Sooner Volleyball Ready To Tussle With Longhorns :: Oklahoma travels to Austin to face arch rival Texas, Wednesday at 7 p.m.

	">Printer-Friendly Format ">E-mail this article Sophomore Candice Woods is currently fifth in the Big 12 with 1.19 blocks per game.

Sooner Volleyball Ready To Tussle With Longhorns

Oklahoma travels to Austin to face arch rival Texas, Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Sept. 23, 2002

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Texas Two Step Oklahoma began last week with a sweeping (30-24, 30-18, 30-17) performance against the Iowa State Cyclones at the Howard McCasland Field House. The week ended in stark contrast to its beginning. The Sooners traveled to Lawrence, Kan. and were swept by the Kansas Jayhawks 30-23, 30-19, 30-20. OU has two battles with Texas this week. Wednesday, Sept. 25 Oklahoma travels to Austin to battle arch-rival Texas in Gregory Gym at 7 p.m. The Texas Longhorns, ranked No. 24 last week, have dropped from the AVCA Top 25 after losses to Missouri and No. 5 Nebraska. The Longhorns have lost two in a row after winning six consecutive matches, including a win over No. 9 Ohio State in Columbus. "You have to play well on the road no matter what in the Big 12," said OU Head Coach Kalani Mahi. "Texas is a good team, led by their outstanding left sider Mira Topic. But do I think we can beat them on their court? Absolutely, we have to sustain momentum and be consistent and we can knock off a lot of teams in this league." Oklahoma has never beat Texas, who leads the all-time series 20-0. In fact the Sooner have not taken a game from the Longhorns since 1999. In non-conference the Longhorns have played only one ranked team, the aforementioned Ohio State squad. Saturday, just hours before the football team faces South Florida at 6 p.m., Oklahoma faces the Baylor Bears at 2 p.m. inside the Howard McCasland Field House. After starting the season in consideration for the AVCA Top 25, Baylor has struggled to a 6-5 record. Baylor began the season by dropping three straight matches in the Mizuno Invitational, hosted by No. 6 Long Beach State. Baylor then won six consecutive games before dropping its first two Big 12 contests last week. The Bears were beat 3-1 by Colorado and 3-0 by Kansas State at home in the Ferrell Center. OU leads the all-time series with Baylor 16-10, but the Bears have won six straight matches going back to 1998. Last season Baylor swept OU in both matches.

Oklahoma Notes - For the second consecutive season OU won their Big 12 opener - Through game two against ISU, Canice Woods was hitting .747 and Christina Barlow was hitting .672, both would'v been career highs over three games. - Woods finished the game at .500 a season-high and just below her career-high of .588 set against Texas Tech last season. - Going into the Kanas match, O'Connell had recorded 10 or more kills in four consecutive matches, she had eight against Kansas. - Megan O'Connell leads the Sooners with two all-tournament selections, one from the LMU Invitational and another from the EGOG Invitiationl. - After suffering its first ever loss to Tulsa two weekends ago, the Sooners look turn the tables on Texas (20-0 vs. OU) by beating the Longhorns for the first time in history. - Baylor has won six consecutive matches vs. OU, but trails the all-time 10-16.

Player Notes Jennifer Adams - Had career high two block solos against Kansas. Christina Barlow - Had 49 kills over five matches leading into Kansas match. Jessica Barney - Leads OU with 0.35 aces per game. Tara Birkinbine - Defensive specialist was back in the starting lineup against Kansas. Leanne Chen - Backup setter saw significant time against ULM recording three kills. Gretchen French - Had a season-high five kills against Loyola Marymount on Aug. 31. Denise Griffin - Averaged 14.5 digs in four matches leading into Kansas. 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 - Has 10 or more kills in five matches, 9+ in six matches. Jennifer Mosso - Battling injuries caused by recent car accident Yvette Villanueva - Served Sooner to eight consecutive points in game two of ISU match. Sheena Werling - After struggling against ISU, had eight kills and five digs against Kansas. Candice Woods - Averaging 1.19 blocks per game, sixth in Big 12. Also fifth in Big 12 play with .405 (20-5-37) hitting percentage.

Good Woods Sophomore middle blocker Candice Woods had a solid freshman campaign. She led OU with 0.89 blocks per game and was third on the Sooner squad with 2.02 kills per game. The Canada native is clearly not content with her performance in 2001. So far she has been the most consitent contributor to Kalani Mahi's team this season. "Candice has just been outstanding this season," said Mahi. "She leads by performance. Her skills have improved trememdously since last season. She puts away balls when she should. On top of that she's been a rock in the middle, where she has become one of the best blockers in the Big 12." Mahi's statements are backed up by the stats. Woods puts away 2.10 kills per game and has the least errors (24) of any OU attacker. She is currently averaging 1.19 blocks per game, good enough for sixth in the Big 12. She has been ranked as high as third in that category this season. Expect more of the same from Woods who turned it up during Big 12 play last season. Her career highs in kills, total attempts, hitting percentage, block solos and block assists were all set in league play last season. Currently she ranks fifth with a .405 (20-5-37) hitting percentage in Big 12 contests.

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 Texas Longhorns Topic Picked: Sophomore Mira Topic was the lone Longhorn selected to the Big 12 Preseason Team. The youngest member of the preseason team, Topic was last season's Big 12 Freshman of the Year and a first-team All-Big 12 pick. Topic led UT in kills (534), digs (347) and service aces (60) and was second among all Big 12 players in kills per game and service aces. So far this season Topic has been named Big 12 player of the week and tournament MVP twice, at the Ohio State Invitational and Longhorn Classic.

Another Year Older: Losing two starters to graduation, the Horns returning starters consist of three sophomores and a junior. Sophomores Mira Topic and Bethany Howden return to the court after being named in 2001 ASICS/ Volleyball Magazine Freshman All-Americans. Setting up Topic and Howden is fellow sophomore Abbie Schindler (5-9, S, Santa Cruz, Calif./Santa Cruz). Schindler became the first true freshman setter in UT history, averging 12.86 assists per game. Co-captain Lisa Lutkus (5-8, DS, Crete, Ill./Marion Catholic) is the lone junior starter returning. Lutkus also is coming off of a shortened season due to an injury to her left knee. She finished the season ranked fourth on the team with 2.22 digs per game.

Texas Head Coach Jerrett Elliott: With his first year under his belt, head coach Jerritt Elliott is in his second season at the helm of Texas Volleyball. The Longhorns were 17-14 and 9-11 in Big 12 action last year. In his four seasons as a head coach (two at Southern Calfornia and two at UT), Elliott has complied an impressive overall career record of 75-27 (.735).

A Closer Look At The Baylor Bears Baylor's Ace: With five service aces Wednesday night against Colorado, junior outside hitter Stevie Nicholas moved into fourth place all-time at Baylor with 115 on her career. Furthermore, she has posted 36 aces in just 11 matches, well on schedule to eclipse her 2001 total of 59. That total was four shy of Sivertson's 1992 mark and was good enough for a school-record 0.53 per-game average. The Big 12 record for service aces in a season is 75 by Texas Tech's Heather Hughes-Justice in 2000. To put things in perspective, Nicholas is just eight aces shy of 10th place on Baylor's single-season list and just nine shy of cracking the Big 12 single-season Top 10 list.

Smith Heating Up: Junior outside hitter Lisa Smith has carried a hot hand for Baylor over the past week. Smith is hitting .381 (35-11-63) over the last three matches with 2.69 kills and 2.77 digs per game. Included in that streak are career-high kill totals of 13 against Northeastern and 14 against Utah State. She also posted career-high dig totals of 12 against Northeastern and 15 against Utah State. Those two performances helped Smith earn all-tournament honors at the Rhode Island Classic.Wednesday against Colorado, Smith hit .889 (8-0-9) with nine digs. On the season, Smith is hitting .240 with 1.82 kills and 2.32 digs per game.

Baylor Head Coach Brian Hosfield: Baylor is in its seventh season under the direction of head coach Brian Hosfeld. During his tenure, the Bears have compiled a 114-93 (.551) overall record and a 49-72 (.405) mark in the rugged Big 12 Conference. Hosfeld is credited with putting Baylor volleyball on the map. After losing seasons in 14 of 18 seasons prior to Hosfeld's arrival, Baylor has finished above .500 in four of the last six seasons. Baylor has made two NCAA Tournament appearances in that time, advancing to the second round before losing to eventual national champion Penn State in 1999. Owner of the highest winning percentage of the program's seven head coaches, Hosfeld has amassed the most wins, both overall and in conference play, of any coach in school history.

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.

ISU vs. OU Recap (Sept. 18) For the second consecutive season the Oklahoma volleyball team began the Big 12 season with a victory inside the Howard McCasland Field House. This time the victim was the Iowa State Cyclones, who fell 30-24, 30-18, 30-17, and drop to 9-3 on the season and 0-1 in Big 12 play. OU improves to 3-6 overall and 1-0 in the Big 12. "Last night I didn't sleep well because I was nervous about the Big 12 opener," said Head Coach Kalani Mahi. "Tonight we played at the level we are capable of. What impressed me most was that we made big plays in pressure situations. Denise Griffin was clutch a couple times and our attackers were finishing the job." Senior outside hitter Megan O'Connell led Oklahoma with 12 kills. Close behind were, Junior outside hitter Christina Barlow and sophomore middle blocker Candice Woods with 10 and 11 kills, respectively. Woods also led the Sooners in hitting percentage at .500 (11K-2E-18TA). Freshman Jennifer Adams posted a .375 (4-1-8) hitting percentage. At the end of game two, Woods and Barlow were hitting at an astonishing pace. Woods was hitting at .747, while Barlow was at .672. On the defensive side, O'Connell produced a match high six block assists, Woods, who currently ranks fourth in the Big 12 in blocks per game, had five block assists, as did Adams. Senior libero Denise Griffin led OU with 15 digs. Senior Lindsay Hoyt dug 8 balls as well. "Oklahoma did a great job of coming out poised tonight," said Iowa State Head Coach Linda Crum. "They did a great job of competing." For Oklahoma this marks the second consecutive victory over Iowa State and 11 of the last 13. OU has now won three of their last four contests, a first since 2000. "Tonight was the first time we have finished a team when we should," said Mahi. "We never backed down and put them away efficiently."

OU vs. KU Recap (Sept. 21) The Oklahoma volleyball team lost in consecutive games to the Kansas Jayhawks 30-23, 30-19, 30-20, Saturday inside the Horejsi Family Athletic Center on the Kansas campus. OU drops to 3-7 overall and 1-1 in Big 12 play, while Kansas improves to 9-1 and 1-1 in conference. "Unforced errors hurt us again," said OU Head Coach Kalani Mahi. "When we limit our unforced errors we are a successful team, but when we struggle in that area we can't maintain any momentum. This is the Big 12, so there is no time to dwell on this defeat. We have to move on and get ready for a solid Texas team Wednesday (Sept. 25) night." The Sooners were led by sophomore middle blocker Candice Woods who had nine kills and a .316 hitting percentage (9K-3E-19TA). Senior outside hitter Megan O'Connell had another solid outing with eight kills and five digs. Sophomore outside hitter Sheena Werling racked up eight kills as well. Kansas won the game with its offensive attack. KU outhit OU .324 (52-17-108) to .126 (34-21-103). Kansas also put away 18 more kills with four fewer errors than Oklahoma. The Sooners could only muster one ace in the match, while Kansas had 10.

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.

Howard McCasland Field House 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

Sooner Volleyball Ready To Tussle With Longhorns :: Oklahoma travels to Austin to face arch rival Texas, Wednesday at 7 p.m.

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