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Volleyball To Battle Arkansas In Season Home Opener :: OU volleyball makes Howard McCasland Field House debut Monday at 7p.m.

September 03, 2002 | Volleyball

Volleyball To Battle Arkansas In Season Home Opener :: OU volleyball makes Howard McCasland Field House debut Monday at 7p.m.
 
 
 

 
Head Coach Kalani Mahi's 2002 edition of Sooner volleyball takes to the Howard McCasland Field House court tonight at 7 p.m.
 
 
Volleyball To Battle Arkansas In Season Home Opener

Sept. 3, 2002

NORMAN, Okla. - Oklahoma (0-3) volleyball begins the 2002 home schedule tonight against regional rival Arkansas (3-0) in a battle of opposites. OU struggled this past weekend in the Loyola Marymount Invitational, losing all three games, while Arkansas won the Conseco/Southwest Missouri State Fall Classic with a five-set victory over host SMS.

The Sooners lost to Duke (3-0) and Loyola Marymount (2-1), both of whom made the NCAA tournament last season, with Duke reaching the second round. Saturday evening, Bradley (1-2) knocked off the Sooners in what was at the time, a battle of winless teams.

Tonight marks only the second time these two storied universities have met each other in volleyball. Arkansas won the first game in consecutive sets on its home court in Fayetteville during the 2000 season.

Leading Oklahoma is senior transfer Megan O'Connell (Illiniois State), who had a stellar debut. She racked up 24 kills in the Invitational with a .311 hitting percentage and a team season-high 11 kills against host LMU. For her efforts, O'Connell was named to the all-tournament team. Redshirt freshman Sheena Werling (Tiffin, Ohio) also made an impressive debut, leading the Sooners with 25 kills. Continuing the trend of impressive debuts was true freshman libero Tara Birkinbine (Geneva, Ill.), who collected a team season-high 13 digs in the Bradley match.

Oklahoma will look to improve upon an all-time 10-16 record against Southeastern Conference opponents tonight, which marks its only contest against the SEC this season.

OU returns home Saturday, Sept. 7 for its annual alumni game which begins at 10 a.m., a few hours before the football team kicks off its home slate at 2:30 p.m. against Alabama. Another regional rival, Oral Roberts, visits Oklahoma next Tuesday, Sept. 10, at 7p.m.

VB Highlights: OU 3, Florida State 2
Wednesday, September 10
VB Highlights: OU 3, Abilene Christian 0
Saturday, August 30
VB Highlights: OU 3, Incarnate Word 0
Friday, August 29
VB Highlights: OU 3, Missouri State 1
Friday, August 29