Ladyjacks Open Tulsa Invitational With Four Set Win over Host Hurricane

Friday, September 10

Tulsa, OK

NOON

Stephen F. Austin

4-2,0-0WAC

Tulsa

2-2,0-0AAC

SFA

Tulsa

Ladyjacks Open Tulsa Invitational With Four Set Win over Host Hurricane

9/10/2021 5:08:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

TULSA, OK -- The SFA Volleyball team wasted little time making a statement at the Tulsa Invitational on Friday, besting the hosts in four sets inside the Reynolds Center. The 'Jacks took the opening set, 25-17, dropped a 26-28 score to Tulsa in the second set, then rattled off 25-20 and 25-14 victories in sets three and four to round out the victory and improve to 5-2 overall on the campaign.

SET ONE
The opening set of play was a back and forth affair, with six lead changes and numerous ties in the opening portion of the set. Finally, with the Ladyjacks holding a slim 11-10 lead, an 8-2 run allowed them to open up a substantial 19-12 lead. The run was buoyed by six Tulsa errors as well as kills by Ielan Bradley and Ariana Pagan. The 'Jacks then won six of the next 10 points to close out the set, helped by another five miscues by the Hurricane.

SET TWO
The 'Jacks would jump out to a quick 3-0 lead in the second set, only to see Tulsa score three quick points in return to knot things up at 3-3. Later in the set, the 'Jacks were able to carve out a 16-11 lead thanks to a 4-1 run and kills by Taya Mitchell and Leah Powell, but the home side wittled that down to 18-16 off a kill and Ladyjack error. SFA again surged ahead, this time getting a kill from Pagan and Payton Cerny, a block by Pagan and Ashley Procious, and a Kodi Garcia service ace to take a 22-16 edge. Undeterred, Tulsa would go on a late 7-1 run and knot things up at 24-24, and would go on to prevail in the set by a 28-26 score.

SET THREE
SFA powered its way out to an 11-5 lead in the third set, capitalizing on miscues by Tulsa as well as timely accurate hitting from Procious, Mitchell and Powell to cap off the surge. The 'Jacks weren't able to run away with things, however, yielding a counter by the Hurricane that saw them tie the set up at 15-15. The Ladyjacks were able to lock in down the stretch, however, winning ten of the set's final fifteen points to win the frame, 25-20. A Bryli Contreras kill and four Tulsa errors provided SFA the final push to eke out the set victory.

SET FOUR
With victory within grasp, SFA was all business in the fourth set, jumping out to a 10-3 lead and never relenting from there. A 6-2 run, boosted by a pair of kills apiece from Hailey Hunt and Ielan Bradley, built up a 16-6 advantage for SFA. The 'Jacks kept the Hurricanes at bay the rest of the way, as the lead didn't shrink below nine on the way to a final score of 25-14.

LADYJACK NOTABLES
• The Ladyjacks hit .234 as a team and notched a total of 54 kills on the day. By contrast, the hosts were held to just a .098 attack percentage and were blocked a total of 13 times by SFA, led by seven rejections from Procious and six from Mitchell.
• Leah Powell led the way for the 'Jacks with 12 total kills, followed by Ariana Pagan with 11 and Mitchell with eight.
• Maddy Borque and Garcia tied for the team lead with 22 assists apiece.
• Alysaa Ortega posted a team-high 21 digs, while Pagan notched 14 and Powell had 12.