Volleyball Heads North To Jayhawk Country :: Oklahoma visits fellow Big 12 member Kansas, looking to remain perfect in conference.

	">Printer-Friendly Format ">E-mail this article Sophomore Candice Woods in third in the Big 12 with 1.29 blocks per game.

Volleyball Heads North To Jayhawk Country

Oklahoma visits fellow Big 12 member Kansas, looking to remain perfect in conference.

Sept. 20, 2002

NORMAN, Okla. - The suddenly consistent Oklahoma volleyball team makes its first conference trip of the season to Lawrence, Kan. to take on the Kansas Jayhawks Saturday, Sept. 21 at 2 p.m. (CST) inside the Horejsi Family Athletic Center. OU is just 3-6 on the season, but has won three of its last four matches, including the Big 12 home-opener against Iowa State. Kansas (8-1) was perfect before being swept by No. 17 Texas A&M on Wednesday.

"If we play consistent, error free volleyball we can compete with anyone in this league," said OU Head Coach Kalani Mahi. "Kansas is a team on the rise, but we need to worry about ourselves and play our game. If we come out like we did against Iowa State and run an efficient offense we should be successful."

Oklahoma is led by sophomore middle blocker Candice Woods who is currently third in the Big 12 with 1.29 blocks per game. Defensively, Oklahoma has stepped it up of late. In conference play, three Sooners rank in the top 10 in blocks, while senior libero Denise Griffin ranks second with 5.00 digs per game.

Offensively, senior outside hitter Megan O'Connell has put away 10 or more kills in four consecutive matches, with a season-high of 15 against Tulsa Sept.14. Junior Christina Barlow has recorded 10 or more kills in three of the last five matches.

The Jayhawks are led by sophomore Ashley Michaels, who leads the Big 12 in hitting percentage at .456 (78K-11E-147TA) and is seventh in blocks per game with 1.15. The Jayhawks have at least one player ranked in the top 10 of every major statistical category, while the Sooners only have two.

Last season OU split Big 12 matches with Kansas. Oklahoma beat KU in the Big 12 opener at Howard McCasland Field House, ending the Jayhawk's 10 game winning streak at the time. Kansas leads the all time series 37-17, including wins in seven of the last eight contests.

Oklahoma stops off to battle the University of Texas Sept. 25, before returning to the McCasland Field House to play Baylor at 2 p.m. Sept. 28, just hours before the football team kickoff against South Florida at 6 p.m.

Sept. 28 is "Super Sooner Saturday," so make a day of it by catching both teams. Admission is $5 for adults and $2 for children. Oklahoma students get free admission with valid student I.D.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Volleyball Heads North To Jayhawk Country :: Oklahoma visits fellow Big 12 member Kansas, looking to remain perfect in conference.

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