No. 5 seeded Miami volleyball beat Tulsa in the first round of the NCAA tournament Thursday night, winning handily 3-1.
The Hurricanes were led once again by standout player Flormarie Heredia Colon, who tallied 33 kills, four blocks and three aces. Senior Naylani Feliciano racked up 21 digs and five assists, while Ariana Rodriquez recorded 43 assists and 10 digs.
The ’Canes pulled away early in the first set, going up 17-13 following four early kills from Heredia Colon. Tulsa fought back, but ultimately fell short, 25-22.
Tulsa opened up set 2 strong, going up 10-4 and carrying that momentum to a 25-13 set victory.
Both teams knew the third set would be crucial, and it showed. It was a tight contest, starting out 9-7 in favor of Tulsa. Miami then went on a spectacular 8-0 run with three kills and a block from Heredia Colon for the 17-14 lead. They went on to win the set 25-22.
The last set stayed close, tied at 11, until the Hurricanes went on another dominant run. A 7-1 push helped lift the ’Canes to a 25-20 set win, punching their ticket to the next round.
The Hurricanes will face No. 4 seed Kansas in round two.