Volleyball Finalizes 2003 Schedule

NORMAN, Okla. Head Coach Kalani Mahi and the Oklahoma volleyball program released its 2003 schedule Thursday and look forward to a 32 match slate featuring seven teams that reached the 2002 NCAA Tournament. Six of the seven NCAA qualifiers advanced to the second round of the tournament, including elite eight participants Washington State and Big 12 foe Nebraska. OU begins the season Aug. 29, in Pullman, Wash., with the Cougar Challenge and closes the 2003 campaign with senior night against Colorado inside the Howard McCasland Field House on Nov. 28.

"Our main goal when we put together a schedule is to prepare for the Big 12," said OU head coach Kalani Mahi. "Our focus is to continue to improve in the Big 12 because that provides us the best avenue for making the NCAA Tournament."

Oklahomas pre-conference tournament schedule will take the Sooner coast to coast in the span of three weekends. OU opens the Cougar Challenge against Washington State who finished 2002 ranked No. 7, but lost five seniors from its elite eight squad, including its top four attackers and top defensive specialist. On the second day of the tournament (Aug. 30) OU faces regional rival Wichita State and West Coast Conference member University of San Fransisco. OU will see a familiar face against USF in former Texas Tech head coach Jeff Nelson who is running the Dons program that went 6-24 in 2002.

"Starting off in Washington States Tournament will be a big challenge," said Mahi. "It is traditionally a powerhouse tournament with a some nationally recognized teams. I am looking forward to getting out and competing during the non-conference season. It is good a combination of teams, with some opponents I feel we can build some confidence against."

The following weekend (Sept. 5-6) OU is entered into the Chattanooga Invitational and will face Drake and host University of Tennessee-Chattanooga on the first day of competition. The Sooners hope to make it two straight tourney victories over University of Louisiana-Monroe, after knocking off the Lady Indians in three games at the Ewing Grove Olds-GMC Invitational in 2002. OU closes the tournament with a first ever meeting with Lipscomb.

The final pre-conference tournament for OU is the Liberty University Invitational in Lynchburg, Va. The Sooners will match up with Elon and East Carolina on Friday, Sept. 12. The following day OU will face Morehead State for the second time in school history (last meeting OU won 3-0 in 1993) and square off with the Liberty Flames, who reached the Big South Championship Game in 2002, for the first time in program history.

OU does not host a non-conference match and travels for a lone non-conference match with Oral Roberts on Sept. 16, before beginning the Big 12 season.

The Big 12 conference slate features five teams that reached the NCAA Tournament in 2002. OU will face red river rival Texas in its first home match of the season on Sept. 24. OU faces five time Big 12 defending champs Nebraska in Norman on Oct. 4. The match with the Huskers is the first of a three match home stand during which the Sooner also face Iowa State (Oct. 8) and Kansas (Oct. 11). 2002 NCA A Tournament Invitees Kansas State and Missouri travel to Norman for consecutive matches Nov. 15 and 19.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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