OU Volleyball Prepares For Four-Match Road Trip :: Weekly news and notes on the Sooner volleyball team.

OU Volleyball Prepares For Four-Match Road Trip :: Weekly news and notes on the Sooner volleyball team. OU Volleyball Prepares For Four-Match Road Trip

Weekly news and notes on the Sooner volleyball team.

	Freshman Candice Woods leads the Sooners with a .225 hitting clip.

Oct. 29, 2001

Norman, Okla. - Oklahoma begins a four-match road stand at No. 14 Texas A&M on Wednesday, Oct. 31. The Sooners then travel to Springfield, Mo., for the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational on Saturday, Nov. 3. OU plays Middle Tennesse State at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and Wichita State and SMS on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., respectively.

The Aggies lead the all-time series with Oklahoma 22-1. OU's lone victory was on Sept. 15, 1979, in Denton, Texas. Texas A&M is coming off a 3-0 win (30-19, 30-23, 30-24) over Colorado last week and is 16-3 overall and 9-2 in the Big 12. Erin Lechler leads the Aggies offense with 263 kills (3.81 kpg), while Michelle Cole leads the defense with 300 digs (4.35 dpg). Melissa Munsch averages 1.03 blocks per game to lead the team, and Jenna Mosovic dishes out a team-high 13.35 assists per contest.

The Sooners' first opponent of the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational is Middle Tennessee State. Saturday will mark the first meeting between the two teams. The Blue Raiders begin the week 8-16 overall and 4-7 in the Sun Belt Conference. MTSU is led by Shakeithia Deckard, who averages 4.14 kills per game, and Erin Hillstrom, who averages 2.65 digs per game.

Sunday's first opponent, Wichita State, is 7-13 overall and 3-10 in the Missouri Valley Conference. Oklahoma leads the all-time series, 20-3, dating back to 1975. Offensively for the Shockers, Sara Younes has posted 204 kills (2.91 kpg), while Nicole May averages 2.37 digs per game to lead the team. Kiley Randolph has recorded a team-best 40 blocks (0.84 bpg), and Younes tops the team with 31 service aces (0.44 sapg).

Oklahoma ends the week with a match against tournament host SMS. The Bears enter the week with a 17-5 overall and 10-3 Missouri Valley mark, with four of their five losses coming against ranked opponents. SMS leads the all-time series with OU, 22-4, dating back to 1975. Oklahoma last defeated the Bears, 3-0, in 1988 on neutral territory. The Sooners have not played SMS since 1993. Leading the Bears' offense is Linette White, who has posted 263 kills (3.25 kpg). Reese McNatt and Liesbeth Gorremans have recorded 244 and 200 kills, respectively, to contribute to the offensive cause. McNatt leads the SMS defense with 249 digs (3.04 dpg), while White has posted 104 blocks (1.28 bpg).

Among the Big 12
Oklahoma ranks seventh in the league in service aces, averaging 1.47 sapg, while Jessica Barney sits at eighth place on the individual charts with 29 service aces (0.41 sapg). In conference games only, Logan Pierce is averaging 3.64 kills per game, good for ninth place.

Texas A&M ranks first in kills (17.63 kpg), assists (16.29 apg) and digs (18.96 dpg) in the Big 12. The Aggies rank second in service aces, averaging 1.84 sapg. Jenna Mosovic averages 13.35 assists per game, good for second place in the league, while Michelle Cole and Erin Lechler average 4.35 (1st) and 3.74 (3rd) digs per game.

Leading the Sooners
Freshman Candice Woods continues to improve her hitting percentage, moving from .206 to .225 this week after hitting .316 against Kansas, .353 against Missouri and .357 versus Colorado last week. The Moosomin, Saskatchewan, native is also the team leader in blocks with 58 (0.82 bpg).

After a career-high 20 kills against Kansas, sophomore Logan Pierce is leading the Sooners with 221 kills (3.11 kpg). Woods and junior Lindsay Hoyt trail Pierce with 141 and 140 kills per game, respectively.

Defensively for Oklahoma, Hoyt and Pierce have posted 173 and 172 digs, respectively. Hoyt averages 2.44 dpg while Pierce tallies 2.42 dpg. Junior Jessica Barney is not far behind with 160 digs (2.25 dpg). Barney also tops the team with 29 service aces (0.41 sapg) and 689 assists (9.70 apg).

Week in Review
The University of Oklahoma volleyball team played three matches in five days last week, dropping all three to Big 12 opponents.

The Sooners lost 3-0 (30-24, 30-29, 31-33) to Kansas in Lawrence on Wednesday despite a career-high 20 kills by Logan Pierce, who is now averaging 3.11 kpg.

Oklahoma played back to back matches against Missouri and No. 24 Colorado over the weekend. OU dropped the match to Missouri 3-0 (30-24, 30-16, 30-19) on Saturday. Freshman Candice Woods paced OU with a .353 hitting clip. On Sunday, No. 24 Colorado defeated the Sooners, 3-0 (30-21, 30-22, 30-23). Sophomore Christina Barlow posted a team-high 11 kills while hitting .261. Woods led the team with a .357 hitting efficiency (6K, 1E, 14 TA).

Double-Doubles
Logan Pierce and Jessica Barney lead the Sooners with five double-doubles on the season. Pierce's most recent was a 19-kill, 17-dig effort against Iowa State on Oct. 17, while Barney posted 37 assists and 10 digs against Kansas on Oct. 24.

At the Sam Houston State Tournament, Christina Barlow recorded four double-doubles in five matches. 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 2-20 overall and 11 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.

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

OU Volleyball Prepares For Four-Match Road Trip :: Weekly news and notes on the Sooner volleyball team.

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