Golden Hurricane Earns 3-1 Victory at Wichita State

Friday, October 3

Wichita, Kan.

7:00 p.m.

Tulsa

12-3,2-1American

Wichita State

10-5,2-1American

Tulsa

Wichita St.

Photo by: Alina Lebedeva

Golden Hurricane Earns 3-1 Victory at Wichita State

10/3/2025 9:56:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Season Stats (PDF)

WICHITA, Kan. — Tulsa (12-3, 2-1 American) overcame Wichita State (10-5, 2-1 American) in a four-set winner Friday night at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, winning 16-25, 25-19, 32-30, 25-14. The Golden Hurricane not only snapped a 13-match losing streak to the Shockers, but they also earned their first road win at Wichita State since 1980, snapping a 24-match losing streak dating back to 1980.

Tulsa's offense on Friday was highlighted by a crucial third-set rally, turning the tide of the match and clinching the set 32-30 before sealing the victory in the fourth.

"Excited for this win," said Maegan Mills, who finished with a team-leading 20 kills from the floor. "To go out and do it with my team was great. We scouted this team so hard, and it was great to see everyone's hard work pay off. It was good to get a win here."

The opening set between Tulsa and the Shockers began with a service error by Wichita State's Jordan Heatherly, giving Tulsa an early lead. Tulsa maintained momentum with kills from Jill Hanson and Olivia Vance, assisted by Brayden Hipp, to push the score to 5-2. However, Wichita State quickly turned things around with a significant run, capitalizing on Tulsa's errors to seize a 9-5 advantage. Sydney Dunning and McKenzie Jones contributed key kills during this stretch. Despite a late rally by Tulsa, with Kat Cooper registering a kill, Wichita State closed out the set 25-16, highlighted by Elinor Engel's decisive kill.

Tulsa secured the second set against the Shockers with a 25-19 victory, highlighted by significant contributions from multiple players. After a close exchange of points early in the set, Tulsa pulled ahead with a series of successful plays, including a kill by Cooper from Hipp, which tied the score at 16-16. Olivia Vance then delivered consecutive kills, the last of which, set by Lauren Patterson, sealed the set. Wichita State's Brooklyn Leggett and Maddie Wilson were notable in their efforts to keep the match competitive, but Tulsa's late 5-0 run proved decisive.

In a closely contested third set, Tulsa edged the Shockers 32-30 after a dramatic back-and-forth battle. Maegan Mills and Beth Bayless were instrumental for Tulsa, consistently converting key kills, with Mills contributing the decisive block alongside Hanson to seal the set. Wichita State's Dunning was a strong presence, delivering several crucial kills from setups by Heatherly. However, service errors from both sides kept the set in constant tension, ultimately allowing Tulsa to capitalize on Wichita State's mistakes for the narrow victory.

Tulsa secured a decisive 25-14 victory in the fourth set against the Shockers, highlighted by consistent offensive plays and errors by Wichita State. Mills led Tulsa with a strong performance, recording crucial kills at 22-14, 23-14, and 24-14, all assisted by Hipp. Wichita State struggled to maintain momentum, committing multiple attack errors, which Tulsa capitalized on to widen their lead. Cooper and Hanson also contributed to Tulsa's offense with key kills, while a service ace and blocks put additional pressure on Wichita State, ultimately securing the set and match for the visiting team.

Tulsa and Wichita State will bring the action home to the Donald W. Reynolds Center on Sunday, October 5, at 1 p.m.

Tulsa's Top Performers
Maegan Mills
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- 20 kills on .286 hitting percentage
- one service ace
- 22.0 total points

Kat Cooper
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- 14 kills on .440 hitting percentage
- two block assists
- 15.0 total points

Brayden Hipp
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- 52 assists
- 19 digs
- one solo block

Lauren Patterson
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- 18 digs
- two service aces

Jill Hanson
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- nine kills on .500 hitting percentage
- four block assists
- 11.0 total points

Wichita State's Top Performers
Sydney Dunning
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- 14 kills
- 10 digs
- 15.5 points

Maddie Wilson
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- 7 kills
- 5 total blocks
- 0.6 hitting percentage

Jordan Heatherly
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- 28 assists
- 1 service ace
- 6 digs

Game Notes
- Tulsa snapped a 13-match losing streak to the Shockers, getting their first win since September 27, 2019. The all-time series moves to 45-16 Wichita State.
- The Golden Hurricane got their first win against the Shockers in Wichita since 1980, snapping a 24-match losing streak in such contests.
- Freshman Mills had a breakout performance for Tulsa, finishing with a season-best 20 kills to lead the attack.
- Hipp finished with a career-high 52 assists, averaging 13 per set and peaking with 17 in the third set.
- The third set (32-30) was the highest-scoring set for Tulsa this season, matching last season's 32-30 fourth-set win at Missouri State.
- Hipp earned her fourth double-double this season with 52 assists and 19 digs. It's the 26th of her career.

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.