OU Volleyball Travels To Iowa State Wednesday :: Sooners return home for 5 p.m. match with Texas Tech.

	">Printer-Friendly Format ">E-mail this article Freshman libero Tara Birkinbine has helped spark the Sooners defensive improvement.

OU Volleyball Travels To Iowa State Wednesday

Sooners return home for 5 p.m. match with Texas Tech.

Nov. 5, 2002

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Encouraging Signs

While the results haven't produced a victory for OU in the last three matches, the Sooners have played some of their most consistent volleyball of the season. In particular, Oklahoma has improved its defense. Over the last three matches OU has averaged 14. 5 digs per game. On the season the Sooners average 12.9 digs per game, worst in the Big 12.

After beginning the season as one of the best blocking teams in the Big 12, OU struggled in league play. In the last three matches, Oklahoma has averaged 4.0 blocks per game, which would lead the Big 12 if carried out over an entire season.

"We have really concentrated on our fundamentals in the passing game," said OU Head Coach Kalani Mahi. "Our improvement is a result of hard work during practice and heightened concentrationd during matches. We've also worked extensively on our transitions when blocking. While we have improved, the job is not finished. The team is not where they need to be defensively and they understand this. It is something we have to continue to work on every day."

OU (4-17, 2-11 Big 12) is looking to end a season-high nine match losing streak this Wednesday, Nov. 6 against the last place Iowa State Cyclones (10-15, 1-12 Big 12) when the Sooners travel to Ames, Iowa for a 7 p.m. match inside the Hilton Coliseum. Oklahoma defeated ISU in its Big 12 opener Sept. 18, 30-24, 30-18. 30-17. Senior outside hitter Megan O'Connell collected 12 kills, while sophomore middle blocker Candice Woods contributed 11 kills in the conference opener.

Iowa State's lone conference victory came at the hands of Baylor, Oct. 26. Oklahoma defeated Baylor in four games Sept. 28.

Texas Tech (8-13, 3-9 Big 12) swept Oklahoma in Lubbock Oct. 23, thanks to 18 kills from right side hitter Kelly Johnson. Woods and O'Connell led the Sooners with eight kills apiece. OU only hit .118 (32K-19E-113 TA) for the match, while Tech hit .308 (47-14-107).

Saturday's match will be broadcast live on SoonerSports.com. To view the live video feed, click on the "Live Streaming Match Video" link on the right sid e of the volleyball home page. The first 200 fans in attendance at the match against Texas Tech will receive a free OU Foam Noodles.

Oklahoma Notes

- OU leads the all-time series with Iowa State 36-12, including wins in seven of the last eight matches.

- Texas Tech leads the all-time series with OU 29-11.

- OU has averaged just 3.58 atttack errors per game in the last three matches, on the season the Sooners average 6.43 per game.

- OU is also averaging 14.5 digs and 4.0 blocks per game in the last three matches, well above its season averages of 12.9 and 2.01.

- OU's current nine game losing streak is the longest of the season.

- OU hit .122 as a team last season, this year the Sooners are hitting .167.

- OU is also averaging more assists and aces per game than 2001.

- Christina Barlow (3.05), Megan O'Connell (2.99) and Candice Woods (2.51) average over two kills per game, with Jennifer Mosso close at 1.92. In 2001 only Logan Pierce averaged over two kills per game (3.17).

Player Notes

Jennifer Adams - Injured her right thumb recently and hasn't played in the last three matches.

Christina Barlow - Leftside hitter passed team-high 39 balls against Missouri, killing 15 of the sets.

Jessica Barney - Set up 76 kills in last two matches.

Tara Birkinbine - Collected career-highs in digs (16) and assists (3) against Kansas, Oct. 26.

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 - Consistent game against Missouri with seven kills, 11 digs and five block assists.

Lindsay Hoyt - Serving specialist has missed only one match this season.

Emily Kincaid - Out indefinitely with knee injury.

Megan O'Connell - Only reached double digits in kills once in last six games.

Jennifer Mosso - Had a career-high nine block assists against Missouri.

Yvette Villanueva - Had a season-high 14 digs against Missouri.

Sheena Werling - Came off the bench late against Nebraska to record two kills.

Candice Woods - Second on squad in hitting percentage and blocks per game.

A Closer Look At The Texas Tech Red Raiders

Melissa McGhee-

Two-time Big 12 Player of the Week (Sept. 2, Oct. 6)...named Hofstra/Asics Classic Tournament MVP...became Tech's all-time kills leader with eight kills against Nebraska...is just the fourth player in Red Raider history to record 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs for a career...recorded a season-best 27 kills in Tech's upset of No. 21 Missouri (10/5)...leads team with nine double-doubles on the season.

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.

Bad Mooney Rising- Junior Angela Mooney has been on a roll as of late, recording back-to-back double-doubles against Kansas State (10/2) and Missouri (10/5) and has 41 kills in her last three matches. Against KSU, the Lubbock, Texas, native was second on the team in kills, 19, while digging 12 balls in her first match as an outside hitter this season. She also recorded a solo block and five assist blocks to co-lead the team. She recorded her second doubledouble of the season with 12 kills and 12 digs as Tech upset #21 Missouri Saturday. She has recorded eight double digit kill matches in her last nine outings.

Senior Middle Blocker- Stacey Poole is Tech's silent attacker in Big 12 play after the first half of action. The Las Cruces, N.M., native has hit over .445 in her last three matches and now lead the team in hitting percentage in conference action, .333. Poole turned in a season-high 12 kills against A&M and followed the performance with her second double digit kill night of the season with 10 against Colorado. Against Colorado, she hit .529 only committing one error on 17 attempts.

A Closer Look At The Iowa State Cyclones

Iowa State Head Coach Linda Crum-

Linda Crum is in her fourth year as the leader of the Iowa State volleyball program. Since taking over the helm on June 24, 1999, she has been instrumental in laying down a foundation to bring winning back to ISU. This season, Crum finally has some depth, as well as some talented newcomers. Seniors Mandi Harms and Sara Stribe return to lead the Cyclones into the upper echelon of the Big 12 Conference.

Setter Stribe- Senior Sara Stribe has slowly been inching her way up Iowa State's record book. For her career, she currently has 2,666 assists, which is good for third place on Iowa State's all-time assist list. She needs 266 assists to take over second on the list (2,932). This season, she has 795 with half the season left. She needs just 79 assists to take over 10th on the season list (874). She had 845 assists last season.

In Harms' Way- Mandi Harms may very well be playing the best volleyball of her career right now. She has been the team's kill leader for the last three matches, including a career-high 19 against Colorado. She is currently first on the team in kills with 268, which is 96 more kills than she had as a junior (172). She leads the team in blocks with 108, which has surpassed her total from a year ago (102).

Back on Track- After struggling in matches during the early part of October, sophomore Brittany Dalager has broken out of her slump with some impressive matches. After not playing on Oct. 2, due to a stress fracture, Dalager was slow to return to form. After having only six kills and 38 digs in the first five matches in October, she's rebounded strong. In ISU's last four matches, she had 37 kills and 60 digs.

Newcomer Wonders- Iowa State's newcomers have been playing well this season. Of ISU's six newcomers, two are starters and one more is a reserve that comes in frequently. Katie Kruenegel and Amanda Craig, until her injury on Oct. 18, have been starting since the middle of September and have made immediate impacts on the team. Craig is fourth on the team in kills (146) and Kruenegel is fourth on the team in blocks (56). Kelly Melohn, a sophomore transfer from South Dakota State, has seen action in seven matches and has nine kills. Another player, Ashlie McWee, is a redshirt freshman for the Cyclones, and is fifth on the team in kills (97) and fourth in blocks (55). Iowa State's other newcomers are Nicole Lorenzen, Katy Amundson and Michelle Gannon.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

OU Volleyball Travels To Iowa State Wednesday :: Sooners return home for 5 p.m. match with Texas Tech.

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