Sooners Prepare for Kansas, Missouri and Colorado This Week :: Weekly news and notes on the Oklahoma volleyball team.

Sooners Prepare for Kansas, Missouri and Colorado This Week :: Weekly news and notes on the Oklahoma volleyball team. Sooners Prepare for Kansas, Missouri and Colorado This Week

Weekly news and notes on the Oklahoma volleyball team.

	Sophomore Logan Pierce leads the team with 186 kills (2.91 kpg)

Oct. 22, 2001

NORMAN, Okla. - The University of Oklahoma volleyball team (2-17, 1-8 Big 12) begins the week with a 7 p.m. road match at Kansas (12-9, 2-8 Big 12) followed by a two-match homestand on Saturday, Oct. 27, against Missouri and Sunday, Oct. 28, against Colorado. Match times are set for 7 p.m and 2 p.m., respectively. Kansas, coming off a 3-2 loss to Baylor at home on Saturday, has won only two league matches (Colorado and Iowa State) this season. Oklahoma defeated KU on Sept. 22, 3-1 (30-24, 27-30, 31, 29, 30-28), breaking a six-match KU winning streak with the victory this season. OU leads the all-time series 37-16. The Jayhawks are led by Sarah Rome, who has posted team-highs of 263 kills (3.81 kpg) and 181 digs (2.62 dpg). Setter Molly LaMere holds a team-best .378 hitting percentage while she and Rome have served up 25 service aces each to lead the Jayhawks. Kylie Thomas leads the way at the net with 59 blocks (0.81 bpg). The Sooners welcome Missouri (15-5, 6-5 Big 12) into the Howard McCasland Field House on Saturday. Oklahoma leads the all-time series 32-17, but lost to MU earlier this season, 3-1. The Sooners last defeated the Tigers, 3-0, on Nov. 3, 1999, in Norman. Missouri is led by Lisa Morris with 293 kills (4.13 kpg) and Naaron Branson, who has posted 239 digs (3.32 dpg). Christi Myers is leading the Tigers at the net with 98 blocks (1.32 bpg) while Chrissy Elder is averaging 12.19 assists per game. The final match of the week is against Colorado on Sunday. The match was originally set for Sept. 15 but was rescheduled due to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11. The Buffaloes lead the all-time series 24-9, with OU's last victory coming on Nov. 2, 1996, in Norman. Colorado, coming off a 3-1 loss to Missouri, is led by Monique Gerlach, who has posted 216 kills (3.48 kpg) while hitting .341. Meghan Barkman leads the team with a .375 hitting percentage and 74 blocks (1.32 bpg). Elizabeth Gower has registered a team-high 804 assists (12.56 apg) while the injured Sonja Russell still leads the team with 178 digs (3.30 dpg).

Among the Big 12
Oklahoma and junior Jessica Barney remain strong at the service line, ranking seventh in the Big 12 in service aces. Barney averages 0.42 sapg while the teams lands 1.52 sapg. Kansas sits at the number three spot in service aces, averaging 1.88 as a team while Sarah Rome ranks 10th in the league at 0.36 service aces per game. The Tigers fall only behind Nebraska in team hitting percentage at .252 while holding their opponents to a .171 hitting effeciency, good for third place in the conference. MU's Lisa Morris averages 4.13 kills per game to take the number five spot on the individual charts and Christi Myers ranks fourth in blocks (1.32 bpg). Colorado enters the week ranked third in blocks (2.68 bpg), fourth in kills (16.94 kpg) and fifth in assists (15.72 apg). Meghan Barkman ranks third in hitting percentage (.368) and third in blocks (1.34 bpg). Elizabeth Gower averages 12.73 assists per game, good for fifth place in the league.

Leading the Sooners
Freshman Candice Woods continues to lead the Sooner offense with a .206 hitting percentage. The Moosomin, Saskatchewan, native is also the team leader in blocks with 48 (0.75 bpg). Sophomore Logan Pierce remains strong, posting a team-high 186 kills (2.91 kpg) while junior Lindsay Hoyt paces the team with 157 digs (2.45 dpg). Pierce is not far behind Hoyt with 151 digs (2.36 dpg). Junior Jessica Barney is averaging 2.17 digs per game, junior Denise Griffin sits at 2.08 digs per game and sophomore Christina Barlow is averaging 2.00 digs per game. Barney contiues to lead the OU offense, averaging 9.33 assists per game while serving up 27 service aces (0.42 sapg).

Week in Review
The University of Oklahoma volleyball team suffered two losses last week to Iowa State (3-1) and Kansas State (3-0). The Sooners traveled to Iowa State on Wednesday, losing by scores of 27-30, 30-32, 30-22 and 25-30. Despite the loss, Logan Pierce posted a career-high 19 kills while adding 17 digs for her fifth double-double of the season. Denise Griffin registered 11 kills and 11 digs for her second double-double while Candice Woods hit a team-best .250. Kansas State defeated the Sooners at the Howard McCasland Field House on Friday by scores of 30-22, 30-18 and 30-17. Griffin posted a career-high 16 kills while hitting a team-high .316.

Double-Doubles
Logan Pierce leads the Sooners with five double-doubles on the season. Her most recent was a 19-kill, 17-dig effort against Iowa State. At the Sam Houston State Tournament, Christina Barlow recorded four double-doubles in five matches. Jessica Barney has four double-doubles on the season, the most recent a 45-assist, 19-dig effort against Iowa State. Griffin has recorded two double-doubles (Nebraska and Iowa State) while Lindsay Hoyt had one against KU (10 kills, 15 digs).

Head Coach Kalani Mahi
Second-year Head Coach Kalani Mahi is now 2-17 overall and 1-8 in conference play. Mahi and the Sooners snapped Kansas' perfect 10-0 start, best in program history, on Sept. 22 with a 3-1 victory in the Howard McCasland Field House. Oklahoma looks to take the conference series over Kansas on Wednesday, Oct. 24, in Lawrence, Kan. Earlier in the season, Mahi coached junior outside hitter Denise Griffin to all-tournament honors at the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic and sophomore outside hitter Logan Pierce to all-tournament honors at the Sam Houston State Tournament. In his first year at OU, Mahi led the team to a 7-21 overall finish.

Howard McCasland Field House: Home of Sooner Volleyball
The University of Oklahoma Howard McCasland Field House, home of OU volleyball, is currently going through several renovations. As part of Greater Expectations: The Campaign for Sooner Sports, the newly renamed Howard McCasland Field House, previously the OU Field House, has already seen renovations in the volleyball locker rooms, team room and bathroom/shower area. Work will also be done on the seating areas, lighting, sound system, restrooms, concession areas, ADA and life safety needs. The Field House will also be equipped with a heating and cooling system. Construction will be completed in phases as private funds become available. One million dollars has already been pledged by a private donor.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Sooners Prepare for Kansas, Missouri and Colorado This Week :: Weekly news and notes on the Oklahoma volleyball team.

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