have started 2-0 in league play.
• LaCour matched her career-high with three service aces in the win.
• Freeman (.320) and Dunford (.303) recorded attack percentages over .300.
• The .303 hit percentage was a season-high for Dunford.
• In the third set, the Golden Eagles registered a .350 attack percentage.

Up Next
ORU travels to Fargo, North Dakota, for their first Summit League road contest of the season as they face off against North Dakota State Thursday at 7 p.m.
 
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