Tulsa's Season Ends with NIVC Semifinals Loss at South Dakota

Saturday, December 14

Vermillion, S.D.

7:30 pm

Tulsa

18-16,8-8AAC

South Dakota

31-2,16-0Summit Lea

Tulsa

South Dakota

Photo by: Dave Crenshaw

Tulsa's Season Ends with NIVC Semifinals Loss at South Dakota

12/14/2019 10:11:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

Box Score (PDF)

VERMILLION, S.D. -- The Tulsa volleyball team saw its postseason run come to an end on Saturday night, as the Golden Hurricane suffered a four-set loss to South Dakota [19-25, 25-21, 25-15, 25-13] in the semifinal round of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC). The match between the Golden Hurricane (18-16) and Coyotes (31-2) at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center was the second meeting of the season between the two teams, as they met on September 6 at the KC Roos Klassic, in Kansas City. South Dakota leads the all-time series 3-1 and has won three straight.

Tulsa head coach Ryan Wills took advantage of his first timeout in the opening set, as the Hurricane came out of the break on a storm. Down 9-4, Tulsa embarked on an 8-2 run to take its first lead of the set at 12-11. Kayley Cassaday, Hannah Overmyer, and Maddie Rhoder each tallied a kill, while Taylor Horsfall added a service ace. Maggie Hembree and Rhoder also rejected one Coyote swing. South Dakota fought back to knot the set at 17 apiece, but Tulsa answered with six of seven points for a five-point cushion at 23-18. A Hembree solo block and a Coyote error captured the first set for TU.

The two teams combined for seven ties and five lead changes in the second set. Trailing 19-18, Hembree and Overmyer went up for a block to force a tie. Rhoder found an opening on the next serve, giving Tulsa a 20-19 lead. It would be the final lead of the set for the Hurricane, as South Dakota came out of their second timeout on a 6-1 run.

Tulsa finishes the 2019 season with three postseason victories, the most by any team in program history. Prior to their second straight appearance in the NIVC, Tulsa had advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament twice all-time (2010, '11). That included their lone two postseason victories.

The Hurricane ended the contest with a .074 hitting percentage (37 kills, 25 attacking errors, 162 total swings), while the Coyotes connected for a .201 clip (58 kills, 25 attacking errors, 164 total swings). South Dakota led TU in assists (56-36), digs (89-75), and service aces (7-4). Tulsa had the advantage in total blocks (11-9).

Horsfall led all players with 29 digs. She finishes her senior season with 805 digs, becoming just the third Division I player since 2011 to finish a season with 800+ digs. Overmyer added double-digit digs with 10, and Maddie Flora recorded nine.

Cook led Tulsa with nine kills on a .304 hitting percentage. She added a service ace and 1.5 blocks (three block assists). Cassaday came up just shy of a double-double with eight kills and nine digs.

Hembree posted a match-high four blocks (one solo, six block assists). She wraps up her junior campaign with 104 block assists, tied for seventh in a single season (Cook '18).

Rhoder added three blocks (six block assists). She finishes the season with 115 block assists, the fifth-most in a single year at Tulsa.

Mariah Pardo and Roosa Rautio each finished with a team-best 15 assists.