Tulsa Downs Oklahoma in Four Sets

Friday, September 5

Fayetteville, Ark.

4:00 p.m.

Tulsa

3-2,0-0American

Oklahoma

3-1,0-0SEC

Tulsa

Oklahoma

Tulsa Downs Oklahoma in Four Sets

9/5/2025 6:30:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Tulsa (3-2) defeated Oklahoma (3-1) in a four-set match on Friday at Arkansas' Wooo Pig Invitational in Barnhill Arena, with scores of 15-25, 25-20, 25-16, 25-23. It's the Golden Hurricane's first win over OU since 2011, snapping a four-match losing streak to the Sooners.

Oklahoma's nine service aces were not enough to overcome Tulsa's balanced attack, highlighted by a .341 hitting percentage in the second set. The Sooners take their first loss of the season after receiving votes in the latest NCAA Top 25 Rankings.

"This was a huge win for our program," Head Coach Lauren Ramatowski said. "To beat a team we haven't topped since 2011 says a lot about the growth of this group. Beth Bayless was steady and efficient, hitting .364, and Kat Cooper was just outstanding — .400 with zero errors — that's the kind of execution that wins games. Overall, we played a really clean, smart game of volleyball. We stayed consistent, made the right adjustments, and played with a ton of heart against a very physical opponent. This is a committed group of young athletes who show up every day ready to work, and what I love most is how they celebrate each other every step of the way."

The first set saw Oklahoma take an early lead, highlighted by KJ Burgess's kill from Avaya Maga, to start the match. Tulsa quickly responded with a kill by Beth Bayless to tie the score. However, Oklahoma's Emoni Bush played a pivotal role, contributing multiple kills, including a crucial one from Harper Hall that extended their lead to 11-5. Despite Tulsa's brief rally with Jill Hanson's kill and a service ace by Brittany Bacorn, Oklahoma maintained control. The set concluded with an attack error from Tulsa's Jill Hanson, giving Oklahoma a 25-15 victory.

Tulsa opened the second set with two consecutive points, including a kill from Bayless assisted by Lauren Eitler, setting an early tone. Oklahoma then responded with a series of successful plays from Burgess, turning the score to 3-6 in their favor. However, Tulsa quickly regained momentum with a key kill by Eitler and a service error by Oklahoma, leveling the score at 6-6. As the set progressed, Tulsa capitalized on attack errors by Oklahoma and notable contributions from Olivia Vance and Hanson, building a lead. Despite Oklahoma's attempts to close the gap with kills from Bush, Tulsa maintained control, benefiting from a service error to secure the set, 25-20.

Tulsa began the third set with a strong start, capitalizing on two consecutive attack errors by Oklahoma's Tekoa Barnes to take an early 2-0 lead. Bayless then delivered a service ace at 5-3, initiating a Tulsa scoring streak that extended their lead to 8-3. Oklahoma struggled to regain momentum, hindered by multiple errors, including attack errors by Bush and Kamille Gibson, which allowed Tulsa to extend their advantage to 13-4. Although Oklahoma attempted to rally, with Gibson contributing kills, Tulsa maintained control, ultimately closing out the set 25-16 with a decisive kill from Vance, assisted by Lauren Patterson.

In the fourth set, Tulsa established early dominance with a 7-0 run, highlighted by two consecutive kills from Kat Cooper and a service ace, which forced Oklahoma to regroup. Despite an initial response from Oklahoma, which included two service aces by Sydney Thompson to narrow the margin to 8-5, Tulsa maintained their lead. Oklahoma managed to claw back to tie the score at 11-11, but Tulsa's Hanson and Bayless provided key kills to extend Tulsa's advantage. As the match neared its conclusion, Tulsa fended off a late surge from Oklahoma, sealing a 25-23 victory with Vance's decisive kill.

Looking ahead, Tulsa will wrap up the tournament against the hosting Razorbacks tomorrow at 7 p.m.

Tulsa's Top Performers
Kat Cooper
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- 6 kills (0 errors, 15 attempts) with a .400 hitting percentage
- 1 solo block, 3 block assists
- 9.5 points total

Beth Bayless
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- 11 kills (3 errors, 22 attempts) with a .364 hitting percentage
- 2 service aces
- 13.0 points total

Lauren Patterson
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- 15 digs
- 1 service ace

Brittany Bacorn
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- 1 kill on 1 attempt for a 1.000 hitting percentage
- 12 assists

Oklahoma's Top Performers
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Emoni Bush
- 14 kills
- 17.0 points
- 2 service aces

KJ Burgess
- 8 kills
- 3 blocks
- 0.538 hitting percentage

Alexis Shelton
- 13 kills
- 14.0 points
- 3 digs

Dionii Fraga
- 15 digs
- 1.0 hitting percentage

Harper Hall
- 15 assists
- 1.0 hitting percentage

Game Notes:
- Tulsa snapped a four-match losing streak to Oklahoma, earning their first win since 2011.
- Against her former team, Bayless led the Golden Hurricane in kills with 11.
- Bayless also enjoyed her 26th career double-figure kill match.
- Tulsa never trailed in the third set.

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.