TULSA, OKLAHOMA – Fresh off an exciting win over Texas Tech on Monday night, the University of the Incarnate Word volleyball team travels to Oral Roberts University on Thursday for the start of the Southland Conference season.  First serve at the Kenneth H. Cooper Aerobics Center is scheduled for 7 p.m.

The Cardinals (4-2) are in their inaugural season in the Southland and are not eligible for postseason play.  They have started the
season well behind the attacking strength of sophomore Angelique Vidaurri (San Antonio/Southwest HS) who is averaging 3.35 kills per set with a .297 attack percentage.  The duo of Danielle Suarez (San Antonio/Antonian HS) and Taylor McClelland (Cypress/Cypress Ranch HS) have been responsible for the majority of the team's 12.65 assists per set which is tops in the conference.

The Cardinals defense has been strong ranking fourth in the conference with 15.26 digs per set.  Senior Sarah Cardenas (San Antonio/O'Connor HS) leads the team and is eighth in the conference with 4.09 digs per set.  Freshman Brittani Dear (La Vernia/La Vernia HS) has chipped in with 3.48 digs per set.

Oral Roberts (8-2) enters Southland play riding high after posting their best 10-match opening stretch since the 1996 NCAA Tournament season.  The Golden Eagles went 3-0 in tournaments at Texas Southern and UTEP before winning two of three matches last weekend at the Georgia Southern Tournament.  Offensively, ORU has been the Southland Conference's top club through three weeks of action, leading the league with 14.09 kills per set and a .276 hitting percentage.  Individually, junior Sara Pope ranks 3rd in the league with 3.62 kills per set and 7th with a .299 hitting percentage, while senior Jessica Pancratz ranks 3rd in both hitting percentage (.366) and blocks per set (1.00).

Live stats and live video of the match will be available free of charge at ORUGoldenEagles.com.
####
pr13430smm