OU Volleyball Battles Texas A&M and No. 21 Missouri This Week :: Sooners hope to snap recent losing streak

	">Printer-Friendly Format ">E-mail this article Senior setter Jessica Barney

OU Volleyball Battles Texas A&M and No. 21 Missouri This Week

Sooners hope to snap recent losing streak

Oct. 28, 2002

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Turning For Home

With half of the Big 12 slate complete, the Oklahoma volleyball team is 4-15 and 2-9 in conference with a tough mid-week battle at Texas A&M (13-7, 5-6 Big 12) on Wednesday, Oct. 30. Last week OU lost in three games to Texas Tech and fell in five games to Kansas.

After the tough loss to Kansas, OU Head Coach Kalani Mahi wasn't discouraged,"Tonight was a victory for us in many ways. We are dissapointed in the outcome but the team played four outstanding games. We found a new inner fire, which fueled the team playing great defense, perhaps the best of the season. This team proved to themselves how well they can play when they work at it. I think this will motivate them for the rest of the season."

Oklahoma travels to College Station to battle the Aggies at G. Rollie White Coliseum, where A&M has only lost once this season (10-1). That loss was to No. 4 Nebraska in four games. On Oct. 2, Texas A&M swept OU in Norman 30-18,30-21,30-24. A&M was led by Melissa Munsch who recorded 17 kills. Oklahoma loss the first match on the defensive end, where the Aggies dominated in blocks and aces. Heading into the match both squads are struggling, Texas A&M has lost four of its last six matches and OU has dropped a season-high seven straight matches.

"Our defense will be the key against Texas A&M," said Mahi. "They are one of the most aggressive attacking teams in the Big 12 and that is why Laura Jones and Munsch are averaging four kills a game. We have to dig well and put ourselves in position to get blocks or at least redirect their attackers." Saturday the Sooners finish off "Super Sooner Saturday," with a 7 p.m. match against Missouri, just hours after the conclusion of the football team's game against Colorado. Missouri swept OU Oct. 12 in Columbia when MU's Lindsey Noll knocked out 19 kills. Christina Barlow put away 13 balls and Tara Birkinbine dug nine for the Sooners.

OU will be looking to notch its first victory against Missouri since 1999, a streak of five matches. Missouri is ranked No. 19 in the current AVCA Coaches Poll and has won three of its last four matches going into the week. The Tigers are currently 18-4 and 8-3 in the Big 12.

Admission is free to the Missouri match. Fans can also watch a live video feed of the contest on SoonerSports.com. To access the feed, simply click on the "Live Streaming Match" link on the right side of the volleyball home page.

Oklahoma Notes - Texas A&M leads the all-time series with OU 25-1.

- OU leads the all-time series with Missouri 32-18. - OU hit .227 (67K-23E-194TA) against Kansas, their highest total since Missouri (.235) and the second highest percentage in the last eight matches.

- OU had 23 attack errors against Kansas, its first five game match this season.

- In 19 total matches, OU has recorded 23 or more errors eight times, seven of which were in three game matches. - Senior setter Jessica Barney returned from knee surgery Saturday against Kansas and set up 47 assists.

- After playing as a defensive specialist the last 14 games, Denise Griffin move back to outside hitter. Griffin played on the right side and Candice Woods moved back to middle blocker. The switch worked as Griffin had 11 kills (career high .429 hitting percentage) and Woods had 16 kills. - OU will be looking for its first road victory (0-7) when they head to Texas A&M this week.

- OU has not won a road match since 2000 at Iowa State.

Player Notes Jennifer Adams - Team-high 10 kills and .350 hitting percentage against Nebraska. Christina Barlow - Recorded career-high in aces (3), assists (3) and digs (19) against Kansas, on top of 13 kills. Jessica Barney - Returned to action against Kansas and collected 47 assists. Tara Birkinbine - Collected career-highs in digs (16) and assists (3) against Kansas. Leanne Chen - Usually subs in for Jessica Barney late in games for blocking purposes. Gretchen French - Had a season-high five kills against Loyola Marymount on Aug. 31. Denise Griffin - Moved back to outside hitter against Kansas and collected 11 kills from the right side and hit a career-high .429. Lindsay Hoyt - Contributed aces in minimal playing time against Nebraska and Kansas. Emily Kincaid - Out indefinitely with knee injury. Megan O'Connell - Leads OU with nine individual match high performances. Jennifer Mosso - Had career highs in hitting percentage (.370), digs (3), assists (1) and block solos (1) against Kansas. Yvette Villanueva - Had a season-high 11 digs against Kansas. Sheena Werling - Came off the bench late against Nebraska to record two kills. Candice Woods - Led OU with 16 kills and two solo blocks against Kansas.

Not Your Typical Freshman

Surprisingly, freshman libero Tara Birkinbine has the steadiest demeanor of any Sooner on the volleyball court. Birkinbine's nerves never seem to waver. By her facial expressions you'd never notice a mistake or she made a mistake. Birkinbine can be found each match diving around the court for a dig or rallying the Sooners during a crucial moment.

At the beginning of the season Birkinbine summed her attitude up pretty well, "I didn't plan on playing volleyball after high school but it became fun again and OU was the place for me. I am not nervous about playing in the Big 12 because I feel like I have been playing at this level for a few years with my club team."

Birkinbine is a confident and fearless rookie who's having a great time playing. That is not a bad combination for Coach Mahi and staff.

As Coach Mahi says, "Tara is great, I love her attitude. She never gets too high or low. She'll be a great leader for this team in the upcoming years because of that winning attitude."

Birkinbine is fouth on the squad in digs per game at 2.61, despite the fact that she usually only rotates in when OU is serving.

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 returned 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.

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.

Sophomore setter Lexy Beers, who posted a career-high 63 assists in the five-game victory over Texas Tech, is ranked fourth in the Big 12 with 12.71 assists per game in conference play only and fourth for the full season with a 12.34 average. With the 5-9 sophomore directing the A&M attack, the Aggies are ranked second to Nebraska in the conference for fewest blocks allowed by an opponent for the full season (1.79).

A&M is paced by the one-two punch of outside hitters Laura Jones and Melissa Munsch. Jones, a freshman, leads the team with 3.78 kills, 0.50 aces and 4.51 points per game for the full season. Munsch is right behind Jones with 3.72 kills, 0.47 aces and 4.43 aces per game. In addition, the sophomore leads the Aggies with 3.36 digs per game.. In conference matches only, Jones leads the team with 4.03 kills, 0.36 aces and 4.67 points per game, while Munsch is averaging 3.92 kills, 0.32 aces and 4.45 points, in addition to a team-leading 3.34 digs per game.

Five of A&M's six losses have been on the road. The Aggies are being outhit, .224 to .215, on the road but are outhitting their opponents, .255 to .150, in matches played at G. Rollie White Coliseum. All seven losses have been against teams that have been ranked in the Top 25 for at least one week during the regular season.

A Closer Look At The Missouri Tigers

Missouri head coach Susan Kreklow

is the winningest active coach among Division I volleyball coaches. Kreklow's winning percentage of .830 is the best among active coaches with at least five years of coaching experience. She is also second in total wins among active coaches with 517 in her career. These numbers reflect her records as the head coach of the Missouri and Columbia College women's volleyball teams. She also coached the Columbia College men's team for three season. When those records are added in, she has a combined record of 570-132.

Shen Danru was named the Big 12 Player of the Week on Sept. 9 for her performances at the Crimson Tide Invitational. A native of Shanghai, China, Danru was named the tournament MVP at the Crimson Tide Invitational in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and led the Tigers to the tournament title. She was also named the tournament MVP at the Quality Inn Tiger Invitational leading the Tigers to another team title. In addition, Danru was named to the All-Tournament team in the season opening tournament in Corvallis, Ore. She is fifth in the Big 12 Conference in kills per game with a 4.14 average and is second in the conference in aces averaging 0.51 aces per game. Danru, who was named the Preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, has a .257 hitting percentage on the season and is averaging 3.25 digs per game.

Missouri junior Mary Lauren Smith was selected as the AVCA/Sports Imports National Player of the Week on Sept. 30 for her performances against Texas A&M and Colorado. Smith is the first Missouri player ever to receive this honor. Smith was also featured in "Faces in the Crowd" section of this week's Sports Illustrated. The Atlanta, Ga. resident, posted back-to-back 20-kill matches to lead MU to victories over No. 20 Texas A&M and No. 23 Colorado. Smith had a hitting percentage of .432 against the Buffaloes and hit .394 against the Aggies for a .414 hitting percentage for the week. She also averaged 4.44 kills per game in the two match stretch. Smith is currently second on the team with a 3.82 kills per game average on the year and has a hitting percentage of .299. Additionally, she has recorded 37 total blocks for the season.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

OU Volleyball Battles Texas A&M and No. 21 Missouri This Week :: Sooners hope to snap recent losing streak

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