Sports editor Jaralynn Tammi Morellano says Tulsa earned its first conference loss of the season.
The University of Tulsa Volleyball team traveled down to our neighbors down in Texas to face North Texas University Mean Green. Unfortunately, its travels reaped no rewards as the Golden Hurricane found itself stumped 1-3 to North Texas. This loss brought Tulsa to a 4-3 conference record (12-7 overall). North Texas improves to 5-2 in the AAC (8-10 overall).
The first set saw some very aggressive plays from both teams and the teams went into a long rally just as the score reached 2-2. North Texas stole the point and continued on to go on a 7-2 scoring run to take an early mounting lead of 4-9. It would not let up its dominating plays, the Mean Green recording five service aces in this set alone. Tulsa continued to trip over itself for the remainder of the set and fell 12-25.
A fire seemed to be lit in the Golden Hurricane going into this set as TU started to rise from its ashes left behind from the set prior. Tusla mirrored the Mean Green to take a 9-4 lead to kick it back a taste of its own medicine. North Texas refused to be kicked down and stayed close behind Tulsa for the rest of the set. By the middle of the set, North Texas overtook Tulsa and stole the lead 13-17 after a flurry of TU attack errors. After it broke North Texas’s scoring streak, Tulsa had Britney Bacorn at the service line, whose consistency kept Tulsa in a continuous attack on its opponents. It was able to score five straight points to bring the Golden Hurricane back up 21-19. Outside hitter Tatum Tornatta brought Tulsa home and scored a kill to take the set 25-22. The game was now 1-1 with both teams fired up.
This passion carried on into the third set with both teams unable to score more than two points in the first half. Unfortunately, the Mean Green was able to knock the Golden Hurricane out of the race for the third set and leave them in the dust with a 10-2 scoring run. This made winning futile for Tulsa and North Texas ripped the set out of its sight and ran away 15-25.
There was almost a sliver of hope for Tulsa to stay in the game during the fourth set. Tulsa brought the Mean Green down to below its level and doubled its score 12-6. Just as the Golden Hurricane was getting revved up, a kill from Eagle Ryann Vik sparked the fight in North Texas. It was a long climb for the Mean Green, but at the most vital time in the game, it was able to bring the game to a 20-20 tie. Despite Tulsa being inches away from the finish line, North Texas successfully stalled it and went on a 5-1 scoring run to close out the match 25-21.
After a victorious home game for North Texas, it continued its campaign in the American and hosted Memphis on Oct. 20. The Golden Hurricane marched further into Texas territory and faced UTSA on its home turf on the same day. Coming up next for Tulsa, it will return home and host UAB in another American match at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 25.