TAMPA, Fla. — No. 3 seed Tulsa powered past No. 2 seed South Florida in four sets Saturday night at The Corral, earning a spot in the championship match of the 2025 American Volleyball Championship. The Golden Hurricane won 26-24, 19-25, 25-23, 25-17 to advance to Sunday’s final, where they will face top-seeded Rice at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Tulsa (24-6) relied on a balanced and efficient offensive effort, highlighted by Lauren Eitler’s team-leading 12 kills.. In total, five players recorded seven or more kills (Beth Bayless-7, Jill Hanson-8, Olivia Vance-8, Kat Cooper-9, Eitler) The Golden Hurricane finished with a .243 hitting percentage, 49 assists, and six total team blocks.
Setter Brayden Hipp steered the attack with 39 assists, while also leading the team with 14 digs.
South Florida (17-12) was led by Maria Clara Andrade, who posted a team-high 18 kills. Laila Ivey added 13 kills, and Raegan Richardson tallied 42 assists to go with five digs. The Bulls totaled 11 blocks, with Iyanna Garvin contributing heavily at the net with six blocks.
After pulling out tight wins in the first sets, Tulsa dropped the second but responded emphatically in the third and fourth to earn the win. The Golden Hurricane hit .211 in the final frame and held South Florida to a negative hitting percentage, closing the match on a kill by Eitler.
2025 American Conference Volleyball Championship
Hosted by South Florida | The Corral | Tampa, Florida
First Round Games (Friday, November 21)
Game 1 - No. 1 Rice 3, No. 8 UTSA 0 (25-12, 25-18, 25-17) |
Box Score
Game 2 – No. 5 Wichita State 3, No. 4 North Texas 0 (25-25, 25-20, 25-18) |
Box Score
Game 3 - No. 2 South Florida 3, No. 7 Charlotte 1 (26-24, 25-19, 19-25, 30-28) |
Box Score
Game 4 - No. 3 Tulsa 3, No. 6 Florida Atlantic 1 (25-17, 25-17, 21-25, 25-19) |
Box Score
Semifinal Games (Saturday, November 22)
Game 5 – No. 1 Rice 3, No. 5 Wichita State 2 (25-19, 16-25, 25-23, 28-30, 15-12) |
Box Score
Game 6 – No. 3 Tulsa 3, No. 2 South Florida 1 (26-24, 19-25, 25-23, 25-17) |
Box Score
Final (Sunday, November 23)
Game 7 – No. 3 Tulsa vs. No. 1 Rice (1 pm ET) |
ESPN+ |
Stats