Box Score| Season Stats

DENVER - The University of Denver defeated Oral Roberts 3-1 (25-14, 31-29, 30-32, 25-21) Friday in Hamilton Gymnasium in the Pioneers' homecoming match. Denver holds the best league record at 7-1 and best overall record at 19-4 in the Summit League.

"It was a really good match. Oral Roberts is a great team, and when they play well, they can play very well," head coach Jesse Mahoney said. "No. 7 [Laura Milos] definitely kept them in the match with her serve and attacking. We never quite found an answer for her, but we were solid enough all the way around to close it out in four. A lot of extra points, so it was exciting for everyone in the crowd, I'm sure. But it's on to another tough match."

Cassie Baird (Indianapolis, Ind.) and Moni Corrujedo (El Paso, Texas) led the Pioneers with 12 kills apiece, while Monique Domme (Colorado Springs, Colo.) dished out a career-high 43 assists as Denver's main setter in the match. DU also served a season-high 13 service aces, including five from Baird, a new single-match career high.

The Pioneers dominated the Golden Eagles in the first set, outhitting Oral Roberts .435 to .065. Corrujedo led Denver with three kills in the set, and Baird, Kayla Principato (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) and Nola Basey (Lyons, Colo.) each tallied two kills in the first set. Despite beginning the set down 3-0, DU gained the lead behind the serve of freshman Olivia Novotny (Germantown, Tenn.), who recorded her first career ace. Caroline Pearson (Chicago, Ill.) also saw her first action for the Pioneers and had two assists in the set.

The second and third sets required extra points from the team to determine the winner. The Pioneers and Golden Eagles were much closer in hitting percentage, .342 and .318, respectively, in the second set. Corrujedo and Sarah Schmid (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) each recorded three kills in the set. Baird tallied three of her five service aces in the set, including aces as two of Denver's first five points. Denver gained a 24-21 lead, before three points in a row from Oral Roberts forced extra points. Baird notched her third ace of the set to give Denver the 31-29 victory.

The Pioneers struggled in the third set, amassing 12 attacking errors for a .102 hitting percentage. On the other side of the court, Oral Roberts was led by Milos, who tallied eight kills, as well as their blockers. Baird had six kills in the set, and Corrujedo and Principato pitched in four kills, but the Pioneers could not outlast the Golden Eagles. The teams fought through 17 ties before ORU won 32-30.

Ruth Okoye (Aurora, Colo.) led Denver in the final set with three kills on five attempts as well as a solo block. Defensive specialist Cassidy Rooke (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.) added in two service aces, her third and fourth of the match, tying her career high. The Pioneers and Golden Eagles battled once again, in a set that featured five ties, before DU won the set 25-21 and the match 3-1.

Denver will travel to Fargo, N.D., to face North Dakota State (12-9, 3-4 Summit) Sunday at 12 p.m. MT. The Pioneers will continue their road trip as they take on South Dakota State and Omaha Friday, October 23 and Saturday, October 24.

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