Sooners Spikers Await Buffaloes

NORMAN, Okla. -- The Oklahoma volleyball team will resume the home portion of its Big 12 schedule on Saturday when Colorado (10-5, 5-3) comes to the Howard McCasland Field House. Colorado, who will square off with the Sooners at 7 p.m., is sitting just outside the AVCA Top 25 Poll and would rank No. 34 if the list were extended.

It will be OU's sixth straight opponent that is either ranked or receiving votes in the AVCA poll. The Sooners have not fared well during the recent stretch. Since going four games with then-No. 15 Kansas State, the Sooners have been swept in four consecutive matches and lost 13 consecutive games.

The all-time series with Colorado is swung in the Buffaloes favor. CU leads the series 30-9 and has won 13 straight meetings.

Live Stats | Complete Match Notes | Big 12 Notes

The Colorado offense is spearheaded by left side hitter Maragda Santillana and right side hitter Allie Griffin. The duo brings tremendous balance to the Buffs offense with their potent arms on opposite sides of the court.

Griffin is averaging 4.27 kills per game while hitting at a .297 clip. The junior transitioned from middle blocker to right side last season and has flourished in the role in 2004.

Santillana is averaging 4.18 kills per game and has picked up her game since the start of Big 12 play. Since conference opened she has averaged 4.26 kills per while hitting at a .339 clip, which is 59 points higher than her season average.

Setter Ashley Nu'u is a double threat at volleyball's version of the quarterback. She averages 12. 52 assists per game but may be more deadly when she chooses to attack. She is averaged 1.41 kills per game and is hitting at a sizzling .406 clip.

The first 250 fans through the door on Wednesday night will receive free OU volleyball posters and can get them autographed by the team after the match. As usual admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children.

KEY MATCH UP
OU right side Keri Coats
vs.
Colorado right side Allie Griffin

Stats
Coats - 2.93 KPG, .305 %, 0.95 DPG, 0.95 BPG
Griffin - 4.3 KPG, .222 %, 2.7 DPG, 1.22 BPG

Breakdown
Colorado's offense is carried by outside hitters Allie Griffin and Maragda Santillana. The duo has taken 49 percent of CU's swings this season and they both are averaging over 4.0 kills per game.

If the Sooners, and in particular Keri Coats, can slow down Griffin, their chances for an elusive Big 12 victory will be greatly improved.

Coats is having the best season of her career and has been the most consistent player for OU this season. She leads the team with a .305 hitting percentage, while ranking second on the squad in kills per game (2.93) and third in blocks per game (0.95).

AT THE HALF, OR A BIT PAST...
Santiago Restrepo is 16 matches into his debut season with the Oklahoma volleyball team, which means OU is just past the halfway point in the 29 match schedule. While he isn't satisfied with the Sooners progress in the win column, the statistics show the team has improved in nearly every aspect. Below is a comparison of the 2003 season stats with OU's numbers so far this season:

	2003	2004	+/-
Kills Per Game	13.53	14.79	+1.26
Hitting Percentage	.172	.213	+.41
Assists Per Game	12.31	13.28	+.97
Aces Per Game	1.47	1.17	-.30
Digs Per Game	13.61	14.03	+.42

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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