Sooner Spikers Fall In Four

NORMAN, Okla. The Oklahoma volleyball suffered an all too familiar fate on Wednesday night at the Howard McCasland Field House. For the fourth consecutive match the Sooners lost in four games. This time No. 15 Kansas State was the culprit by scores of 22-30, 20-30, 30-27 and 22-30.

Their were some bright spots though. The Sooners took a game from a ranked opponent for the first time since the 2003 season opener against Washington State. OU also took a game from K-State, the defending Big 12 champion, for the first time since 1999. The 1999 meeting also marked the last time OU had taken a set from a ranked conference opponent. Finally, the Sooners enjoyed another raucous crowd of 599.

“I thought we did a very good job of being calm and collected,” said OU head coach Santiago Restrepo. “We played the best volleyball of the season and we weren't tentative. We made some crucial mistakes, but overall we did a very good job of keeping a level head. If we had that same attitude in our previous three matches, we would have won.”

Box Score

Statistically, it looked like a one-sided match. K-State had better numbers in every category except service errors. The biggest difference and deciding factor was in hitting percentage where the Wildcats slugged their way to a .361 mark and easily outpaced the Sooners .195 mark.

Sophomore Joanna Schmitt recorded her sixth double-double of the season with 18 kills and 10 digs. Junior-transfer Gabriela Tonon tallied 14 kills, giving her eight straight matches with 10 or more put aways. Senior Keri Coats also reached double-digits in kills with 12, which marks the ninth time in the last 10 matches that she has accomplished the feat.

Senior Stephanie Tengram anchored the defense with 18 digs, which is just three off her career-best of 21. Tengram contribution was vital since the Sooners had only six blocks. K-State had 17 total blocks, which is an opponent high for OU this season.

Sophomore setter Rachel Jackson was solid again with 48 assists, three kills and no attack errors.

The balanced K-State attack featured five hitters with 10 or more kills. Leading the group was Sandy Werner with 16 kills. Senior setter Gabby Guerre had a match-high 53 assists and four kills. Joy Hamlin dominated inside the 10 foot line with 12 kills and a match-high 10 block assists.

The Sooners head to Austin for the first installation of the Red River Rivalry with Texas on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. OU has never defeated the 18th-ranked Longhorns in 24 all-time meetings.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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