
Photo by: Alina Lebedeva
Tulsa Escapes Memphis in Five Set Thriller
10/17/2025 10:29:00 PM | Volleyball
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Tulsa (16-3, 6-1 American) overcame Memphis (10-12, 1-6 American) in a five-set clash, pulling off the reverse sweep 23-25, 20-25, 25-16, 25-11, 16-14. Tulsa's fourth set featured an impressive .483 hitting percentage, helping turn the momentum in their favor.
Only five Tulsa attackers earned kills on the night, but they all reached double-figures with Lauren Eitler paving the way with 18 kills. Kat Cooper (16), Beth Bayless (15), Jill Hanson (10) and Olivia Vance (10) each also had bountiful kill performances thanks to the brilliant passing of Brayden Hipp, who averaged 12 assists per set to finish with a whopping career-high of 60 assists.
"It felt like we played a little timid at first," said Cooper, who landed 16 kills on .452 hitting to go with five blocks. "We needed to step up and play like how we know how to. We had each other's backs and played gritty.
"Our team has depth. If someone's having an off day, someone else is ready to step up. Honestly, even if someone's off in just a set, someone's always there to step up and pick up the slack. It's really awesome, and I'm so happy to be part of such a wonderful team where we all can support each other on and off the court."
The match began with Tulsa taking an immediate lead as Eitler scored the first point with a kill, assisted by Hipp. Tulsa maintained a narrow edge, with Hanson contributing with a service ace and a key kill, pushing the score to 14-10. Memphis rallied back, utilizing several Tulsa attack errors to tie the match at 16-16. During a tense finish, Hanson delivered a crucial kill to level the score at 22-22, but Memphis capitalized on Tulsa's errors and a decisive kill by Jasmyn Tate to edge out a 25-23 victory in the set.
In the second set, the Tigers pulled ahead with a series of impactful plays, including a service ace by Abigail Schlueter that widened their lead to 11-8. Tulsa responded with a kill by Vance, tying the score at 12-12. A service error by Tulsa allowed the home team to regain momentum, and Tate's kill extended their advantage. Despite Tulsa's efforts to close the gap, Zaniah Hoskins delivered crucial kills for Memphis, taking them to set point at 24-20. The set concluded with an attack error by Eitler, handing Memphis a 25-20 victory.
Tulsa secured the third set with a confident 25-16 victory over Memphis, leveraging a series of key plays and errors by their opponents. Vance initiated the momentum with a kill assisted by Hipp for the first point. Kat Cooper and Eitler were instrumental in building Tulsa's lead, each contributing multiple kills. Memphis struggled with attack errors, particularly from Hoskins, which were effectively blocked by Hanson and Vance. Despite a service ace from Madelyn Bach that briefly shifted momentum, Tulsa maintained control, and a final block by Vance and Cooper sealed the set.
Tulsa secured a decisive victory in the fourth set over Memphis, finishing 25-11. The set featured strong contributions from Tulsa's Beth Bayless and Eitler, each delivering key kills to extend their team's lead. Hipp played a pivotal role, assisting multiple scoring plays, including a kill by Cooper that pushed the score to 9-4. Memphis struggled to counter Tulsa's momentum, committing several attack errors and service errors that widened the gap. The set concluded with a kill by Bayless, assisted by Lauren Patterson, sealing the win for Tulsa.
Tulsa emerged victorious in the decisive fifth set against Memphis with a gritty 16-14 win. The set saw Memphis initially take a narrow lead, with Hoskins contributing three key kills early on. However, Tulsa responded with a series of strong plays, including a service ace by Brittany Bacorn, which tied the score at 9-9. Bayless delivered multiple kills, keeping Tulsa competitive, including one that evened the score at 11-11. Tulsa stayed calm down 14-13 and tied the set at 14-all with a kill by Eitler. The final push came from Hipp, whose service ace put Tulsa at match point, followed by a decisive kill from Hanson to seal the win.
Tulsa will head to Birmingham, Ala., to face UAB at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 19.
Tulsa's Top Performers
Kat Cooper
-----------------
- 16 kills on 31 attempts, .452 hitting percentage
- 5 total blocks
- 19 points
Lauren Eitler
-----------------
- 18 kills
- 15 digs
- 21 points
Brayden Hipp
-----------------
- 60 assists
- 11 digs
Jill Hanson
-----------------
- 10 kills on 21 attempts, .286 hitting percentage
- 7 total blocks
- 16 points
Memphis' Top Performers
Zaniah Hoskins
----------------------
- 16 kills
- 18 digs
- 19.0 points
- 4 block assists
Abigail Schlueter
----------------------
- 23 digs
- 3 assists
- 2 service aces
Janyah Henderson
----------------------
- 9 kills
- 3 block assists
- 10.5 points
Game Notes
- Tulsa extends their current win streak to five after taking down the Memphis Tigers in back-to-back matches.
- The Golden Hurricane have now won 16 of their last 17 matches this season and have emerged victorious in 19 of their last 24 outings dating back to the end of last season.
- Tulsa improves its all-time series lead over Memphis to 26-14. They've won the last six consecutive matchups and 12 of the last 14 meetings with the Tigers.
- Only five Tulsa attackers earned kills on the night; they all reached double-figures in kills.
- Hipp set another new career-high in assists, this time with 60.
- Eitler (18 kills) and Cooper (16 kills) each set new career-highs in kills.
- Tulsa had 85 team digs at 17 digs per set.
- Five Golden Hurricane registered 10 or more digs on the evening, led by Patterson's 16 digs.
- Hipp (60 assists/11 digs) recorded her seventh double-double this season and 29th of her career.
- Eitler (18 kills/15 digs) had her sixth double-double this year - the 15th of her career.
- Bayless (15), Hanson (10) and Vance (10) all had double-digits in kills.
- Hanson led the blocking effort with seven blocks, three of which were solos - a season-best.
- TU pulled off the reverse sweep, winning three straight sets after dropping the first two. Last time Tulsa did this was against Sam Houston on September 16, 2023.
2025 TICKETS
Single-game tickets are now on sale for $13 per ticket per match for ages 4 and older and can be purchased in advance at TulsaHurricane.com or at the entrance. Season tickets also start at just $50. Season ticket members will receive 1 (one) membership card per ticket that they order that will be good for all 2025 TU Volleyball regular-season home matches in the Donald W. Reynolds Center. No refunds for canceled games due to weather-related or any other cause. CLICK HERE to start the process of ordering tickets or call 918-631-4688.
Ball Kid Signups
The Tulsa Volleyball team is looking for ball kids for the 2025 season. Ball kids and one accompanying parent or guardian will receive free admission for games they sign up for. Ball kids will retrieve balls that go out of bounds on the sidelines for the entire game and provide a fresh ball for servers. Only ages 10-12 are allowed to participate. Individual and group signups will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis. Sign up by clicking HERE.
Visit www.TulsaHurricane.com for the latest news and information on the volleyball program. Fans can also follow the team on X, Facebook and Instagram.
Only five Tulsa attackers earned kills on the night, but they all reached double-figures with Lauren Eitler paving the way with 18 kills. Kat Cooper (16), Beth Bayless (15), Jill Hanson (10) and Olivia Vance (10) each also had bountiful kill performances thanks to the brilliant passing of Brayden Hipp, who averaged 12 assists per set to finish with a whopping career-high of 60 assists.
"It felt like we played a little timid at first," said Cooper, who landed 16 kills on .452 hitting to go with five blocks. "We needed to step up and play like how we know how to. We had each other's backs and played gritty.
"Our team has depth. If someone's having an off day, someone else is ready to step up. Honestly, even if someone's off in just a set, someone's always there to step up and pick up the slack. It's really awesome, and I'm so happy to be part of such a wonderful team where we all can support each other on and off the court."
The match began with Tulsa taking an immediate lead as Eitler scored the first point with a kill, assisted by Hipp. Tulsa maintained a narrow edge, with Hanson contributing with a service ace and a key kill, pushing the score to 14-10. Memphis rallied back, utilizing several Tulsa attack errors to tie the match at 16-16. During a tense finish, Hanson delivered a crucial kill to level the score at 22-22, but Memphis capitalized on Tulsa's errors and a decisive kill by Jasmyn Tate to edge out a 25-23 victory in the set.
In the second set, the Tigers pulled ahead with a series of impactful plays, including a service ace by Abigail Schlueter that widened their lead to 11-8. Tulsa responded with a kill by Vance, tying the score at 12-12. A service error by Tulsa allowed the home team to regain momentum, and Tate's kill extended their advantage. Despite Tulsa's efforts to close the gap, Zaniah Hoskins delivered crucial kills for Memphis, taking them to set point at 24-20. The set concluded with an attack error by Eitler, handing Memphis a 25-20 victory.
Tulsa secured the third set with a confident 25-16 victory over Memphis, leveraging a series of key plays and errors by their opponents. Vance initiated the momentum with a kill assisted by Hipp for the first point. Kat Cooper and Eitler were instrumental in building Tulsa's lead, each contributing multiple kills. Memphis struggled with attack errors, particularly from Hoskins, which were effectively blocked by Hanson and Vance. Despite a service ace from Madelyn Bach that briefly shifted momentum, Tulsa maintained control, and a final block by Vance and Cooper sealed the set.
Tulsa secured a decisive victory in the fourth set over Memphis, finishing 25-11. The set featured strong contributions from Tulsa's Beth Bayless and Eitler, each delivering key kills to extend their team's lead. Hipp played a pivotal role, assisting multiple scoring plays, including a kill by Cooper that pushed the score to 9-4. Memphis struggled to counter Tulsa's momentum, committing several attack errors and service errors that widened the gap. The set concluded with a kill by Bayless, assisted by Lauren Patterson, sealing the win for Tulsa.
Tulsa emerged victorious in the decisive fifth set against Memphis with a gritty 16-14 win. The set saw Memphis initially take a narrow lead, with Hoskins contributing three key kills early on. However, Tulsa responded with a series of strong plays, including a service ace by Brittany Bacorn, which tied the score at 9-9. Bayless delivered multiple kills, keeping Tulsa competitive, including one that evened the score at 11-11. Tulsa stayed calm down 14-13 and tied the set at 14-all with a kill by Eitler. The final push came from Hipp, whose service ace put Tulsa at match point, followed by a decisive kill from Hanson to seal the win.
Tulsa will head to Birmingham, Ala., to face UAB at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 19.
Tulsa's Top Performers
Kat Cooper
-----------------
- 16 kills on 31 attempts, .452 hitting percentage
- 5 total blocks
- 19 points
Lauren Eitler
-----------------
- 18 kills
- 15 digs
- 21 points
Brayden Hipp
-----------------
- 60 assists
- 11 digs
Jill Hanson
-----------------
- 10 kills on 21 attempts, .286 hitting percentage
- 7 total blocks
- 16 points
Memphis' Top Performers
Zaniah Hoskins
----------------------
- 16 kills
- 18 digs
- 19.0 points
- 4 block assists
Abigail Schlueter
----------------------
- 23 digs
- 3 assists
- 2 service aces
Janyah Henderson
----------------------
- 9 kills
- 3 block assists
- 10.5 points
Game Notes
- Tulsa extends their current win streak to five after taking down the Memphis Tigers in back-to-back matches.
- The Golden Hurricane have now won 16 of their last 17 matches this season and have emerged victorious in 19 of their last 24 outings dating back to the end of last season.
- Tulsa improves its all-time series lead over Memphis to 26-14. They've won the last six consecutive matchups and 12 of the last 14 meetings with the Tigers.
- Only five Tulsa attackers earned kills on the night; they all reached double-figures in kills.
- Hipp set another new career-high in assists, this time with 60.
- Eitler (18 kills) and Cooper (16 kills) each set new career-highs in kills.
- Tulsa had 85 team digs at 17 digs per set.
- Five Golden Hurricane registered 10 or more digs on the evening, led by Patterson's 16 digs.
- Hipp (60 assists/11 digs) recorded her seventh double-double this season and 29th of her career.
- Eitler (18 kills/15 digs) had her sixth double-double this year - the 15th of her career.
- Bayless (15), Hanson (10) and Vance (10) all had double-digits in kills.
- Hanson led the blocking effort with seven blocks, three of which were solos - a season-best.
- TU pulled off the reverse sweep, winning three straight sets after dropping the first two. Last time Tulsa did this was against Sam Houston on September 16, 2023.
2025 TICKETS
Single-game tickets are now on sale for $13 per ticket per match for ages 4 and older and can be purchased in advance at TulsaHurricane.com or at the entrance. Season tickets also start at just $50. Season ticket members will receive 1 (one) membership card per ticket that they order that will be good for all 2025 TU Volleyball regular-season home matches in the Donald W. Reynolds Center. No refunds for canceled games due to weather-related or any other cause. CLICK HERE to start the process of ordering tickets or call 918-631-4688.
Ball Kid Signups
The Tulsa Volleyball team is looking for ball kids for the 2025 season. Ball kids and one accompanying parent or guardian will receive free admission for games they sign up for. Ball kids will retrieve balls that go out of bounds on the sidelines for the entire game and provide a fresh ball for servers. Only ages 10-12 are allowed to participate. Individual and group signups will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis. Sign up by clicking HERE.
Visit www.TulsaHurricane.com for the latest news and information on the volleyball program. Fans can also follow the team on X, Facebook and Instagram.
Team Stats
Tulsa
Mem
Kills
69
53
Errors
22
21
Attempts
181
170
Hitting %
.260
.188
Points
90.0
65.0
Assists
67
48
Aces
9
4
Blocks
12
8
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
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