Sooner Volleyball Closes 2002 With Victory :: Senior Jessica Barney and Junior Christina Barlow record double-doubles.

	">Printer-Friendly Format ">E-mail this article Senior setter Jessica Barney recorded her seventh double-double of the season in her final match as a Sooner.

Sooner Volleyball Closes 2002 With Victory

Senior Jessica Barney and Junior Christina Barlow record double-doubles.

Nov. 30, 2002

Final Stats

NORMAN, Okla. - The Oklahoma volleyball team finished the 2002 season with a sweep of Baylor 30-28, 30-27, 34-32 inside the Ferrell Center Saturday night. OU finishes the season alone in ninth place in the Big 12 with a 4-16 conference record and a 6-22 overall record. The Bears dropped to 9-22 overall and 2-18 in conference play.

""This was really a match of streaks, and even a match of unforced errors at times - especially in game two," said OU Head Coach Kalani Mahi. "The kids fought hard all night long, like they have all season. I'm happy for our seniors. They helped us close out the season on a positive note. And winning on the road in the Big 12 is always an accomplishment."

Oklahoma was led by senior setter Jessica Barney and junior outside hitter Christina Barlow each of whom recorded a double-double on the night. Barney recorded her team-high seventh double-double of the season, with 42 assists and 11 digs. Barlow put away 16 kills and collected a team-high 12 digs. Megan O'Connell pounded out 13 digs while hitting .316 (13K-1E-38TA). Senior Denise Griffin collected 10 digs in her final match as a Sooner. Senior Lindsay Hoyt recorded three kills and five digs.

"It was a battle," said Mahi. "We fouht back from deficits and overcame momentum in every game tonight. The seniors showed great composure and leadership, which keyed us to a big victory for this program."

The match was close throughout, with OU pulling away late in games one and two. OU outhit Baylor .207 (49-20-140) to .203 (54-23-123). Baylor recorded 68 digs as opposed to OU's 66.

Baylor fell behind 26-16 in game one before eventually tying the score at 28-28 on a Tisha Schwartz kill. However, the Sooners closed the match with kills by freshman Jennifer Mosso and Barlow on the next two points.

The Bears built an early 11-6 advantage in game two, but this time it was the Sooners who battled back with a five-point run that tied the game. Oklahoma went on to score 12 of the next 19 points and built a 23-18 lead. Baylor then scored eight straight points and reclaimed the lead at 25-23, but the Sooners closed out the game with a 7-2 run.

Game three mirrored game one, but the other way around. The Bears led 28-23 when a Barlow kill ignited a six-point Sooner run. The teams played side-out volleyball for the next seven points before Barlow put the match away with a kill down the left side.

The victory marked the first time OU has swept the season series from Baylor since 1997.

Oklahoma doubled its win total from 2001 when the Sooners went 3-30. OU also finished the season one place higher in the final Big 12 standings, after finishing 2001 in 10th place.

"It was outstanding to see all four of our seniors go out with a win," said Mahi. "All four contributed greatly to this victory. It will be a big obstacle for us next season to find the type of leadership we enjoyed this year."

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Sooner Volleyball Closes 2002 With Victory :: Senior Jessica Barney and Junior Christina Barlow record double-doubles.

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