Volleyball Looks To Continue Recent Success In Big 12 Home Opener against Iowa State Wednesday Night :: Sooners have won 10 of the last 12 against the Cyclones

	">Printer-Friendly Format ">E-mail this article Junior Christina Barlow averaged nine kills a match this past weekend, she hopes to rack up a few more against Iowa State.

Volleyball Looks To Continue Recent Success In Big 12 Home Opener against Iowa State Wednesday Night

Sooners have won 10 of the last 12 against the Cyclones

Sept. 17, 2002

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Game Report

After completing the most successful weekend of the year, the OU volleyball team begins play in the rugged Big 12 Wednesday, Sept. 18 against Iowa State at 7p.m. inside the Howard McCasland Field House. Followed by a trip to Lawrence, Kan., Saturday, Sept. 21 to face the Kansas Jayhawks.

OU took two of three matches in the Ewing Grover Olds/GMC Invitational, losing in the championship game to host Tulsa inside the Reynolds Center. Oklahoma lost to the Golden Hurricane in four tough sets, 30-28, 30-27, 28-30 and 30-18. Senior Megan O'Connell and freshman Jennifer Adams were named to the all-tournament team. O'Connell averaged 13 kills and eight digs per match. Adams averaged seven kills and 3.3 block assists per match. Junior Christina Barlow was also impressive, averaging nine kills per match.

The Iowa State Cyclones are fresh off a tournament title in the University of Missouri-Kansas City Tournament. The Cyclones beat Wintrop, UMKC, Duquesne and Youngstown State for the title.

OU has won 10 of the last 12 matches against Iowa State, most recently splittling home and home Big 12 contests in 2001. Oklahoma leads the series 36-12. The Cyclones have faced only one opponent who is ranked or received votes in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25. The Cyclones were swept by No.23 Eastern Washington on Sept. 6. On the other hand, half of OU's opponents have received top 25 votes.

The Kansas Jayhawks battle the Sooners in their Big 12 home opener inside the Horejsi Family Athletics Center Sept. 21 at 2 p.m. The Jayhawks currently 9-0, face No. 16 Texas A&M on Sept. 18 at College Station, Texas. KU hosted and won the Hampton Inn/Jayhawk Classic last weekend with wins over Southesast Missouri State, Marquette and Purdue.

Kansas is yet to face a team which has received any votes for the AVCA Top 25. Oklahoma and Kansas split in 2001 but the Jayhawks lead the all-time series 37-17, including wins in seven of the last eight contests.

Oklahoma Notes

- OU won two consecutive matches for the first time since 2000 when they began the season 5-0.

- Megan O'Connell and Jennifer Adams were named to the EGOG Invitational All-Tournament Team last weekend.

- The all tournament nod for O'Connell was her second of the season, after being named to the Loyola Marymount Invitational All-Tournament Team.

- In consecutive matches, OU set new opponent lows for the Head Coach Kalani Mahi era. The new records are 12 points in a game and 49 in a match, both set against Louisiana Monroe

- In the tournament OU suffered its first loss in school history to Tulsa, the all-time record now stands at 30-1.

- The match against Tulsa marked OU's first tournament championship appearance since 2000, when they won the Cardinal Classic.

- OU leads the all-time series with ISU 36-12.

- Kansas leads the all-time series with OU 37-17.

Player Notes

Jennifer Adams - Made EGOG All-Tournament team.

Christina Barlow - Average nine kills in EGOG Invite and is second on OU with 3.00 KPG.

Jessica Barney - Averaged 36 assists per match against Grambling, Tulsa and ORU.

Tara Birkinbine - Defensive specialist had career-high 13 digs vs. Bradley.

Leanne Chen - Backup setter, saw significant time over weekend recording three kills vs. ULM

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

Denise Griffin - Made transition to libero, recorded new highs of 15 and 17 digs over weekend.

Lindsay Hoyt - Returned to starting lineup against Grambling State and had seven kills.

Emily Kincaid - Saw first action of the season against ULM and Grambling.

Megan O'Connell - Made two all-tournament teams, leads OU with 79 kills.

Jennifer Mosso - Battling injuries caused by recent car accident

Yvette Villanueva - Recorded two aces against Tulsa.

Sheena Werling - Prior to EGOG Invite, had six or more kills in every match.

Candice Woods - Currently fouth in Big 12 with 1.24 blocks per game.

Making A Good First Impression

This season the Sooners have seen four newcomers skip the typical jitters and become solid performers immediately. Leading the way is the tallest (6-4) and oldest (22) of the group, senior transfer Megan O'Connell. O'Connell leads OU in kills, kills per game, hitting percentage and aces. To go along with her statistical leadership is a pair of all tournament honors.

Outside hitter Sheena Werling was forced to sit out 2001 due to a serious injury suffered just before the start of training camp. The dymnamic Werling has brought much needed energy and power to the outside, where she is currently third on the squad in kills per game with 2.19.

Freshmen Jennifer Adams and Tara Birkinbine came into camp self-assured that they'd be ready for college ball. The reason, both are club volleyball vets who've been playing at a high level since their sophomore years in high school. Adams earned all-tournament honors at the Ewing Grover Olds/GMC Invitational where she set career highs for kills (13) and hitting percentage (.474). Birkinbine has been rotating between libero and the back row of late. She dug a career-high 13 balls against Bradley earlier this season.

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 Iowa State Cyclones

Young Gun: Sophomore Brittany Dalager has already become a major contributor in just her second season at Iowa State. After the Cyclones first seven games this season, she is leading the team in kills with 94 and digs with 122. She is leading the Big 12 in digs with 4.54 per game (as of 9/9/02). Last year, the Minneota, Minn., native had 235 kills and was second in the Big 12 with her 4.11 dpg average. She led the Cyclone squad with 337 digs, the highest single-season output by a Cyclone since Colleen Henican collected 428 digs in 1997.

Youth Movement: Of the 14 players on the Cyclone squad, only six are upperclassmen. Sara Stribe and Mandi Harms are seniors and Lindsay Chapman, Renae Pruess, Michelle Gannon and Dana Koziol are juniors. The rest of the team is made of up sophomores (4) and freshmen (5). Harms is currently second on the team in kills (80), while Stribe leads the team in assists (202).

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.

A Closer Look At The Kansas Jayhawks

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.

Recent honors- Three Kansas volleyball players were selected to the all-tournament team at the Hofstra Invitational including freshman middle blocker Josiane Lima, who was named the tourney's MVP. Lima led the Jayhawks in kills (31) and finished second in total blocks (8) during the 3 match affair. Junior outside hitter Sarah Rome, who had 24 kills during the tournament, and sophomore middle blocker Ashley Michaels who led the team with 11 total blocks also earned all-tournament recognition.

Kansas Head Coach Ray Bechard- Fifth-year head coach Ray Bechard has posted a 6 8-60 record at Kans as since accepting the position before the start of the 1998 season. Since the Grinnell, Kan., native became 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.

The Competition

The toughest part of any schedule for a Big 12 member is conference play, because the Big 12 traditionally is the strongest league in the country not located on the west coast. Just look at 2001 when eight of the 11 teams in the league made the NCAA Tournament. This year promises to be more of the same, as the Sooners face four Big 12 teams ranked in the preseason AVCA Top 25, with another four league foes receiving top 25 votes.

The schedule barely eases up outside of the Big 12. The Sooners begin the season at the Loyola Marymount Invitational (Los Angeles, Calif.) against Duke, LMU and Bradley. LMU finished 2001 in the top 25 and received votes this preseason, as did Duke. Before making the short trip up to Tulsa (TU Tournament) Oklahoma faced a pair of regional rivals at home, in Arkansas and Oral Roberts. All in all OU faces 11 teams considered for the AVCA top 25, including annual powerhouse Nebraska, who is currently ranked No. 5.

Howard McCasland Field House: Home Of Sooner Volleyball

The University of Oklahoma Field House, home of OU volleyball, is currently going through several renovations. As part of Greater Expectations: The Campaign for Sooner Sports, the Field House has already seen renovations in the volleyball locker rooms, team room and bathroom/shower area.

Work will also be done on the seating areas, lighting, sound system, restrooms, concession areas, ADA and life safety needs. The McCasland Field House will also be equipped with a heating and cooling system. Construction will be completed in phases as private funds become available. One million dollars has already been pledged by a private donor.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Volleyball Looks To Continue Recent Success In Big 12 Home Opener against Iowa State Wednesday Night :: Sooners have won 10 of the last 12 against the Cyclones

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