The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 0 – North Dakota State 3
Records: ORU (5-10, 2-1) – North Dakota State (10-5, 4-0)
Location: Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse (Fargo, N.D.)
 
FARGO, N.D. – The Oral Roberts volleyball team dropped their first Summit League match of the season Thursday evening as they fell in straight sets (15-25, 16-25, 11-25) to North Dakota State inside the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse. 

Kalena Vaivai orchestrated the ORU offense as the senior dished out 16 assists en route to collecting No. 1,500 for her career. From the backrow, Chloe Salcedo scooped up seven Bison attacks to lead the Golden Eagles.

It was a back-and-forth start to the opening set as the two sides traded the first 24 points. The Bison gained steam with three consecutive points to take a 15-12 lead and force an ORU timeout. Out of the stoppage, NDSU stretched their run to 7-0 before a Sakira LaCour kill halted it briefly. The Bison tallied five of the final seven points to take set one, 25-15.

NDSU carried the momentum into the second and third stanzas as they jumped out to an 8-2 start in both and never looked back, claiming the match in straight sets.

Match Notes

• Thursday's contest marked the 34th meeting all-time between ORU and NDSU.
• In Summit League road openers, the Golden Eagles are now 15-9 all-time. 
• Trinity Freeman and Kaia Dunford each tallied eight kills apiece to lead ORU.
• Jeslyn Spencer contributed five kills on nine swings for a .444 attack percentage.
• Vaivai tallied her 1,500th career assist in the match.

Up Next
ORU concludes its road trip with a match at North Dakota Saturday at 10 a.m.
 
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