It Only Gets Tougher From Here :: Volleyball begins difficult five game stretch with No. 25 Texas A&M Wednesday at 7p.m. inside McCasland Field House

	">Printer-Friendly Format ">E-mail this article Senior setter Jessica Barney set career highs in assists (54) and aces (6) against Baylor last weekend.

It Only Gets Tougher From Here

Volleyball begins difficult five game stretch with No. 25 Texas A&M Wednesday at 7p.m. inside McCasland Field House

Oct. 1, 2002

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It Only Gets Tougher From Here

Consistency will be the key as usual for Oklahoma volleyball as it looks to sustain some momentum. Coming off a big victory over Baylor, the Sooners face the toughest stretch of games to date. The next five Big 12 contests are against teams which have been ranked in the AVCA Top 25.

The difficult stretch begins at home against No. 25 Texas A&M Wednesday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. inside the Howard McCasland Field House. Oklahoma senior Megan O'Connell, Jessica Barney, Lindsay Hoyt and Denise Griffin are playing their best v-ball of the season. O'Connell put away a season and OU high 18 kills against Baylor, her sixth 10-plus kill performance in the last seven matches. Setter Jessica Barney had 54 assists and six aces both new career highs against Baylor. As for Hoyt and Griffin, they've been the steadiest defensive players for the Sooners since Big 12 play began. Griffin ranks sixth in Big 12 play with 3.31 digs per game.

Texas A&M comes to Norman fresh off a resounding victory over Iowa State. Prior to that match, the Aggies dropped consecutive road matches to Colorado and Missouri. In Big 12 play OU is undefeated at home, while Texas A&M is winless on the road. The Aggies are lead by sophomore setter Lexy Beers, who averages over 12 assists per game and has been in the top five of the Big-12 all season. Sophomore Melissa Munsch is averaging 3.76 kills per game and ranks in the top five in aces and digs. As a team, the Aggies rank in the middle of the Big 12 in every major category. The one exception being digs, where they rank third with 16.08 a game.

Saturday, Oklahoma travels to Boulder, Colo. to face the Colorado Buffaloes at the Coors Event Center. After opening the Big 12 season with impressive wins over a healthy Baylor squad and Texas A&M, the Buffs were ranked in the AVCA Top 25. Then Colorado lost two consecutive five-game matches to Kansas and Missouri at home, falling to 2-2 in league play and out of the AVCA rankings. Colorado is led by Monique Gerlach, who averages 3.63 kills per game on a .357 hitting percentage, which is 7th in the Big 12.

Wednesday night marks "Oklahoma Foam Noodle Night" with the first 100 fans in atendance receiving a free foam noodle. Admission is $5 for adults and $2 for children. Students with valid student I.D. are free.

Oklahoma Notes

- OU's victory over Baylor snapped a six game losing steak against the Bears which began in 1999.

- Jennifer Mosso received a rare start against Baylor and had a career afternoon. She recorded career highs in kills (13), attempts (28), digs (2) and block assists (4).

- OU is 2-2 in the Big 12 for the first time since 1997 when they began 3-2.

- In game 2 against Baylor, OU hit .485, its highest single game output this season.

- Oklahoma's 14 aces against Baylor were the second highest total thsi season by any Big 12 team.

- Within Big 12 play the Sooners rank third in service aces (23) and fifth in oppo nent hitting percentage (.206).

- Colorado leads the all-time series with OU 25-10, including nine straight wins.

- The toughest stretch of OU's schedule begins with Texas A&M and ends five matches later with No. 5 Nebraska. All five of the squads OU will face have been or are currently ranked in the AVCA.

- Oklahoma volleyball has received an unusual amount of media coverage lately. In the last two weeks they have graced the cover o f the Norman Transcript, Daily Oklahoman, Oklahoma Daily, Crimson Report and AVCA.org.

Player Notes

Jennifer Adams - Sixth in Big 12 play with 1.25 blocks per game. Christina Barlow - Matched career high with 15 kills against Baylor. Jessica Barney - Recorded 54 assists and 6 aces against Baylor, both career highs. She now ranks fourth in aces during Big 12 play and 7th overall. Tara Birkinbine - Defensive specialist had five digs against Baylor. Leanne Chen - Backup setter played for first time since EGOG Invitational. Gretchen French - Had a season-high five kills against Loyola Marymount on Aug. 31. Denise Griffin - Senior libero average 3.31 digs per game in Big 12, ranks sixth in conference. Lindsay Hoyt - Ever consistent outside hitter collected five kills and six digs against Baylor. Emily Kincaid - Saw first action of the season against ULM and Grambling. Megan O'Connell - Had OU career high 18 kills, on top of eight digs and three block assists. Jennifer Mosso - Had career highs in kills (13), attempts (28), and block assists (4). Yvette Villanueva - Served Sooners to eight consecutive points in game two of ISU match. Sheena Werling - After struggling against ISU, had eight kills and five digs against Kansas. Candice Woods - Recorded 17 kills on .500 hitting percentage, both career highs over four games, also had four block assists. Hitting .390 in conference, fourth best in Big 12.

Megan A Difference

Despite her 6-4 frame, Megan O'Connell arrived in Norman under the radar of most Big 12 coaches. The senior transferred from Illinois State at the last minute, just days before training camp opened. She decided she wanted to play her final season with the Mahi's, who had coached her at Illinois State her freshman season.

The new addition couldn't have worked out any better for either side. O'Connell is leading the Sooners offensive attack with 3.34 kills per game and a consistent .284 hitting percentage (127K-38-E-313TA). Based on the numbers alone, its' obvious she is fitting in well with the team, but according to Head Coach Kalani Mahi it is more than that.

"It's tough for her to be a vocal leader, since this is her first year in the program," said Kalani Mahi. "She leads by example and she knows how to win. That's her biggest contribution for our team."

O'Connell has been sizzling of late with 10 or more kills in six of the last seven contests. In Big 12 play she is averaging 12.25 kills per match, a team high of course.

Head Coach Kalani Mahi

Oklahoma head coach Kalani Mahi is in his third year at the helm of an accomplished Sooner volleyball program and hopes are high for success in the very near future. Mahi returns five starters and seven letterwinners from last year's team. He also welcomed five freshmen (2 redshirt) and two upperclass transfers into the Sooner program.

Coach Mahi is assisted by his wife, Christy Mahi and Josh Ivans. All three have ties to their alma mater, Graceland College, where each got their start in volleyball at the collegiate level.

No stranger to success on the court, Mahi headed up successful programs at both Bradley (1995-97 as head coach & 92-94 as assistant) and Illinois State (1998-99). 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.

A Closer Look At The Texas A&M Aggies Laurie Corbelli is in her 10th season at Texas A&M and is the winningest coach in Aggie volleyball history in both total victories and winning percentage with a 224-77 (.744) record. Corbelli, who posts a 324-183 (.639) career record, began her coaching career in 1986 at the University of San Francisco. Following a four-year stint at the helm of the Lady Dons, Corbelli was hired at Santa Clara University. The former Laurie Flachmeier was a silver medalist as a member of the 1984 USA Olympic Volleyball Team and received the Flo Hyman All-Time Great Player Award by USA Volleyball in 1998.

Melssa Munsch- Sophomore outside hitter Melissa Munsch has posted double figures in kills in seven consecutive matches. In addition, she has reached double digits in digs in eight of 11 matches and has recorded a team-best six double-doubles. Munsch leads the team with 3.83 kills, 3.33 digs and 4.71 points per game.

Aggie Notes- The Aggies are 1-3 in away matches, having swept Southwest Texas State in San Marcos, before dropping a four-game match at No. 16 Wisconsin and two Big 12 matches to Colorado and Missouri...Last year A&M was 10-3 in away games.... The Aggies have won 17 consecutive matches played at G. Rollie White Coliseum dating back to last season. Texas A&M, which is 7-0 in home contests this season, has not dropped a home contest since No. 2 Nebraska downed the Aggies, 3-1, on Oct. 14, 2001.

A Closer Look At The Colorado Buffaloes Colorado Head Coach Pi'i Aiu: Head coach Pi'i Aiu has a 98-55 career record as he enters his sixth year as head coach of the Buffs, and he is looking to become the quickest coach in CU history to 100 wins. Actually, he'll be the second, as his predecessor Brad Saindon compiled a 181-112 record in 10 years as head coach. Aiu should top Saindon in the number of matches it took to reach the 100 win mark, and could do so in as early as his 152nd match. Saindon reached the 100 win mark in the third match of the 1993 season, in his 180th match as head coach.

Barkman Breaking Records: Senior middle blocker Meghan Barkman tallied 15 kills in Honolulu, giving her 930 for her career and pushing her past 2000 graduate Kristin Engelking for the 10th slot among middle blockers for kills at A&M. Barkman capitalized on four attacks against UCLA, three against Ohio State, and eight against Hawaii, moving her up in yet another category for middles. Barkman is now in the top 10 in five major career categories.

Barkman's Blocks: Barkman already owns the CU career record for blocks. If she keeps her season average of 150 blocks, she should hit the 600 mark, a feat not accomplished by many in NCAA history.

All-American Setter-: Senior Elizabeth Gower took over the setting duties from two-time All-American Kelly Campbell after the two were teammates in 1999, Gower's freshman season and Campbell's senior. About the only thing Gower has yet to accomplish that Campbell did was being named All-American, but if the Buffs do well on the court in 2002, Gower should get some All-America recognition. She is one of the most offensive-minded setters in the NCAA, as she has hit near the .300 mark and averaged nearly 2.0 kills per game in her career, both numbers extremely high for setters. If the Buffs conttinue to run a one-setter offense, she should surpass the 4,000 assist plateau, becoming the fourth Buff to accomplish that feat. Her digs-per-game mark has been among the best on the team and she is on pace to be the best blocking setter in CU history, as well.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

It Only Gets Tougher From Here :: Volleyball begins difficult five game stretch with No. 25 Texas A&M Wednesday at 7p.m. inside McCasland Field House

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