Women's Volleyball To Play Kansas, Texas A&M This Week

Nov. 10, 1999

NORMAN, Okla. -- The Oklahoma volleyball team (8-16, 3-11) travels to Lawrence, Kan., to play Kansas (16-9, 7-7) at the Horejsi Athletics Center (1,300) on Wed., Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. The Sooners return to Norman for a 7 p.m. match on Saturday, Nov. 13 against Texas A&M (19-5, 10-4) at the OU Field House.

Oklahoma lost to both teams earlier this season. Kansas defeated OU in four games, 15-3, 8-15, 9-15, 2-15, in Norman, while the Aggies swept OU, 7-15, 10-15, 5-15, in College Station.

Oklahoma leads the all-time series 36-14 against Kansas, however, KU has won three consecutive matches against the Sooners. Texas A&M has dominated for 19 year series, owing an impressive 19-1 mark. OU's only win, 2-0, against the Aggies came in 1979 in Denton, Texas.

LAST WEEK

Oklahoma split a pair of Big 12 matches last week. The Sooners swept Missouri, 15-4, 15-13, 15-13, in Norman and lost to No. 12 Texas in five games, 15-3, 7-15, 15-11, 7-15, 13-15, in Austin.

For the week, the Sooners were led by sophomore outside hitter Chantae Weathers who produced 34 kills in two matches. She was followed by Cathy Cook, Danielle Book, and Melissa Christman who each had 24 kills. Cook was the team leader in hitting efficiency with a .400 (24K-4E-50TA).

Against Missouri, Cook led the Sooners with 11 kills on 15 attempts without committing an error for an impressive .733 hitting percentage. Bookout produced a match-high seven blocks, while Christman added six blocks. Junior setter Carolyn Kittell and freshman Liz Newman equaled and set career bests, respectively, with four service aces each. Weather contributed nine kills, while Bookout added eight and Christman and junior Maria Holmgren recorded seven apiece. As a team, OU hit .323 and collected 11 blocks for its fourth best performance of the season in both categories.

Against the Longhorns, Oklahoma probably played its best match of the season. Weathers had a career high 25 kills, followed by Christman's 17, Bookout's 16 and Cook added 13 kills. Newman tallied a career-high 16 digs and Kittell added 14. Kittell also dished out a season-high 66 assists. As a team, Oklahoma led the Horns in several stat categories. OU owned an 84-75 advantage in kills, out hit Texas .297 to .223 and collected 16.0 blocks to UT's 7.0.

COOK'S ON FIRE

Junior Cathy Cook continues to be impressive at the net. The Irvine, Calif., product has ranked among the nation's elite each week in hitting efficiency. The Portland transfer currently boast a .391 (265K-59E-527TA) hitting percentage for 11th best in the NCAA and tops the Big 12 Conference. Cook's established a career-best .733 mark against Missour on Nov. 13 with 11 kills in 15 attempts without committing an error. She has also matched personal bests in service aces with four vs. Wichita State and block solos with three against West Virginia. Cook has had 18 matches where she has hit over .300 and 11 matches with a .500 or better hitting mark.

AMONG CONFERENCE BEST

Oklahoma currently ranks third in the Big 12 Conference in hitting percentage. As a team, the Sooners boast a .251 clip. OU also ranks fourth in the league in service aces, averaging .1.49 per game. Junior Cathy Cook leads the Big 12 Conference in hitting percentage with a .391 mark, while senior Melissa Christman ranks seventh in service aces (0.36 aces per game) and junior setter Carolyn Kittell is eighth in assists (11.52 apg).

1999 SOONERS

Oklahoma opened the 1999 season winning five of its first seven matches. The Sooners finished second in the Cal Poly Tournament, third in the Sooner Invitational and fourth in the Northwestern Classic in September. OU's Cathy Cook, Carolyn Kittell and Maria Holmgren have earned all-tournament honors in at least one tournament this season. Cook was named to each all-tournament team.

The second match of the Northwestern Classic started a four-match losing streak for the Sooners. OU snapped that streak by sweeping Iowa State for its first Big 12 win of the season. That victory would have to last for the next eight matches until OU hosted the Cyclones in Norman and picked up its second conference win of the season last week.

Oklahoma has had solid production from junior transfer Cathy Cook. Cook led the nation in hitting percentage for four weeks and currently ranks 11th (.391). The Irvine, Calif., product leads the team in hitting percentage (.391), kills (265) and blocks (70). Other contributors to the offense are outside hitters Chantae Weathers, Melissa Christman and Danielle Bookout who follow Cook with 242, 228 and 214 kills, respectively. Christman also ranks among the Big 12 Conference best in service aces per game, averaging 0.36. Junior setter Carolyn Kittell paces the team with 186 digs and 1014 assists on the year. Kittell's 2,120 career assists pushes her to No. 4 on the school's all-time assists list. Junior defensive specialist Maxine Zubiaga is the only other Sooner to have collected more than 100 digs on the season. She owns 132 digs, ranking her second on the team. At the net, OU has had solid contribution from numerous players. Not only has Cook been effective for OU, but Christman has 62 blocks to her credit, more than she collected her first two seasons at OU. She's followed by Weathers' 57 blocks and junior middle blocker Holly McMillan's 44 total blocks.

HEAD COACH MILES PABST

Miles Pabst is in his 23rd season as the head volleyball coach at Oklahoma. During his tenure, Pabst has established an overall record of 436-383-1, participated in three NCAA Tournaments (1987, 1988, 1997) and two NIVC Tournaments (1993, 1995). The 1973 graduate of Long Beach State is one of only two head volleyball coaches to ever direct an OU volleyball program. The first coach was Amy Dahl (1974-77).

UP NEXT

The Sooners host Texas A&M on Sat., Nov. 13, and Nebraska on Wed., Nov. 17, at 7 p.m. at the OU Field House.