Behind double-doubles from Kaia Dunford and Kalena Vaivai, the Oral Roberts volleyball team defeated St. Thomas in five sets (18-25, 25-16, 16-25, 25-18, 15-12) Saturday afternoon inside Schoenecker Arena.
Dunford racked up a match-high 21 kills and scooped up 24 Tommie attacks for her 12th double-double of the season. Vaivai guided the ORU offense with a match-best 42 assists and added 15 digs for her second-straight double-double and 10th of the season. The senior also registered four blocks in the win.
Outside hitter Trinity Freeman joined Dunford with double-digit kills as the sophomore finished with 16 on the afternoon. At the net, Natassia Baptiste totaled a match-high tying five blocks.
After the Tommies scored the first point of the opening set, the Golden Eagles responded with four straight to take the lead. St. Thomas battled back with a 5-1 run to take a 9-8 advantage. Following back-to-back points by ORU that allowed them to regain the lead, 10-9, the Tommies reeled off five of the next six to jump back in front, 14-11. St. Thomas later used a 4-1 run to create separation as they went on to take the set, 25-18.
The second stanza featured 10 ties before the Golden Eagles scored 10 of the final 11 points to take the set, 25-16. Jeslyn Spencer sparked the run with her second kill of the contest and Baptiste finished it off with her third block of the match. In the set, Freeman led all players with five kills.
In the third, the Tommies scored five of the first seven points before a 5-0 Golden Eagle run evened the set at 7-7. With the score tied at 12-12, St. Thomas used a 10-1 run to open a nine-point advantage, 22-13. The two sides traded the final six points as the Tommies went on to take the set, 25-16.
The Golden Eagles raced out to a 5-1 start in the fourth behind two kills from Dunford. St. Thomas drew within one, 10-9, courtesy of a 4-0 stretch but ORU answered with four of the next five points to push their lead to 14-10. The Golden Eagles extended their lead to nine, 23-14, behind a 7-0 run that featured three Dunford kills. Despite St. Thomas scoring four of the final six points, ORU forced a fifth set with a 25-18 win in the fourth.
In the fifth, the two sides were even at 10-10 before back-to-back kills by ORU gave them a 12-10 lead and forced a St. Thomas timeout. Out of the stoppage, the Tommies evened the set at 12-12 and pushed the Golden Eagles to a timeout. Dunford jumpstarted a 3-0 run out of the break with her 21st kill as ORU went on to claim the set, 15-12, and the match.
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