OU Volleyball Readies for Alumni Game

Aug. 25, 1999

Sooners Set for Annual Alumni Game, Preparing for Opening Match in Cal Poly Tournament
The University of Oklahoma volleyball team will hold its annual alumni game at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 28, in the OU Field House. In a scrimmage type of atmosphere, former OU players will help the current Sooner volleyball squad prepare for the upcoming season.

OU begins its 1999 campaign at the Cal Poly Tournament, Sept. 3-4, in San Luis, Obispo, Calif. Its first match in the tournament will be versus San Francisco at Mott Gym at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 3. Saturday's action features OU against Wichita State and Cal Poly at 1 and 9 p.m., respectively.

The Sooners, who finished with a 10-22 overall and a 4-16 Big 12 record last year, return four of six starters and welcome sophomores Chantae Weathers and Danielle Cornelius-Bookout back to the court. Weathers and Cornelius-Bookout were both Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 selections as high school seniors and are expected to be starters this season. They will help replace two solid performers from last year's squad. Gone are middle blocker Sunny Spoonland and record-setting setter Meredith Van Horn. With 69 assists in last season's Wake Forest Invitational, Van Horn broke OU's all-time assist record. She finished her career with 4,938 assists.

OU Celebrating 25 Years of Volleyball
The Oklahoma volleyball program is celebrating its silver anniversary this season. In its 25 years of existence, OU has become a solid and competitive program, mostly under the direction of Head Coach Miles Pabst. The Sooner mentor took over the reins after Amy Dahl, who coached at OU between 1974 and 1977. In 1978, Pabst inherited a struggling program and in his first season, the Sooners finished with a school-record 50 victories (50-24). In his 21 years of service at OU, Pabst has compiled a 428-367-1 overall record. He has led the Sooners to three NCAA appearances, including a trip to the NCAA regional playoffs in 1988.

Big 12 Preseason Poll
In this year's Big 12 Preseason Coaches Poll, OU was picked to finish eighth. Defending conference champion and final four participant Nebraska appears to be the power of the Big 12 once again as coaches selected the Cornhuskers to finish at the top of the league. In addition, NU's Nancy Meendering and Laura Pilakowski were voted preseason player of the year and freshman of the year, respectively. Also earning preseason honors was Texas Tech's middle blocker Colleen Smith.

Pabst Adds Lester to Staff
Head Coach Miles Pabst has added Kim Lester to this year's coaching staff after former assistant coach Heidi Luehmann accepted a head coaching position in Minnesota.

Lester brings her coaching experience from Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, Calif., where she was the head coach since August 1997. She was named coach of the year in 1997 after her team was crowned champion of the Orange Empire Conference in 1997. Lester led Saddleback to consecutive state playoff appearances (1997 and '98) for the first time in 19 years. A 1995 graduate of San Diego State, Lester played volleyball for the Aztecs between 1989 and 1993.

Big 12 Conference Preseason Poll (Votes)
1. Nebraska(100)
2. Texas A&M(91)
3. Texas(75)
4. Colorado(69)
5. Kansas State(64)
6. Texas Tech(61)
7. Baylor(45)
8. Oklahoma(36)
9. Kansas(27)
10. Missouri(26)
11. Iowa State (11)

A Closer Look at the 1999 Squad
After suffering through a difficult season last year, the Sooners and the OU coaching staff are ecstatic about the new and fresh opportunities they have in the last year of the millenium. With the addidtion of a solid recruiting class, a proven newcomer in Cathy Cook, and the anticipated return of Chantae Weathers and Danielle Cornelius-Bookout, the Sooners have a legitamate shot of returning to the NCAA Tournament.

#2 Melissa Christman
(6-1, Sr., OH, Kansas City, Mo.) A left hander who can play either the middle or the right side...will contend for a starting position...was named to the Wake Forest All-Tournament team last year...ranked second on the team in kills (307), block solos (15) and hitting percentage (.259)...had a career best 21 kills versus Kansas State (10/31).

#4 Melissa Stringfield
(5-11, Sr., OH, Spring, Texas) An excellent passer and defender in the backcourt...was one of the top servers in the Big 12 Conference last year...finished last season ranked ninth (0.29) in overall matches and fourth (0.32) in Big 12 matches for service aces per game...set career bests in all but one category.

#7 Robin Wieskus
(6-1, Sr., MB, Jackson, Minn.) Is a solid all-around player when healthy...her 20 digs against Kansas State last year (10/31) marked a career best...finished the season ranked third on the team in blocks (65) and digs (193), fourth in service aces (24) and sixth in kills (155) and total attacks (155).

#13 Cathy Cook
(6-2, Jr., MB, Irvine, Calif.) Transferred from the University of Portland where she was an All-West Coast Conference second teamer...was named the WCC Freshman of the Year...she is expected to be the starting middle blocker.

#1 Maria Holmgren
(6-1, Jr., OH, Trelleborg, Sweden) Is the only current OU player with international experience...last year she had 16 kills and a career-high 12 digs against Wake Forest (9/5)...also had a personal-best 19 kills vs. Marshall (9/5).

#23 Carolyn Kittell
(5-8, Jr., S, Laguna Beach, Calif.) Outstanding setter who has moved into OU's top 10 single-season (1,106/9th) and career (2,382/7th) lists in assists...a tremendous defensive player who shows great leadership on the court...dished out a season best 77 assists vs. Kansas State (10/31) last year.

#15 Danielle Cornelius-Bookout
(6-1, So., OH, Hereford, Texas) Returning to the court after redshirting last year due to a knee injury...provides a big block and is a powerful attacker...if healthy will be a vital part of the team's success.

#8 Chantae Weathers
(6-2, So., MB, San Antonio, Texas) Was a partial qualifier last season...spent the summer practicing with the U.S. National team in Colorado Springs, Colo. ...is loaded with talent and has tremendous size and athletic ability.

#9 Holly McMillan
(6-2, Jr., MB, Altaville, Calif.) One of the hardest workers on the team...capable of playing middle or outside...last year established a career-high 24 kills at Kansas (10/28)...finished the season ranked third on the team in hitting percentage (.239), kills (274) and block solos (11).

#3 Allison Silveira
(5-8, Jr., DS, Elgin, Ill.) A walk-on who has become a mainstay in the Sooners' rotation...an excellent server and defensive player...named to the Academic All-Big 12 team.

#24 Maxine Zubiaga
(5-9, Jr., DS, Carrollton, Texas) Provides depth as a defensive specialist...a hard worker with exceptional ball-control skills...replaced outside hitter Melissa Christman in the Sooner rotation in the back row last year...was named to the Academic All-Big 12 team.

#11 Ravene Brooks
(5-7, So., DS, Fort Worth, Texas) A walk-on who provides depth for OU in the back row... played in three matches last year, including two in Big 12 competition.

Pabst Signs Solid 1999 Recruiting Class
On April 16, 1999, Head Coach Miles Pabst announced the signing of five recruits to national letters of intent to play for the OU volleyball program. The recruiting class consists of four middle blockers and one setter, and includes two athletes from the state of Oklahoma. Pasbst, who is entering his 22nd season with the Sooner program, welcomes Oklahoma natives Patrice Corbin (Tulsa) and Elizabeth Newman (Tulsa), plus highly recruited LaKeisha Broom (Birmingham, Ala.), Johnetta Hayes (Houston, Texas) and Cathy Cook (University of Portland/Irvine, Calif.).

"This is one of the best recruiting classes that we've had in terms of experience and potential to play right away," Pabst said. "Several of our newcomers have the ability to contribute immediately. Cathy (Cook) played at Portland last year and Chantae (Weathers) spent the summer practicing with the U.S. National Team, so both are ready to step in and perform."

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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