Sooners Open Season At Sam Houston State Tournament :: Oklahoma volleyball weekly release.

Sooners Open Season At Sam Houston State Tournament :: Oklahoma volleyball weekly release. Sooners Open Season At Sam Houston State Tournament

Oklahoma volleyball weekly release.

Aug. 29, 2001

Norman, Okla.- The 2001 Oklahoma volleyball team opens its season at the Sam Houston State Tournament against Louisiana-Lafayette on Friday, Aug. 31, in Huntsville, Texas. The Ragin'Cajuns lead the all-time series 7-3. The Sooners will also face North Texas in which OU holds the edge 16-7. Texas A&M Corpus Christi and Sam Houston State make up Saturday's competition. This will be the first meeting between OU and the Islanders while the Sooners lead the series with Sam Houston State, 5-3. This year's team features six new faces including five freshmen and one transfer. Junior Denise Griffin transferred to OU during the spring semester from Eastern Utah Community College. The freshman class is comprised of setter Leanne Chen (Regina, Saskatchewan), outside hitter Emily Kincaid (Broken Arrow, Okla.), middle blocker Gretchen French (Bryan, Texas), middle blocker Candice Woods (Moosomin, Saskatchewan) and outside hitter Sheena Werling (Tiffin, Ohio). Woods competed with the Canadian Junior National Team for the second year this past summer. Returning starters include junior Lindsay Hoyt and sophomore Logan Pierce. Returner Jessica Barney, a junior setter, will fill the shoes of now graduated Carolyn Kittell. Barney transferred from Arkansas State last season and played primarily as a defensive specialist. Sophomore Christina Barlow and freshman redshirt Alexia McWhinney round out the remainder of the 2001 team.

Head Coach Kalani Mahi
Head Coach Kalani Mahi embarks on his second year at the helm of the OU volleyball program. In his first year, Mahi led the team to a 7-21 overall finish. With only four returning letterwinners and six new faces, the young team faces a tough challenge in Big 12 Conference action. Mahi looks to continue excellence in academics with this year's squad. Last year, Mahi's student-athletes recorded their highest grade point average in recent years with a 3.18 in the fall semester and a 3.26 in the spring. No stranger to success on the court, Mahi headed up successful programs at both Bradley and Illinois State. He has also played competitively indoor and outdoor and has been a part of teams that have finished fifth and seventh in the USA Volleyball Open National Indoor Championships.

Ivans Joins Sooner Coaching Staff
The team has not only lost four starters last year, it has also lost an assistant coach in Joel McCartney, who took the head coaching position at Winthrop College in Rock Hill, S.C. California native Josh Ivans will fill the assistant coaching position. His last coaching stint was as a graduate assistant at Wichita State University. He has also coached at his alma mater, Graceland College (Iowa). He played volleyball there from 1994-1998 and coached the women's team from 1996-1999. He also also worked as a youth camp instructor at the USA Volleyball National Development Camps.

A Glance Back
The 2000 OU volleyball squad finished in 10th place in the Big 12 with a 2-10 conference record and a 7-21 overall mark. The Sooners started the season strong with five victories, a first in the history of the volleyball program, and a tournament championship at the Lamar Cardinal Classic. Cathy Cook earned most valuable player honors at the middle blocker position. After a 5-0 start, the Sooners earned only two more victories in 2000, both coming against Iowa State.

The Competition
The 2001 schedule is a tough one, just as all the schedules are when a team is a member of the Big 12 Conference. Three Big 12 programs are ranked in the top 25 according to the USA Today/AVCA poll on Aug. 13. Nebraska, the defending national champion, is ranked No. 1 followed by Texas A&M and Kansas State at No. 18 and No. 19, respectively. Missouri, Colorado, Texas Tech and Baylor also received points in the poll. Nebraska was picked to win the Big 12 and the national championship for the second consecutive year. Non-conferenece opponents include Louisiana-Lafayette, North Texas, Texas A&M Corpus Christi and Sam Houston State at the Sam Houston Tournament, the season opener for the Sooners. This will be the first meeting between OU and Louisiana-Lafayette. The Cowgirl Classic at the University of Wyoming features matches against Wake Forest, Wyoming, Texas-Arlington and Idaho State. Idaho State and OU will begin their series history on Sept. 8. The Sooners will also take on Middle Tennessee State, Wichita State and Southwest Missouri State at the Mary Jo Wynn Invitational in Springfield, Mo.

OU Field House: Home of Sooner Volleyball
The University of Oklahoma Field House, home of OU volleyball, is currently going through several renovations. As part of Greater Expectations: The Campaign for Sooner Sports, the 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 Open Season At Sam Houston State Tournament :: Oklahoma volleyball weekly release.

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