Tulsa Falls in Five Sets at Rice

Sunday, September 28

Houston, Texas

2:00 p.m.

Tulsa

11-3,1-1American

Rice

5-8,1-1American

Tulsa

Rice

Tulsa Falls in Five Sets at Rice

9/28/2025 4:54:00 PM | Volleyball

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

HOUSTON, Texas — In a tense five-set match at Tudor Fieldhouse, Rice defeated the University of Tulsa (11-3, 1-1 American) with scores of 22-25, 23-25, 25-15, 25-18, 15-11. Despite taking the first two sets, the Golden Hurricane was unable to hold off the reverse sweep by the Owls, dropping their first match since August 30.

The first set between Tulsa and Rice began with a swift exchange of points, highlighted by Jill Hanson's opening kill for the Golden Hurricane. Rice responded with a series of scoring plays, including Taylor Preston's consistent kills, to take a narrow 5-3 lead. Tulsa then mounted a comeback, with Olivia Vance contributing three crucial kills, eventually tying the set at 9-9. Mid-set, Tulsa gained momentum through key plays by Maegan Mills and Brittany Bacorn, surging ahead with a 19-16 lead. Despite a late push by Rice, including back-to-back kills by Kellen Dorotik, Tulsa secured the set 25-22 with a decisive kill by Lauren Eitler, assisted by Bacorn.

Tulsa secured a narrow 25-23 victory in the second set, highlighted by a series of critical plays. Beth Bayless was instrumental, recording multiple kills, including a crucial point at 24-23 that put Tulsa ahead. Hanson also contributed significantly with key blocks and kills that kept Tulsa competitive throughout the set. Rice's Preston led her team with several important kills, but service errors at pivotal moments hindered their momentum. The set concluded with a bad set by Kaia Mateo, sealing Tulsa's win.

Rice secured a commanding 25-15 victory in the third set. The set began with Tulsa's Eitler securing the opening point with a kill assisted by Brayden Hipp. However, Rice quickly responded with effective playmaking from Mateo, who assisted on several points, including kills by Arissa Smith and Preston. Rice capitalized on Tulsa's errors and maintained their lead, extending it to 16-6 with consecutive service aces from Mateo. Despite a late push from Tulsa with kills by Vance and Hipp, Rice's strong blocking, exemplified by Mateo and Smith on the final point, sealed the set.

Rice secured the fourth set with a 25-18 victory, highlighted by early dominance and a strong finish. Rice began with a four-point run, including kills from Mateo and Dorotik, to lead 4-0. Tulsa responded with a series of kills, narrowing the gap to 4-3, but Rice maintained control. Smith contributed critical points, including a kill at 11-8 and a block to increase the lead to 15-11. Stephanie Gutierrez delivered key plays, including a kill to make it 23-18, and later assisted in blocking an attack by Vance, clinching the set at 25-18.

The fifth set began with Tulsa's Lauren Patterson delivering a service ace to open the scoring. However, Rice quickly responded, and the teams traded points, maintaining a tight contest. Preston emerged as a key player, contributing multiple kills, including one at the 8-5 mark, to help Rice gain a slight edge. Tulsa's Mills and Eitler managed to keep the team competitive with kills of their own, but Rice capitalized on several Tulsa attack errors. A decisive kill by Preston, assisted by Mateo, sealed the set and match for Rice, concluding with a 15-11 victory.

The next challenge for Tulsa is a road match against Wichita State. The teams will face off on Friday, October 3, at 7 p.m. in Wichita, Kan.

Tulsa's Top Performers
Jill Hanson
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- 13 kills on 21 attempts with a .524 hitting percentage
- two solo blocks
- 16 points total

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

Beth Bayless
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- 10 kills on 37 attempts with a .189 hitting percentage
- eight digs
- 10.5 points total

Maegan Mills
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- 11 kills on 23 attempts with a .348 hitting percentage
- 11.5 points total

Brayden Hipp
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- 26 assists
- three kills on six attempts with a .500 hitting percentage
- one service ace

Rice's Top Performers
Taylor Preston
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- 25 kills
- .364 attack percentage
- 26.0 points

Arissa Smith
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- 10 kills
- 7 total blocks
- 15.5 points

Kaia Mateo
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- 34 assists
- 10 digs
- 3 total blocks

Stephanie Gutierrez
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- .857 attack percentage
- 4 total blocks
- 8.0 points

Game Notes
- Rice extends the all-time series lead to 24-18.
- Bacorn earned another double-double, this time with 20 assists and 14 digs.
- Hanson hit for .524 on a 13-2-21 clip from the floor.
- Four Golden Hurricane players reached 10 or more kills on the day.
- Three Tulsa players had double-figures in digs.

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.