Golden Hurricane Beats Arkansas to go Undefeated in Wooo Pig Invitational

Saturday, September 6

Fayetteville, Ark.

7:00 p.m.

Tulsa

4-2,0-0American

Arkansas

1-3,0-0SEC

Tulsa

Arkansas

Golden Hurricane Beats Arkansas to go Undefeated in Wooo Pig Invitational

9/6/2025 10:24:00 PM | Volleyball

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

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Tulsa (4-2) defeated the University of Arkansas (1-3) in four sets (21-25, 25-19, 25-19, 25-23) Saturday to win the 2025 Wooo Pig Invitational with a perfect 3-0 record over the last three days.

The Golden Hurricane have now won two in a row over the Razorbacks. Three TU players finished in double-digits for kills thanks to a monster performance by setter Brayden Hipp, who recorded a career-best 45 assists to go with eight digs, three kills, two aces and two blocks.

"This was a huge weekend for our team, going 3-0 against some really tough competition," Head Coach Lauren Ramatowski said. "That final win against a very talented Arkansas squad, with their physical pin hitters, was a true test for us. I'm proud of the way we played defense—three of our players had over 12 digs. Lauren Eitler was outstanding, leading us with 13 kills, and our middles were incredibly efficient, chipping in 11 and 9 kills each from Kat Cooper and Jill Hanson, respectively. Brayden Hipp did a wonderful job again at leading our offense to an impressive .240 hitting percentage against a very talented team. I'm just incredibly proud of this group. They continue to grow, learn, and most importantly, celebrate each other every step of the way."

In Set 1, Tulsa and the Razorbacks exchanged early points, with Jill Hanson and Journey Peppers each securing kills for their respective teams. Arkansas gained a brief advantage with a 3-1 lead, supported by a kill from Romani Thurman. However, Tulsa quickly responded with a 6-0 run, highlighted by three consecutive kills from Beth Bayless and a service ace from Quinn Swofford, bringing the score to 9-4 in favor of Tulsa. Arkansas fought back, tying the score at 16-16 through a series of kills from Parker Duncan and Lauryn Lambert. Arkansas capitalized on service aces from Kiki Remensperger to take a 21-19 lead. Despite a late kill by Olivia Vance for Tulsa, the Razorbacks closed the set with a 25-21 victory, with Thurman's kill sealing the set.

Tulsa began Set 2 aggressively, capitalizing on Arkansas' errors to establish an early 2-0 advantage. A series of kills from Lauren Eitler, assisted by Hipp, extended Tulsa's lead to 6-2. The Razorbacks attempted to regain momentum with Lambert's kills but couldn't halt Tulsa's surge. Significant contributions from Bayless and Kat Cooper helped Tulsa maintain control, culminating in a decisive scoring run that included a service ace by Lauren Patterson to reach a 25-19 victory in the set. Despite Arkansas' efforts, Tulsa's offensive consistency and strategic plays secured the set win.

Tulsa established a strong start in Set 3 against Arkansas, taking an early lead with Cooper's kill to start the set and maintaining momentum with a series of effective plays, never giving up the lead or allowing the score to be tied even once in the set. Hipp's setting was instrumental, contributing to multiple kills, including those by Vance and Bayless, to push Tulsa's lead to 12-5. Maegan Mills further extended the advantage with consecutive service aces, prompting a tactical response from Arkansas. Despite a brief rally from Arkansas that closed the gap to 20-17, Tulsa's Bayless and Cooper secured critical points in the final stretch, leading to a 25-19 victory for Tulsa in the set.

In Set 4, Tulsa opened with a 5-2 lead, highlighted by a block from Hanson and Hipp and a kill by Cooper. The Razorbacks struggled with errors, allowing Tulsa to extend the lead to 9-5, with a service ace from Hipp. Tulsa maintained momentum, with repeated contributions from Hanson, Eitler, and Vance, bringing the score to 20-13. A late surge by Arkansas, including consecutive kills from Thurman and a block on Cooper, narrowed Tulsa's advantage to 22-21. However, Tulsa capitalized on a Duncan ball handling error and a service error to reach set point. Eitler's decisive kill secured the set for Tulsa at 25-23.

Looking ahead, Tulsa will travel to San Marcos, Texas, to face Texas State and Incarnate Word in the Texas State Invitational on Sept. 12-13.

Tulsa's Top Performers
Kat Cooper
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- 11 kills (4 errors, 29 attempts, .241 hitting percentage)
- six total blocks
- 15.0 points

Lauren Eitler
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- 13 kills (3 errors, 35 attempts, .286 hitting percentage)
- 16 digs
- 15.0 points

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

Lauren Patterson
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- 18 digs
- one service ace

Jill Hanson
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- nine kills (2 errors, 17 attempts, .412 hitting percentage)
- four block assists
- 11.0 points

Arkansas' Top Performers
Zoi Evans
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- 3 kills
- 4 block assists
- 5.0 points

Romani Thurman
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- 14 kills
- 4 block assists
- 16.0 points

Livia Niu
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- 10 assists
- 8 digs

Kayla Robertson
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- 13 points
- 5 total blocks
- 13 digs

Game Notes
- Tulsa has now won two straight against Arkansas, clipping the overall series down to 10-7.
- Three players finished with 10 or more kills, including Eitler (13), Bayless (12), and Cooper (11).
- Hipp earned a career-high 45 assists, averaging out to 11.25 per set. She peaked with 15 alone in the second set.
- Patterson enjoyed a career-best 18 digs.
- Cooper tied her career-high in blocks with six.
- 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.