Tulsa Beats Host South Florida 3-1 to Advance to American Championship Final

Saturday, November 22

Tampa, Fla.

2:00 p.m.

Tulsa

24-6,12-4American

(2) South Florida

17-12,12-4American

Tulsa

South Fla.

Photo by: Ben Soloman / American Conference

Tulsa Beats Host South Florida 3-1 to Advance to American Championship Final

11/22/2025 5:47:00 PM | Volleyball

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

Golden Hurricane to Play Top-Seeded Rice for the Conference Crown on Sunday

TAMPA, Fla. — Tulsa will play for the 2025 American Conference title after taking down No. 2 seed South Florida in four sets (26-24, 19-25, 25-23, 25-17) on the hosting Bulls' home court in Tampa during the American Championship semifinal on Saturday.

The third-seeded Golden Hurricane (24-6, 12-4 American) will be taking on No. 1 Rice (21-8, 15-1 American) at noon Central on Sunday, November 23, at The USF Corral on ESPN+. Tulsa seeks its first American title, first conference title since 2012 and seventh conference title in program history (four regular season championships and two tournament titles) tomorrow against the Owls, who the Golden Hurricane narrowly fell to in five sets in Houston back in September.

"I think we just know who we are," said Kat Cooper, who had four blocks and nine kills on .350 hitting. "We know that we play as a team, so being able to lean on each other in the hard moments, we know that everybody has each other's back.

"We have Brayden Hipp, the Setter of the Year. She knows how to run an offense. Anybody on this team can put the ball away, and she's going to find that person, and we're going to rally behind them."

Saturday's semifinal match commenced with South Florida taking an early 3-0 lead, highlighted by kills from Arianna Beckham and Laila Ivey, both assisted by Raegan Richardson. Tulsa responded with a brief rally, scoring on a service error and an attack error, but USF maintained control to extend their lead to 7-2. Tulsa gradually closed the gap with Beth Bayless and Jill Hanson each contributing kills, aided by Brayden Hipp's setting. A series of errors and strategic plays brought Tulsa within striking distance at 19-18, but USF managed to push back to 21-20. In a tense closing sequence, Tulsa tied the score at 22-22 following an attack error by Ivey. Kat Cooper and Hipp combined for a crucial block, giving Tulsa a 24-23 lead. South Florida's Maria Clara Andrade tied it again, but Bayless and Lauren Eitler sealed the set for Tulsa at 26-24 with consecutive kills, both set up by Hipp.

South Florida took control early in the second set with a series of scoring plays, building an 11-4 advantage. Andrade was instrumental during this run, contributing three consecutive kills and a service ace. Tulsa responded with a series of points, including kills by Eitler and Maegan Mills, narrowing the gap to 18-17. However, South Florida pulled away again with strong serving, including two service aces from Andrade, to reach a 24-18 lead. Taelyn Bentley secured the set for South Florida at 25-19 with a final kill from Richardson's set.

Tulsa secured a tightly contested third set over South Florida, winning 25-23. Hanson opened the scoring for Tulsa with a kill assisted by Hipp. The set remained closely matched, with both teams exchanging points frequently. Bayless and Cooper contributed significantly with key kills, while Hipp provided consistent assists. South Florida kept pace with standout performances from Ivey and Bentley. The set reached a critical juncture when a service error by USF and a subsequent attack error by Andrade handed Tulsa the final points needed to clinch the set.

Tulsa secured a decisive victory in the fourth set against South Florida with a score of 25-17. The set opened with Tulsa taking an early lead, capitalizing on attack errors from South Florida. Key contributions came from Hipp, who assisted multiple kills, including those by Hanson and Mills. South Florida struggled with consistent attack errors, including those from Andrade, which allowed Tulsa to maintain their lead. Eitler clinched the set for Tulsa with a final kill, assisted by Brittany Bacorn, sealing the match.

Tulsa's Top Performers
Brayden Hipp
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- 39 assists
- 14 digs
- 1 block assist

Lauren Eitler
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- 12 kills
- 7 digs
- 1 service ace

Kat Cooper
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- 9 kills
- 4 total blocks (1 solo, 3 assists)
- 11.5 points

Jill Hanson
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- 8 kills on 14 attempts with a .500 hitting percentage
- 2 block assists
- 9 points

Maegan Mills
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- 6 kills
- 9 digs
- 2 service aces

South Florida's Top Performers
Maria Clara Andrade
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- 18 kills
- 12 digs
- 21.0 points

Raegan Richardson
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- 42 assists
- 2 kills
- 5 digs

Taelyn Bentley
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- 7 kills
- 0.6 attack percentage
- 4 total blocks

Laila Ivey
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- 13 kills
- 3 total blocks
- 14.5 points

Game Notes
- Tulsa got their second-ever win in an American Conference Championship match, moving to 2-2 all-time in American Tournaments.
- TU has now won two conference tournament matches. The last time that happened, Tulsa won the 2012 C-USA Championship with back-to-back-to-back sweeps.
- The Golden Hurricane are now 13-9 all-time in conference championships.
- Tulsa moved to 24-6 overall, the best record by the Golden Hurricane since 2013 (24-7).
- Speaking of winning, the Golden Hurricane have won 24 of their last 28 matches this season and have emerged victorious in 27 of their last 35 outings dating back to the final five matches of last season.
- Sunday marks Tulsa's fourth-ever finals match for a conference title. TU is 2-1 when playing for the conference title (lost 2005 final, won 2007 and 2012 finals - all in C-USA).
- Hipp led TU with 39 assists (9.75) and 14 digs (3.5/set), earning her 17th double-double this year and 39th of her career.
- Eitler averaged three kills per set to lead all Tulsa hitters with 12 kills -- her 11th double-figure kill match this season and 20th of her career.
- Hanson hit for exactly .500 on the day (8-1-14). It's the 14th time this season she's surpassed that mark.
- Cooper led the front line with four blocks. She also had nine kills on .350 hitting.
- Tulsa never trailed in the fourth and final set.
- South Florida had four more hitting errors than Tulsa (23-19) and finished with 14 service errors to Tulsa's six.

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.