NORMAN, Okla - An opening set victory was not enough for the Oral Roberts University volleyball team on Friday evening, as the Golden Eagles fell to Missouri State University, 3-1, on day one of the 2011 Nike Invitational. With the loss, ORU drops their season-opener for the first time since 2007.

ORU (0-1) was paced by returning All-Summit League pick Elizabeth McVicker, who tallied a team-best 12 kills to go with seven total blocks (four solo). The junior hit .417 on the night and also added a service ace. Joana Gruber added nine kills and 11 digs for the Golden Eagles, while Sheina Fernandes tallied nine kills in her ORU debut. Sheera Sirola's club hit .167 for the match.

Missouri State (1-0), an NCAA Tournament participant in 2010, posted a .218 hitting percentage. The Bears were led by 18 kills from Christine McCartney, while Karen Rivatto notched a double-double with 11 kills and ten digs.

The Golden Eagles mounted a furious comeback to win the opening game of the season after falling behind early in the frame. Three ORU errors propelled the Bears to a 5-1 lead, and a kill by Rivatto gave MSU a 12-4 edge midway through the set. But Sirola's crew would respond behind a brilliant stretch by Luara Rosa. The junior accounted for four straight ORU points late in the frame, including two kills and two blocks, part of a 5-1 Golden Eagle run that ended the frame with ORU ahead, 25-22.

The momentum from the first set carried into the second, with ORU grabbing three of the first four points, but the dominance would be short-lived. A McCartney kill capped a 7-0 MSU run that stretched the Bears' lead to 16-8, and ORU errors in the final three points led to a 25-17 Missouri State victory.

Things tightened up again in the third game, which was a back and forth affair early. Gruber put the Golden Eagles ahead, 13-12, with one of her nine kills, and a McCartney error gave ORU a 14-13 advantage two points later. But the MSU sophomore was key in winning the lead back for her team, chipping in a block assist and a kill as part of a four-point run that gave the Bears a 17-14 lead they would not relinquish. A Kelley Michnowicz kill ended the frame at 25-20 and gave Missouri State a 2-1 edge.

Oral Roberts again faltered late in the fourth set, giving the Bears a 3-1 victory. After back-to-back MSU errors, ORU led 21-19 and looked poised to force a deciding fifth game. But Missouri State rattled off six of the match's final eight points, including a McCartney kill that gave the Bears a 25-23 clinching win.

With the loss, ORU falls to 9-25 all-time against Missouri State and 1-4 during the Sirola Era.

Things don't get easier for the Golden Eagles on Saturday, as they face a pair of clubs coming off of fine 2010 seasons. Tournament host Oklahoma, the 16th-ranked team in the nation, faces ORU at high noon while SMU, who posted a 25-win season last year, battles the Eagles at 5 pm CT.