SMU Volleyball Sweeps Tulsa
TULSA, Okla. (SMU) – Kristen Stehling scored 11 kills, a career high for a three-set match, leading the SMU volleyball team to a 3-0 win at Tulsa Wednesday night in the Reynolds Center. The Mustangs improved to 20-3 overall, 10-1 in the American Athletic Conference, winning 20 matches in a season for the third straight year and the sixth time in program history.
SMU came back to win the third set 25-21, recording its seventh straight-set victory in the last 10 matches. Tulsa (10-13, 5-6 The American) led 13-8, and the Mustangs still trailed by four, 16-12, before scoring four consecutive points, taking advantage of a pair of Tulsa errors and scoring on an ace by Brittany Adams and a kill from Stehling. It was 5-0 run that gave SMU its first lead of the set since leading 6-5, as the Mustangs posted two blocks and scored on a kill by Abbey Bybel and a two Tulsa errors to take a 21-18 lead. Tulsa came back with three straight of its own to tie the score again for the eighth time in the set, but SMU scored on two kills and two blocks for the next four points and the 25-21 win.
Stehling hit .318 in the match and was the only SMU player in double figures. Avery Acker had 30 assists, and Morgan Heise recorded 18 digs. SMU had 12 blocks, with Janelle Giordano posting seven, two solo and
five assists. Stehling and Katie Hegarty also had five block assists in the match. SMU held Tulsa to a .107 attack percentage with the defensive effort.
Trailing 18-15, SMU scored four straight to take a 19-18 lead, its first of the set, and held on to win the first set 25-23. Tulsa scored the first three points of the set and held the advantage until the late run by the Mustangs, with the exception of a pair of ties early in the set. A pair of kills and Mills’ second ace of the set fueled the run. Tulsa scored the next two to take a 20-19 lead, but it was the last one they had. With the score tied, 23-23, Bybel blasted a kill and Acker dumped the next set over for the winning point.
SMU scored five unanswered to break a 4-4 tie in the second set, taking a 9-4 lead. The Mustangs never let Tulsa back within four points the rest of the set, taking a 2-0 lead in the match with a 25-18 victory. After allowing the Golden Hurricane to hit .238 in the first set, SMU tightened up the defense, holding Tulsa to a .054 attack percentage in the second set with 14 digs and three blocks. Stehling led all players with five kills in the set for the Mustangs.
SMU plays its second of four consecutive road matches at East Carolina Sunday at 12 p.m. ET/11 a.m. CT.
