Back To Business :: After off weekend, OU volleyball prepares for Texas Tech and Kansas this week.

	">Printer-Friendly Format ">E-mail this article Junior outside hitter Christina Barlow

Back To Business

After off weekend, OU volleyball prepares for Texas Tech and Kansas this week.

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Back To Business

Oklahoma returns to the court after an off weekend; the first of the season for OU. The Sooners are in the midst of a five-match losing streak (4-13, 2-7 Big 12) and have a few players battling nagging injuries.

"This weekend gave the players and our staff a chance to refresh, " said OU Head Coach Kalani Mahi. "We have a few nagging injuries and the break helped us heal up. It also helped us mentally regroup and come together with a new found energy on Monday."

OU heads to Lubbock, Texas Wednesday to face the Texas Tech Red Raiders at 7 p.m. inside the United Spirit Arena. Texas Tech is 7-11 on the season and 2-7 in the Big 12. Like OU, Texas Tech has beaten Iowa State. The Red Raiders second conference victory came in four games over Missouri.

Individually Texas Tech is led by Melissa McGehee, who is ranked sixth in the Big 12 with 3.85 kills per game and has been named Big 12 Player of the Week twice. Sophomore outside hitter Kelly Johnson ranks in the top 10 of three Big 12 categories. She is fourth in kills per game with 4.30, fifth in points with 5.02 a game and ninth in aces with 0.40 per game.

"Texas Tech attacks very aggressively," said Mahi. "They swing away and put the pressure on you defensively. It will be a battle for control of the match. The team that imposes their style on the other will win."

After the trip to Texas, OU returns home for a Saturday match with the Kansas Jayhawks at 7 p.m. inside the Howard McCasland Field House. The Jayhawks are 14-4 on the season and 5-4 in Big 12 action.

When OU traveled to Lawrence a month ago they were sent packing with a sweep at the hands of the Jayhawks. OU will look for a little revenge, in a battle of two teams who have struggled lately. KU has lost three of its last five, including the last two matches to Kansas State and Missouri.

"When we faced Kansas in Lawrence, they were on their game," said Mahi. "Their coach remarked that it was their best performance to date. We have to take KU out of their comfort zone and run our game plan to win."

Oklahoma Notes

- Texas Tech leads the all-time series with OU 29-11, including wins in the last eight matches.

- OU leads the all-time series with Kansas 37-17 but KU have won eight of the last 12 matches.

- Saturday's match against Kansas marks the first and only home weekend match of October for the Sooners. - Last weekend marked the first off weekend for the Sooners this season.

- After averaging 12.98 assists per game in the five matches prior to Nebraska, Jessica Barney only muster six per game against the Huskers.

- Jessica Barney underwent minor knee surgery on Thursday and is likely to return for the home match against Kansas this Saturday, Oct. 26.

- OU continues to go young with a starting lineup of freshman Tara Birkinbine (libero), Jennifer Mosso (middle blocker) and Jennifer Adams (middle blocker).

- In order to get Mosso and Adams in the lineup together, Coach Mahi moved Candice Woods to right side hitter from middle blocker.

Player Notes

Jennifer Adams- Team-high 10 kills and .350 hitting percentage against Nebraska.

Christina Barlow- Last season average 1.67 kpg and .089 hitting %, this year 3.09 kpg and .201 hitting %.

Jessica Barney- May miss Texas Tech and Kansas match due to minor knee surgery.

Tara Birkinbine- Back as starting libero and had seven digs against Nebraska

Leanne Chen- Will fill in as starter if Barney can't go.

Gretchen French- Had a season-high five kills against Loyola Marymount on Aug. 31.

Denise Griffin- Dug six balls against Missouri and 15 against Kansas State.

Lindsay Hoyt- Contributed ace in minimal playing time against Nebraska.

Emily Kincaid- Out indefinitely with knee injury.

Megan O'Connell- Under 10 kills in past two matches, only second time this season she has failed to reach double-digits in consecutive matches.

Jennifer Mosso- Freshman has solidified her role as starter at middle blocker.

Yvette Villanueva- After not playing against Kansas State, played in all three games against Missouri and recorded an ace.

Sheena Werling- Came off the bench late against Nebraska and recorded two kills.

Candice Woods- Despite battling a pulled quadriceps, Woods has put away eight kills in three of the last four matches.

Setting the Barlow

Junior Christina Barlow has matured in numerous ways this year. Her play has improved dramatically and Barlow has become one of OU's most dependable attackers. In 2001 she averaged 1.67 kills per game and hit .089 (182K-125E-640TA). This season she is averaging 3.09 kills per game and hitting .201 (142-63-394). Her improvement across the board has solidified the toughest Sooner left side in recent history. Between Barlow and senior Megan O'Connell (3.29) they are putting away nearly 6.5 balls per game from the left side.

She has also grown up off the court, recently getting engaged to her longtime boyfriend. All these positive gains in her life point to a big senior season from the Choctaw (Okla.) native. Barlow will return next season as the lone four year starter for OU and one of two seniors expected to lead what will be a young squad.

"I am not ready for my senior year," said Barlow. "I have unfinished business this year. I want to finish on a roll and carry the momentum through spring and next fall."

A Closer Look At The Texas Tech Red Raiders

All-Time Kills Leader-

Senior Melissa McGehee is second on the team in total kills with 140, bringing her career total up to 1,082. Her total is just one kill shy of tying Brande Brown (1994-97) for the top spot in all-time kills. Her season high for kills in a match is 24 which she accomplished against Ball State at the UNLV/Gameworks Classic.

Home Sweet Home- Red Raider volleyball coach Jeff Nelson has found a pipeline of talent in his own backyard. This season's roster is comprised of four athletes from Lubbock, Texas, and one from Amarillo. Angela Mooney is the lone upperclassman from West Texas while four freshmen will play close to home this season.

Romjue's Record Climb- Ann Romjue is steadily climbing up the Tech record books in several categories. With 75 kills on the season the Papillion, Neb., native has 836 for her career which moves her into 12th place all-time. Her 203 attempts in 2002 moves her into 7th in career attempts while her 91 digs give her 1,284 for her career, third best in school history.

Grote Makes the Grade- Redshirt sophomore Laura Grote had big shoes to fill when she took over as the setter this season. Having sat out 2001 as a redshirt and playing 2000 behind Tech's all-time assists leader, the Austin, Texas, native has given coach Nelson the results he was looking for when she took the reins. Thus far, Grote has recorded 245 assists (11.67 per game) while Tech as a team is hitting .261. The Red Raiders rank fifth in the conference as a team hitting and fourth in assists per game at 14.00. As an individual Grote ranks sixth in the conference is assists per game.

A Closer Look At The Kansas Jayhawks

Kansas Head Coach Ray Bechard

Fifth-year head coach Ray Bechard has posted a 68-60 record at Kansas since accepting the position before the start of the 1998 season. Since the Grinnell, Kan., native became the head coach in Lawrence, the Jayhawks have been notorious for their quick starts. At the beginning of the 2000 season, Bechard guided the Jayhawks to nine consecutive wins to open the year -- a school record. The very next season, KU raced to 10-0 start, breaking the record from the season before. The streak was snapped by OU.

Very Young The Jayhawks will rely heavily this season upon a group of talented freshmen and sophomores to help make a difference. Sophomore defensive specialist Jill Dorsey started all but seven of KU's 31 matches last season and averaged 2.08 digs per game. Sophomore middle blocker Ashley Michaels and sophomore outside hitter Lindsay Morris each saw important time on the floor during Big 12 play and the duo will be counted upon to contribute on both ends of the court this season. The team's setter position has been primarily occupied by a true freshman (Andi Rozum) during the early part of this season. Freshman middle blocker Josiane Lima has contributed immediately, while freshman outside hitter Renita Davidson redshirted last season and will look to make more of an impact once her left knee is completely healthy.

On The Verge As a freshman, middle blocker Josiane Lima leads the team in kills this season with 212. The last time a KU rookie led the team in kills at the end of a year occurred in 1985 -- just the second year that KU fielded a volleyball team. Catalina Suarez, a native of Bogata, Colombia, recorded 301 kills that season; a freshman record, which still stands. Earlier this season, Lima was named the Most Valuable Player at the Hofstra Invitational (Sept. 7-8) and the Hampton Inn / Jayhawk Classic (Sept. 13-14) as KU captured the championship trophy in both.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Back To Business :: After off weekend, OU volleyball prepares for Texas Tech and Kansas this week.

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