Sophomore outside hitter Abbie Jackson goes for the kill during a 2021 Houston match. The UH volleyball team swept Tulsa over the weekend. | Courtesy of UH athletics
Houston volleyball earned its 10th victory of the year and maintained a perfect record in American Athletic Conference play after defeating Tulsa 3-1 Saturday afternoon at the Donald W. Reynolds Center.
The first set was a tight matchup in which Tulsa lead nearly the entire way. After the set was tied 4-4, the Golden Hurricanes used the push of a 5-1 run to give themselves just enough distance to withstand any UH comeback.
The set was within reach the whole time for the Cougars but ultimately went to Tulsa by a score of 25-22.
After dropping the first set, UH went on a furious run to win the next three sets.
The second set was neck-and-neck with both teams deadlocked 13-13 when a kill from sophomore Celeste Darling served as the catalyst for a 12-4 Cougar run to win the set and even the match.
The third set was once again back and forth between the two teams. Up 13-12, UH scored three unanswered points to open up its lead.
A few points later, a block at the net from junior Kendall Haywood and sophomore Rachel Tullos extended the UH lead to 19-14. The Cougars rode the momentum to a 25-19 set win and a 2-1 match lead.
Tulsa responded in the fourth and decisive set by taking an early lead that got to as big as three points. Down 5-8, a kill from junior Kortlyn Henderson sparked an 8-2 run that put the Cougars out in front 13-10.
Tulsa wasn’t prepared to surrender and it mustered up its own run by taking five of the next six points to retake the lead 15-14.
UH was quick to take the lead back and took eight of the final 11 points to take the set 25-19 and win the match 3-1.
Among the standouts in the victory were Henderson’s match-high 18 kills as well as freshman Annie Cooke match-high 53 assists and 20 digs, her third career double-double. Junior Torie Frederick also racked 20 digs.
The UH volleyball team moves to 6-0 in conference play after beating Tulsa and will return to the Fertitta Center for its next pair of matches against Memphis on March 12-13.
