Top-Ranked Nebraska Too Much For Volleyball

NORMAN, Okla. Despite taking No. 1 Nebraska to four games earlier this season, the Oklahoma volleyball team suffered a sweep (30-15, 30-24, 30-19) to the top-ranked Huskers Wednesday night at the Nebraska Coliseum in Lincoln, Neb. The Huskers improved their flawless record to 22-0 on the year and 13-0 in Big 12 play while the Sooners dropped to 6-17 overall and 1-13 in the conference.

“We really needed to be strong on our passing tonight in order to win and we just didn't do that,” head coach Santiago Restrepo said. “I thought a few of our girls really stepped it up on defense, but we have to be stronger offensively. Now, we need to get ready for Missouri this Saturday.”

Oklahoma opened the match with momentum, taking a 5-3 lead in game one before Nebraska went on a 27-10 run to take the first game, 30-15.

After Nebraska broke out to a 15-9 lead in the second frame, OU closed it to within two points on seven different occasions. However, the Huskers held on to claim game two, 30-24.

The third and final game was all Nebraska as the Huskers took the set, 30-19, after hitting at a .278 clip and holding the Sooners to a .000 mark.

Offensively, OU was led by junior Joanna Schmitt who posted her fifth double-double of the season with a team-high 10 kills and 10 digs in the three-game match. Sophomore Sarah Weiland also contributed to the Sooner scoring with nine kills on a team-high .231 clip.

However, Oklahoma's 26 errors were costly in the match as it only hit at a .042 clip.

On the defensive end, junior Anna Monsen continued her solid play since moving to the libero spot for the past four matches. Monsen collected 18 digs against a Nebraska squad that is fourth in the country in kills per game. The Sooners collected 53 total digs in the match, equaling the Huskers' mark.

At the net, Oklahoma recorded eight blocks behind the play of junior Eliane Santos who tallied four block assists and two solo blocks against the Huskers.

Nebraska's Christina Houghtelling led a Husker offense that hit .246 for the match. Houghtelling pounded 13 kills on a match-high .419 clip.

NU's Jordan Larson, a top freshman in the Big 12, led the squad in digs with 13. All-Americans Jennifer Saleaumua and Sarah Pavan followed with 12 and 11 digs, respectively.

Adding to the squad's 16 blocks on the night, the nation's leading blocker, Melissa Elmer, recorded a match-high six block assists while Houghtelling added five.

Oklahoma returns home for a two-match home stand as it takes on its eighth ranked opponent of the season in No. 13 Missouri this Saturday at 4 p.m. inside the Howard McCasland Field House. The Tigers swept Texas Tech tonight.

Top-Ranked Nebraska Too Much For Volleyball

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Top-Ranked Nebraska Too Much For Volleyball

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