Tulsa Volleyball Wins First Game Of 2012

The University of Tulsa volleyball team started its 2012 season with a win, sweeping Western Michigan in straight sets (-21, -19, -19) at the Nike Invitational in Norman, Okla.

Two-time All-American Tyler Henderson started her campaign for a third straight honor, racking up 28 kills on an incredible .558 clip to lead the Golden Hurricane offense, which had a .321 hitting percentage for the match.

Kellie Culbertson was the only other Tulsa player with double-digit kills with 10. She also added 14 digs for her first double-double of the season.

Jessica Adams led three Tulsa players in double-digit digs with 17.

"Western Michigan is going to win a lot of matches," commented Head Coach Steven McRoberts. "They were picked to win the MAC (Mid-American Conference) and they were very scrappy. We had some different players step up tonight, which was good to see. We still have some things to work on, but overall it was a good match."

McRoberts was very pleased with his team's offensive performance, particularly Henderson's.

"Tyler getting nine kills a set is not too shabby, especially considering she hit over .500," McRoberts said. "It's not like we expect her to do that every night, but there are not many players in the nation that can do that on a single night. We know Tyler wants to finish her senior year strong, and she has gotten it off to a good start."

The Tulsa defense was solid against the Broncos, limiting Western Michigan to just 34 kills and a .181 hitting percentage. Jessica Brown was the only Western Michigan player with double-digit kills, with 10.

The Golden Hurricane is back in action Saturday morning, taking on Missouri State at 10 a.m. before facing host Oklahoma at 7 p.m.