Ace Weiland Leads Sooner Volleyball

Sarah Weiland | Volleyball | Sophomore

NORMAN, Okla. -- SoonerSports.com presents this Sooner Spotlight feature on volleyball sophomore Sarah Weiland. Weiland, a former Tulane product, has been a strong impact to the Sooner offense from behind the line. The outside hitter is leading the Big 12 in service aces with 40 produced this season.

Behind Weiland's 0.44 per game mark, the Sooners are ranked fourth in the Big 12 (1.48 APG). Weiland has produced an ace in 17 of the 25 matches this season.

Weiland leads the Big 12 with 0.47 aces per game and only needs four more to break the OU single-season aces mark held by Jessica Barney in 2001.

Sarah Weiland Bio | Oklahoma Volleyball | 2005-06 Schedule

What are the team's plans for the offseason?
“This season hasn't been going exactly as planned, but we are still continuing to work hard. We are going to keep working hard in the offseason, since we have some things that need to be fixed. We'll be working on that.

“We'll be working on getting stronger, staying in shape and getting ready for the next season. It will definitely go better.”

You transferred from Tulane in New Orleans. What were your thoughts on Hurricane Katrina?
“It was kind of ironic and crazy how that all happened. When I was in New Orleans, the first time there was a hurricane warning and we all got evacuated, I don't think anything really happened. I don't think it even rained.

“During Katrina, one of my friends went home to Austin to my house and stayed with my family. I thought about it all the time. I mean, I could have been there with all those things happening to me. I'm thankful for the way things have turned out.”

What brought you to the University of Oklahoma?
“I had never been here before. Actually, while on a recruiting visit to Cincinnati, I thought I would just stop and take a quick look. In the first couple hours, I really fell in love with the campus.

“I really like Coach Restrepo and all his assistants. I really liked all the girls that I met on my visit, so I was pretty much set on coming to Oklahoma after my visit.”

How does the team stay motivated throughout the season?
“This is probably the first team that I have been on where everyone has gotten along really well. We can all spend time together outside volleyball. It's good to have that.

“People are not pointing fingers. We're all going through it together. We feel the same and so we can relate to each other as we get through the hard times.”

What are some of your goals for the season?
“We're trying to get better in every practice. I think that we are -- actually, I know that we are. We're better now than we were at the beginning of the season. As a team, we want to finish this season strong. We want to go out fighting.

“For me, I am learning every practice. I'm always learning something new. I just want to keep learning and improving.”

How did you get started in volleyball?
“I was actually into soccer. I had been playing since I was eight. Then, in middle school, I started playing volleyball. In high school, I was asked to try out for a club team. I made the top team and some of my teammates would talk about scouts coming to watch us and that was just beyond me. I was there to just have fun.

“I didn't even think about going to college to play volleyball. Over time, I got more intense with volleyball and I saw that I could have a future in it.”

Talk about the seniors that you have on the team...
“We have two seniors this year, Jennifer Adams and Gabriela Tonon. Jen is really a good person to talk to. She has been here the longest and can really relate to everyone. She understands how the coaches and the program works. I feel like I can talk to her about anything.

“Gabby is really funny, she's just fun to be around. She is a good motivator. She can really get us going before a match -- which is good.”

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Sooner Spotlight by Emily Milberger
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