TULSA, Okla. – After hosting the Bash at the Beach for the season opener, Bethune-Cookman Volleyball travels to Tulsa, Oklahoma, for the ORU Classic hosted by Oral Roberts beginning Friday, Sept. 6. The Wildcats will face teams from Tulsa, Sam Houston State and Oral Roberts, respectfully.
 
MATCH #4: Bethune-Cookman Wildcats vs. Tulsa Golden Hurricane
WHEN: Friday, Sept. 6, at Noon ET
WHERE: Mabee Center (Tulsa, Okla.)
LIVE STATS: Click Here
 
MATCH #5: Bethune-Cookman Wildcats at Oral Roberts Golden Eagles
WHEN: Friday, Sept. 6, at 8:30 p.m. ET
WHERE: Mabee Center (Tulsa, Okla.)
WATCH LIVE: Summit League Network
LIVE STATS: Click Here
 
MATCH #6: Bethune-Cookman Wildcats vs. Sam Houston State Bearkats
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 7, at Noon ET
WHERE: Mabee Center (Tulsa, Okla.)
LIVE STATS: Click Here
 
IN THE RANKINGS
▪ Bethune-Cookman is not ranked in this week's AVCA Division I Coaches Poll Top 25
▪ Oral Roberts is not ranked in this week's AVCA Division I Coaches Poll Top 25
▪ Sam Houston State is not ranked in this week's AVCA Division I Coaches Poll Top 25
▪ Tulsa is not ranked in this week's AVCA Division I Coaches Poll Top 25
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
Keep up with everything Bethune-Cookman Volleyball this year by following the Wildcats on all their social media platforms. You can follow @BCUVolleyball on Instagram and @BCUVolleyball on Twitter.
 
NEWS & NOTES
▪ Bethune-Cookman enters the weekend 1-2 on the weekend, despite a pair of five-set losses against Portland and Manhattan, respectfully.
▪ Newcomer and transfer Jasmine Robinson leads the Wildcats with 29 kills, followed by Elizabeth Phillips with 26 kills of her own.
▪ Niara Hightower was named to the Bash at the Beach all-tournament team after producing 24 kills, three service aces and 16 blocks (12 assisted).
▪ Also chipping in with 16 blocks (seven solo) was graduate student Ktyal Price.
▪ The patented two-setter system of Head Coach Brittany Williams was led by Alisha Callender (58 assists) and freshman Nola Hemphill (57 assists).
▪ Both liberos Rylee Davis and Sydni Poston were instrumental for the Cats last weekend, as Davis accounted for a team-high 30 digs, as Poston collected 20 digs of her own.
 
BCU VS. TULSA SERIES
▪ Bethune-Cookman and Tulsa have never faced each other in volleyball.
 
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN HURRICANE
▪ Tulsa comes into the weekend sporting a 2-1 record from last weekend's Baylor Classic in Waco, Texas. The Golden Hurricane grabbed a pair of 3-0 wins from Campbell and Abilene Christian but fell to No. 23 Baylor.
▪ Beth Bayless registered a team-high 23 kills last weekend, while teammates Tytiana Johnson and Tatum Tornatta each amassed 20 kills each.
▪ Setters Brayden Hipp and Brittany Bacorn setup the two-setter system. Hipp leads the team with 43 assists, while Bacorn has 35 to her credit.
▪ Johnson is the leader in blocks for the Golden Hurricane with 13 (12 assisted).
▪ Marta Pecalli of Trieste, Italy, heads up the libero position as she has a team-leading 39 digs from the opening weekend.
▪ Bayless is right behind Pecalli with 27 digs.
 
BCU VS. ORAL ROBERTS SERIES
▪ Bethune-Cookman and Oral Roberts have never faced each other in volleyball.
 
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES
▪ Trinity Freeman is the leader for the Oral Roberts offensive attack, as she owns 45 kills from the Golden Eagles' opening weekend of action.
▪ Oral Roberts went 0-3, respectively, last weekend in the season opening Alabama A&M Tournament in Huntsville, Alabama. The Golden Eagles fell to Chattanooga, Southern Illinois and the host AAMU Bulldogs.
▪ The Golden Eagles' Anzley Rinard is second on the team with 25 kills and three service aces.
▪ At the setter position, Rachel Resta tops the team with 83 assists, while teammate Maite Solabarrieta owns 33 assists.
▪ ORU uses Trinity Freeman with a team-high 32 digs, as well as Breanna Rivas with 30 assists.
▪ Blocks are supplied by Kedron Burk with nine (eight assists).
 
BCU VS. SAM HOUSTON STATE SERIES
▪ In a short series, Sam Houston State leads the series 2-0 with matches coming in 2016 and 2018, respectfully.
▪ Sam Houston State won the first-ever meeting 3-0 back on Sept. 2, 2016, as well as a 3-0 decision in Huntsville, Texas, on Aug. 25, 2018.
 
SCOUTING THE BEARKATS
▪ Sam Houston State went 1-2 on the opening weekend as the Bearkats hosted the Bearkat Invitational in Huntsville, Texas. They defeated Prairie View A&M, but fell to Incarnate Word and Stephen F. Austin, respectfully.
▪ Alyssa Fielder leads the Bearkats with 29 kills, and teammates Lylah Washington (28), Lillian Hamilton (25) and McKenzie Morvant (23) follow in order.
▪ The offense is paced at the setter position by Avery Fowler (80 assists). Piper Boydstun has 31 assists as well.
▪ The defense for the Bearkats is headlined by Hannah Baker with a team-leading 47 digs, followed by Washington (33) and Shaelin White (30).
▪ Morvant has recorded 15 kills on the season, 14 of those coming by assisted performance.
 
A QUICK LOOK AT THE CATS
2024 Record – 1-2 (.333) // 2024 SWAC Record – 0-0 (.000) // Last 5 Matches – 0-5 (.000) // Last 10 Matches – 4-6 (.400) // Last 15 Matches – 5-10 (.333) // For the first time in program history, B-CU will be playing against Oral Roberts and Tulsa, respectively, in the sport of volleyball over the course of the weekend.
 
UP NEXT
The Wildcats take to the road for the second consecutive weekend when visiting Nashville, Tennessee, for the Tiger Invitational hosted by Tennessee State. Bethune-Cookman will be joined by the host TSU Tigers, in addition to teams from South Carolina State and Georgia State.
 
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