Trojans head to Tulsa for final non-conference weekend

LITTLE ROCK — The Trojans' final non-conference weekend of the season will be a challenging one, as Little Rock heads into Oklahoma for the Tulsa Invitational, where they will face two teams in the Top 125 for RPI, including the host school coming in at 50^th.
 
Little Rock (3-6) opens Friday at 4 pm against New Mexico State, then plays back-to-back on Saturday with Oral Roberts (4 pm) and Tulsa (7 pm). The match with Tulsa will be available for streaming on ESPN+. Live stats for all matches can be accessed on our site.
 
Quick Look – New Mexico State
NMSU is Little Rock's first opponent of the weekend and will have just 48 hours of rest after a two-day series with in-state rival New Mexico. Currently at 6-2, the Aggies rank among the nation's best squads in opponents' hitting percentage (15^th) at .139 percent. Junior Maggie Lightheart is a full rotation player who provides a huge spark for the Aggies, leading the team in kills (93), digs (96), and service aces (22). The Aggies lead the all-time series, 5-4.
 
Quick Look – Oral Roberts
It's been a tough season for the Golden Eagles (0-8) and new head coach Nolan Albrecht. ORU has been beaten in straight sets six times and has won just two sets to date. However, they have faced a challenging early schedule, including 24^th-ranked UCLA. Over eight matches, ORU is hitting .111 while allowing opponents to hit for an incredibly high .288 percentage. The Golden Eagles lead the all-time series with Little Rock, 20-9, but the Trojans are 4-1 against ORU at neutral sites. 
 
Quick Look – Tulsa
With a 7-2 start and a hit-hitting team average of .262, the Golden Hurricane is definitely a team to watch. They proved that two weekends ago when they swept the Wooo Pig Invitational in Fayetteville with a straight set win over Cal Poly and 3-1 wins over both Oklahoma and Arkansas. Tulsa ranks among the Top 50 nationally in assists, digs, and kills per set. The Golden Hurricane enters the weekend having won seven straight since opening the season with losses to Wyoming and Colorado. Little Rock leads the all-time series, 2-1.