TU Advances to American Semifinal With 3-1 Win Over Florida Atlantic

Friday, November 21

Tampa, Fla.

6:30 p.m.

Tulsa

23-6,12-4American

(6) Florida Atlantic

19-11,10-6American

Fla. Atlantic

Tulsa

Photo by: Alina Lebedeva

TU Advances to American Semifinal With 3-1 Win Over Florida Atlantic

11/21/2025 10:35:00 PM | Volleyball

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

TAMPA, Fla. — Tulsa has advanced to the semifinal round of the American Conference Volleyball Championship after taking down No. 6 seed Florida Atlantic in a four-set winner (25-17, 25-17, 21-25, 25-19) in the quarterfinal on Friday. Tulsa's efficient attack was highlighted by a .516 hitting percentage in the first set, where the No. 3 seeded Golden Hurricane took control of the match and never looked back.

TU will take on the hosting and second-seeded South Florida Bulls Saturday, November 22, at 2 p.m. Central. The winner will play for the American title against the winner between No. 1 Rice and No. 5 Wichita State on Sunday at 12 p.m. Central.

Tulsa, who moves to 12-9 all-time in conference tournaments, earned their first-ever win in an American Championship match and got their first win in a conference tournament since 2012, which was their perfect 3-0 run to the Conference USA title.

The first set began with FAU taking an initial lead through a service ace by Zoe Winford. Tulsa responded with Jill Hanson and Kat Cooper contributing early kills, keeping the score close. Beth Bayless and Olivia Vance delivered crucial points, with Bayless recording multiple kills to help Tulsa pull ahead. TU capitalized on several FAU errors and maintained momentum, with Hanson sealing the set victory at 25-17 with a decisive kill from Brayden Hipp's assist.

Tulsa secured the second set against FAU with a decisive 25-17 victory. The set featured several notable contributions from Hanson, who ended the set with a kill, assisted by Hipp, marking her third kill in the final stretch. Tulsa capitalized on key service errors by FAU, including two early in the set, which helped them maintain momentum. Vance and Cooper also contributed significantly with timely kills, assisting Tulsa in pulling ahead after a tight start.

Tulsa started the third set with momentum, quickly establishing a 4-1 lead after a kill by Hanson and an attack error by Olivia Hart. FAU responded with a kill from Kierstin Bevelle, but Tulsa continued to build their lead to 8-2 due in part to a series of FAU errors. However, FAU fought back, narrowing the gap to 18-15 as Hart contributed multiple kills. Despite Tulsa's efforts to maintain their lead, FAU capitalized on a late surge, tying the set at 20-20 with a service ace by Emsley Venard. Hart's performance, including a decisive kill, helped FAU clinch the set 25-21.

Tulsa secured a 25-19 victory in the fourth set against FAU, with Vance leading the charge through several key plays. Early in the set, Vance recorded multiple kills, including one at 1-0 and another at 4-3, each assisted by Hipp. Tulsa capitalized on FAU's errors, including a service error at 13-10 and an attack error at 21-17, which helped extend their lead. Hanson contributed significantly with a decisive kill at 24-18, setting up match point. Vance closed out the set with a kill from Lauren Eitler, ensuring Tulsa's win.

Tulsa's Top Performers
Olivia Vance
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- 17 kills on 30 attempts with a .533 hitting percentage
- 19.0 points
- four block assists

Jill Hanson
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- 13 kills on 18 attempts with a .611 hitting percentage
- 16.5 points
- one solo block, five block assists

Brayden Hipp
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- 45 assists
- 15 digs

Lauren Eitler
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- 16 digs
- eight kills

Florida Atlantic's Top Performers
Olivia Hart
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- 19 kills
- 11 digs
- 20.5 points

Victoria Hensley
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- 20 assists
- 6 digs

Isabelle Northam
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- 19 digs
- 3 assists

Anna Hartman
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- 10 kills
- 2 total blocks
- 11.5 points

Maggie Allred
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- 5 kills
- 4 total blocks

Game Notes
- Tulsa earned its first-ever win in an American Championship match and first win in a conference tournament since 2012 (tournament champs that year).
- TU moves to 12-9 all-time in conference tournaments.
- Tulsa moved to 23-6 overall, the most wins by the Golden Hurricane since 2013 (24-7).
- The Golden Hurricane have won 23 of their last 27 matches this season and have emerged victorious in 26 of their last 34 outings dating back to the final five matches of last season.
- Brayden Hipp averaged 11.25 assists per set, helping Tulsa hit for .327 as a unit and leading three hitters to double-figures in kills.
- Hipp's 45 assists and 15 digs marks her 16th double-double this season and 38th of her career.
- Olivia Vance dominated the court with 17 kills with only one error on 30 swings, finishing at .533 on the night.
- Jill Hanson hit over .500 for the 13th time this season, hitting .611 on a 13-2-18 statline.
- Beth Bayless went up for 12 kills. It's her eighth double-figure kill contest and 34th of her career.
- Five Golden Hurricane had 10 digs or more during the match, including Lauren Eitler (16), Brayden Hipp (15), Brittany Bacorn (12), Lauren Patterson (11) and Maegan Mills (10).
- Tulsa won the blocking battle 8-5. Jill Hanson led all blockers with 6 blocks.

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.