Tulsa Volleyball Defeats Wichita State for First Time Since 1998

Saturday, September 29

Reynolds Center

6 pm

Tulsa

11-4, 3-0

Wichita State

7-7, 2-1

Wichita State

Tulsa

Tulsa Volleyball Defeats Wichita State for First Time Since 1998

9/29/2018 9:47:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

TULSA, Okla. – The University of Tulsa volleyball squad (11-4, 3-0) defeated Wichita State (7-7, 2-1), 3-2, in the Havoc in the Heartland for the first time since 1998 on a wild Saturday night in the Donald W. Reynolds Center.

The Golden Hurricane win gives Wichita State its first conference loss since joining the American Athletic Conference in 2017, as it entered the night with a perfect 22-0 conference record. The win also snaps Wichita State's 29-match conference winning streak, dating to its time in the Missouri Valley Conference

With the victory, Tulsa also improves to a flawless 7-0 on its home court in 2018.

The first set was one Tulsa hasn't seen the likes of since 2003, as the Golden Hurricane fell in an absolute battle of a set, 39-41. The 39 points from the Hurricane ties the most by TU in a set in program history, equaling a 39-37 first-set victory in a 3-0 win over Stephen F. Austin in 2003.

In the first set, the teams fought for control, as Rachel Moore tallied nine kills on a .500 hitting percentage in just the first frame. Callie Cook also hit a .500 clip, putting down three kills on six attempts.

Tulsa rebounded in dramatic fashion, dominating the second set and taking the frame, 25-20. Emily Thorson stepped up offensively, striking a team-high five kills in the stanza. Moore, Mariah Pardo and Taylor Horsfall all accumulated five digs in the set to bolster the defense.

Thorson continued her offensive assault into set three, adding another six kills to her total on a .357 hitting percentage. Again, Moore, Pardo and Horsfall tallied five digs a piece, despite TU dropping the set, 25-18.

The Golden Hurricane showed resiliency, dominating the fourth set, 25-15. Maggie Hembree stepped up at the net for Tulsa, as the team racked up six total team blocks in the fourth set. Thorson again paced the Hurricane in kills, tallying another five to her total.

The final set played out similarly to the previous sets, as Tulsa fought and clinched the match, 19-17. Moore and Elyse Savadove provided the offensive firepower in the end, adding four and three kills, respectively. Horsfall showed her prowess for the ball, racking up nine digs in the final frame.

In a game that saw 49 tie scores and 17 lead changes, the Golden Hurricane accumulated 106 digs, 70 kills and 13 total team blocks. Moore continued her hot streak, adding another double-double with 19 kills and 23 digs. Thorson also tallied 19 kills, to go along with eight digs. Moore, Pardo and Horsfall all recorded 20+ digs in the match.

Tulsa's win against Wichita State improves the team's record in five-set matches to a perfect 3-0 in 2018.

The victory wraps up a battle-worn, four-match homestand for the Golden Hurricane. Head coach Ryan Wills' squad will get nearly a week to rest before it travels to Florida for conference matchups with UCF on Oct. 5 and USF on Oct. 7.

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