Tulsa to Host Weber State in NIVC Quarterfinals on Thursday

Match Notes | NIVC Quarterfinal Tickets | Tournament Central | NIVC Bracket (PDF) | Live Stream | Live Stats

TULSA, Okla. - After securing a pair of wins on the West Coast, the Tulsa volleyball team returns to Donald W. Reynolds Center on Thursday at 6 p.m., to host Weber State in the quarterfinals of the 2019 National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC).

The Golden Hurricane (17-15, 8-8 The American) and Wildcats (26-8, 13-5 Big Sky) will meet for the first time in program history, with a spot in the semifinals on the line. The winner will face South Dakota on Dec. 13-15. A confirmed date, time, and location will be available at a later date.

The NIVC is a single-elimination tournament, with all matches played at sites of host schools. The event debuted in 1989 with 20 teams, in response to a demand for another postseason opportunity within the sport. It was held for seven seasons, before making its return in 2017.

This is the second straight appearance in the NIVC for the Hurricane. This season, Tulsa played its first and second round matches at Long Beach State. In their opening round contest, the Hurricane defeated UC Davis in four sets [20-25, 25-13, 26-24, 25-20], followed by another four-set victory against Santa Clara [25-22, 25-22, 23-25, 25-22]. The two wins gave TU its first postseason victory since 2011, and the first season with multiple postseason wins in program history.

Callie Cook played a crucial role in Tulsa winning its matches in California. Cook put on a show on the West Coast against the Aggies and Broncos, hitting a combined .543 for 21 kills on 35 swings with just two attacking errors. She was also a standout defensively, blocking a combined 16 attempts (four solo blocks, 12 block assists). She finished the weekend climbing into second place in career block assists and block assists in a single season.

Maggie Hembree and Maddie Rhoder also played vital roles in limiting the Aggie and Bronco offenses. Rhoder stuffed 13 total attempts (13 block assists), while Hembree denied 12 hits (three solo blocks, nine block assists).

Head coach Ryan Wills' (107-83 overall) bunch is playing for the first time in at Reynolds Center in over a month. While it may be the first home match in over 30 days for the Hurricane, it's more surreal that Tulsa is one of just 22 Division I programs still playing this season.

Weber State is having its best season in three decades. The Wildcats were picked to finish second in the Big Sky Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. They won six more regular season matches than in 2018, ending in a tie for second. Weber State appeared in its conference's championship match, ultimately falling to Northern Colorado in five sets. Since the loss, the Wildcats took down Boise State [25-17, 25-27, 25-19, 25-21] in four sets and upset Wyoming [26-28, 26-24, 25-18, 16-25, 15-11] in five games in its home gym last Friday.

The Wildcats are led by fifth-year head coach Jeremiah Larsen (73-73 overall). Under his tutelage, he has led Weber State to three winning seasons. Prior to his arrival, the Wildcats did not have a winning season since 2008.

Cook and Taylor Horsfall will each look to break various records on Thursday night. Cook is four block assists away from setting a new single-season record. Horsfall, who was named AVCA All-North Region Honorable Mention on Tuesday, can break four records against the Wildcats. She is less than 20 digs away from setting a new career record for digs in The American and at Tulsa, as well as breaking her own single-season record for digs at TU and in the conference.

Tickets can be purchased in-person on Thursday, and at the link above through Wednesday night. General admission tickets are on sale for $8.00 each. Groups of 15-or-more can buy discounted tickets for $5.00 each.

The first 100 students at the match will receive free coffee and donuts.

To keep up with the latest news on Tulsa volleyball, visit TulsaHurricane.com and follow the team on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Tulsa to Host Weber State in NIVC Quarterfinals on Thursday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Callie Cook

Maggie Hembree

Taylor Horsfall

Maddie Rhoder