Tulsa Captures Five-Set Win over Weber State, Advances to NIVC Semifinals

Thursday, December 12

Reynolds Center

6:00 PM

Tulsa

18-15,8-8AAC

Weber State

25-9,13-5Big Sky

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Final F
Weber St.	22	20	26	25	10	2
Tulsa	25	25	24	20	15	3

Photo by: Dave Crenshaw

Tulsa Captures Five-Set Win over Weber State, Advances to NIVC Semifinals

12/12/2019 10:35:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

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TULSA, Okla. –– The Tulsa volleyball team advanced to the semifinals of the National Invitational Tournament Championship (NIVC) with a 3-2 [25-22, 25-20, 24-26, 20-25, 15-10] victory over Weber State on Thursday night at the Donald W. Reynolds Center.

The Golden Hurricane will go on the road to face South Dakota, now 30-2 on the year, for a Saturday match-up at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center in Vermillion, South Dakota at 7:30 p.m. It marks the second meeting of the season between the two teams.

The Hurricane (18-15) took the first two sets against the Wildcats (26-9) by scores of 25-22 and 25-20, before Weber State captured the next two sets (26-24, 25-20) to knot the score at 2-2.

The final set saw the teams battle to six ties, and the last coming at 10-10, but the Hurricane closed out the match with five straight points, the final two coming on blocks by Callie Cook and Maddie Rhoder. Overall, the two teams combined for 30 ties and 14 lead changes.

Tulsa jumped out to a 5-0 start in the first set before Weber State scored its first point. The Hurricane increased its lead to 10 points at 15-5 before the Wildcats put together a comeback bid. Weber State tightened the set at 17-12 by out-scoring Tulsa 7-2, and the visitors tied the score at 20-20.

Maggie Hembree's two straight kills, a Horsfall point, and a pair of kills from Rhoder wrapped up the first set for TU.

A pair of 6-0 runs by the Hurricane would prove to be the difference in the second set.

Hembree's first of three kills in the game would help Tulsa take a 10-6 advantage. The four-point lead would be the largest advantage in the set by either team, until the set point. The Hurricane would later find themselves down one at 17-16. Hannah Overmyer added two kills, while Rhoder had one. Hembree recorded one of her four solo blocks, and Roosa Rautio tallied a service ace. That would put TU ahead 21-17. Kills from Kayley Cassaday and Cook gave Tulsa a 2-0 lead in the match.

Head coach Ryan Wills credited the Hurricane on their defensive play against the Wildcats, and through the first three rounds of the NIVC.

"We averaged over three blocks a set, which is a really high number, and a really high number for us," Wills said. "That allows us to channel the ball other directions if we need to. But our blocks really come alive over on the right side, especially Maddie Rhoder, who's doing just a great job, and allowing our defense to step up. As far as the match goes, that was a rollercoaster. The first two sets, we executed extremely well and on (multiple) phases of the game. Weber State is a great team. They were able to make some adjustments, served the ball really well."

Taylor Horsfall and Cook combined to break five records among single-season and career marks.

Horsfall became the all-time career leader for digs at the University of Tulsa and in the American Athletic Conference. She also broke her single-season records at TU and in league play. Horsfall has recorded 2,460 for her career and 776 digs this season.

Cook established a new single-season record for block assists with 125. She entered the match with 119, needing four block assists to be the solo season leader. The junior middle blocker now holds two of the top six block assists records for a season. She also ranks second in career block assists with 324.

The junior middle blocker led Tulsa with a team-high 16 kills on 29 total swings (.483 attacking clip) with only two attacking errors. She also had a career-high two service aces, to go with 3.5 blocks (one solo, five block assists).

Rhoder hit .303 for a career-high 12 kills on 33 swings with two errors and combined for three blocks (one solo, four block assists). Kayley Cassaday also added 12 kills, tying her season-high. The fourth Hurricane in double figures was Hannah Overmyer with 10 kills and 10 digs for her first double-double of the campaign.

Horsfall finished with a season-high 39 digs, which is tied for third in program history. The senior libero has now tallied 39 digs three times, and holds four of the top five single-match dig records. She also had three service aces and six assists.

Rautio led TU with 29 dimes and Mariah Pardo added 22.

Hembree tied her career-high of four solo blocks. She finished the match with six total blocks (four block assists).

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