Golden Hurricane Prevail in Five Sets over UTEP

Saturday, August 29

Las Cruces, N.M.

4:00 p.m.

University of Tulsa

2-0,0-0American

UTEP

0-1,0-0Mountain West

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Final F
UTEP	24	25	25	20	7	2
Tulsa	26	18	18	25	15	3

Golden Hurricane Prevail in Five Sets over UTEP

8/29/2026 7:32:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score Photo Gallery

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — In the 57th all-time meeting between Tulsa and UTEP, the Golden Hurricane (2-0) edged out the Miners (0-1) in a five-set thriller at the Pan American Center on Saturday, securing a 3-2 victory with set scores of 26-24, 18-25, 18-25, 25-20, and 15-7.

Junior Brittany Bacorn settled further into her new full-time starting role as the team's go-to setter, averaging 9.2 assists per set to finish with a new career high of 46 assists. She helped three different Golden Hurricane hitters reach 10 or more kills, including Maegan Mills (14), Emma Blaine (11) and Jill Hanson (10).

Blaine not only excelled on offense but also stood out on defense with a team-high five blocks, two of which were solo. Also pushed defense to success was senior libero Lauren Patterson, who earned 20 digs on the day at a rate of four per set.

The first set began with Tulsa taking an early lead, aided by Hanson's kill with an assist from Bacorn. Olivia Vance added to the momentum with a service ace, pushing the score to 2-0. UTEP responded with Lauren Perry's kill, but the Golden Hurricane maintained their advantage through consistent play, including a block from Campbell Hague and Blaine. The set remained competitive as UTEP tied the score at 19-19, but Tulsa edged ahead with key plays by Mills and Vance. The set concluded dramatically with Vance's kill and a Luvina Oguntimehin attack error, securing Tulsa's 26-24 victory.

UTEP claimed a decisive second set, outpacing the Golden Hurricane with a 25-18 victory. The set saw several key plays, including Perry's standout performance with multiple kills, contributing significantly to the visitors' score. Tulsa's offense, led by Mills and Blaine, attempted to keep pace, with Mills delivering a critical kill at 17-13 and Blaine adding another at 19-15. However, UTEP's consistent scoring and a service ace by the team took them to set point, which was clinched by Oguntimehin's final kill, solidifying their lead in the match.

Tulsa opened the third set with a strong 4-0 run, highlighted by kills from Blaine and Isabella Ocampo, and an effective block by Hanson. However, UTEP responded with a series of blocks and kills, notably by Mackenzi Davis, to close the gap and eventually take an 8-5 lead. Despite efforts from Tulsa, including multiple kills from Blaine, UTEP maintained its momentum with Davis securing crucial points. UTEP closed the set with a decisive 25-18 victory, as Perry sealed the set with a kill from Shea Bruntmyer.

In the fourth set, Tulsa gained momentum with a series of effective plays. Early in the set, Hanson contributed crucial kills, aided by Bacorn's assists. The Golden Hurricane capitalized on UTEP's errors, including three service errors, to maintain a lead. Ocampo and Mills each delivered key kills, pushing Tulsa forward. Despite UTEP's attempts to close the gap with consistent play from Landry Braziel and Oguntimehin, Tulsa secured the set with a decisive kill by Ocampo, ending the set 25-20 in Tulsa's favor.

Tulsa secured a decisive victory in the fifth set against UTEP, closing the match with a 15-7 score. The Hurricane capitalized on UTEP's errors, including a critical service error at 4-6 and a series of attack errors that widened the lead. Blaine's block and Hanson's consistent kills were pivotal early on, keeping the score tight before Tulsa surged ahead. Ocampo's serving was particularly effective, notching multiple aces that contributed to the home team's momentum. Hague sealed the match with a decisive kill, marking a strong finish for Tulsa.

TU will wrap up the NMSU Volleyball Jamborree against New Mexico on Sunday, Aug. 30 at 1 p.m. CT at the Pan American Center in Las Cruces, N.M.

Tulsa Top Performers
Emma Blaine
-----------------
- 11 kills with a .280 hitting percentage
- 5 total blocks
- 14.5 points

Brittany Bacorn
-----------------
- 46 assists
- 8 digs

Maegan Mills
-----------------
- 14 kills with a .233 hitting percentage
- 7 digs
- 14 points

Lauren Patterson
-----------------
- 20 digs

Isabella Ocampo
-----------------
- 3 service aces
- 8 digs
- 10 points

UTEP's Top Performers
Lauren Perry
----------------------
- 16 points
- 14 kills
- 16 digs

Luvina Oguntimehin
----------------------
- 16.5 points
- 15 kills
- .458 attack percentage

Hannah Crowe
----------------------
- 10 points
- 8 total blocks
- 5 kills

Game Notes:
- In the 57th all-time meeting between the Golden Hurricane and UTEP, Tulsa came out on top, 3-2, to clip UTEP's series lead to 29-28.
- Tulsa improves to 70-74 all-time in season-opening tournaments.
- Bacorn averaged 9.2 assists per set en route to a career-high 46 assists.
- Blaine set a new career-high in kills with 11. She also tied her career-best in blocks with five rejections.
- Patterson finished with 20 digs, averaged four per set. It's the 20th time in her career she's recorded double-figures in digs and the fifth time she's hit 20+.
- Mills produced a team-high 14 kills while Blaine boosted the defense with five blocks, two of which were solo.

TICKETS
Single-game tickets are now on sale for $12 per ticket per match for ages 4 and older and can be purchased in advance at TulsaHurricane.com or at the entrance of the Donald W. Reynolds Center. 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 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 SIGNUP
The Tulsa volleyball team is looking for ball kids for the 2026 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.