Tulsa Sweeps New Mexico State and Oral Roberts to Open Home Action

Friday, September 19

Tulsa, Okla.

11:00 a.m.

Tulsa

8-2,0-0American

New Mexico State

7-4,0-0CUSA

New Mexico St.

Tulsa

Photo by: Anais Moua

Tulsa Sweeps New Mexico State and Oral Roberts to Open Home Action

9/19/2025 9:15:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 NMSU Box Score (PDF)ORU Box Score (PDF)Season Stats (PDF)Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

TULSA, Okla. — The Tulsa volleyball team (9-2) is firing on all cylinders after earning back-to-back three-set victories over New Mexico State (25-19, 25-18, 25-13) and Oral Roberts (25-16, 25-13, 25-15) on Friday to open the Tulsa Volleyball Invitational at Donald W. Reynolds Center. The Golden Hurricane have now won nine matches in a row and will look to close out the non-conference schedule Saturday with a 10^th consecutive win when they face Little Rock at 7 p.m.

Tulsa 3, New Mexico State 0 -------

Tulsa secured a first-set victory over New Mexico State (7-5) with a 25-19 scoreline. The game began evenly, with both teams exchanging points, but Tulsa pulled ahead with a critical 5-0 run from 12-12 to 17-12, highlighted by a service ace and multiple attack errors by the opposition. Brayden Hipp was instrumental for Tulsa, consistently setting up scoring opportunities, including kills by Kat Cooper and Lauren Eitler. Jill Hanson contributed significantly with a series of kills and a block that helped halt New Mexico State's momentum late in the set. Despite a late surge by their opponent, Tulsa maintained composure, with Cooper delivering the set-winning kill.

In the second set, Tulsa started strong with an early 5-1 lead, fueled by a kill from Maegan Mills and a service ace. New Mexico State managed to close the gap to 7-6, but Eitler and Olivia Vance responded with key kills to maintain their edge. A back-and-forth sequence ensued, with the score tied at 15-15, highlighted by Jaelynn Kohli and Mia Fox contributing crucial points for New Mexico State. Tulsa then pulled away with a pivotal 4-0 run, capitalizing on consecutive errors from New Mexico State, including blocks by Cooper. Mills sealed the set with a final kill, giving Tulsa a 25-18 victory.

Tulsa opened the third set with a strong start, capitalizing on a kill by Vance and consecutive attack errors by their opponent to take a 3-0 lead. New Mexico State responded with a pair of service aces by Jacqueline Corcoran, leveling the score. However, Tulsa regained momentum with a 5-1 run, highlighted by Eitler's two kills and a service ace by Lauren Patterson, extending the lead. As the set progressed, Tulsa's offense was relentless; Mills contributed back-to-back kills, and Brittany Bacorn's block, alongside Cooper, forced multiple errors from New Mexico State. Despite a brief push from their opponent, Tulsa closed the set decisively with Ava Steffe's kill, securing a 25-13 victory.

Tulsa's Top Performers
Lauren Eitler
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- 13 kills with a .414 hitting percentage
- 12 digs
- three assists
- one service ace

Kat Cooper
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- five total blocks
- five kills
- 8.5 points

Brayden Hipp
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- 29 assists
- six digs
- two block assists

Brittany Bacorn
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- 17 digs
- one service ace

Maegan Mills
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- eight kills with a .444 hitting percentage
- one service ace
- 9.5 points

New Mexico State's Top Performers
Nellie Reese
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- 6 assists
- 6 digs
- 1.0 attack percentage

Tess Fuqua
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- 7 kills
- 7 digs
- 8.5 points

Makayla Martinez
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- 18 digs
- 5 assists

Kate Sinclair
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- 6 total blocks
- 5.0 points

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Tulsa 3, Oral Roberts 0 --------

In the 85^th Mayor's Cup battle between the TU and ORU volleyball teams, the Golden Hurricane came out on top once again, increasing its current win streak over the Golden Eagles (0-9) to 16 and cutting ORU's series lead down to 56-29.

Tulsa opened the first set with a kill by Olivia Vance, setting the tone for an intense period. Oral Roberts briefly took control with a service ace by Sophie Johnson, contributing to a 4-1 lead. However, Tulsa responded with a powerful run, highlighted by multiple kills from Vance and Jill Hanson, bringing the score to 15-9 in Tulsa's favor. Brayden Hipp's impressive playmaking resulted in several key assists, allowing the team to extend their lead. Despite a late surge from the visitors, Tulsa secured the set with a decisive kill from Kat Cooper, concluding the set 25-16.

Tulsa secured a commanding 25-13 victory in the second set against the visitors, marked by a series of notable scoring runs. Vance opened the scoring with two consecutive kills assisted by Hipp, setting the tone early. A pivotal 5-0 run extended Tulsa's lead to 7-1, highlighted by kills from Cooper and Hanson and a block by Cooper and Vance. Despite some resistance from the opponents, including kills by Hayden Hart and Hope Hickman, Tulsa maintained control, with Hipp contributing multiple assists throughout the set. Tulsa closed the set strongly, capitalizing on attack errors by the visitors to seal the win.

In the third set, Tulsa secured a decisive 25-15 victory over their opponents, highlighted by multiple scoring streaks. Tulsa opened with a strong 5-1 lead, featuring an ace from Hipp and kills by Vance and Hanson. The scoring continued for Tulsa, with Maegan Mills contributing a kill to extend the lead to 10-6, while Hipp maintained offensive pressure with multiple assists. Despite a momentary rally from the visitors, Tulsa's offense, led by Vance, proved too potent. The set concluded with Tulsa capitalizing on an attack error by Mallorie Swartz, sealing the set victory.

Tulsa's Top Performers
Olivia Vance
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- 15 kills on a .636 hitting percentage
- two block assists
- 16 points

Brayden Hipp
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- 31 assists
- eight digs
- two service aces

Lauren Patterson
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- 15 digs
- six assists
- one service ace

Oral Roberts' Top Performers
Hope Hickman
- 11 kills
- .385 hitting percentage
- 11 points

Rachel Resta
- 17 assists
- 9 digs

Julia Carr
- 13 digs
- 3 assists

2025 SEASON TICKETS
Starting at just $50, season ticket members will receive one membership card per ticket ordered that will be good for all 2025 Tulsa volleyball regular season home matches in the Donald W. Reynolds Center. Season tickets are not valid for any postseason games. 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.