2005 Volleyball Newcomer Preview

Entering his second year with the Oklahoma volleyball program, head coach Santiago Restrepo is excited about his first recruiting class. The talented Sooner class consists of a junior college All-American, two sophomore transfers and two freshmen. The newcomers hail from Kansas, Texas, Missouri, New York and Brazil. The incoming class is expected to contribute immediately in the Oklahoma lineup.

“The 2005 class is a tremendous class,” Restrepo said. “I believe they are going to help us advance in conference play and continue the progress of this program. They are not only outstanding students in the classroom, but extremely gifted athletes who will be a great addition to our program.”

Highlighting the newcomers is two-time NJCAA All-American, Eliane Santos (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), who dominated the junior college volleyball ranks for two years at the College of Southern Idaho (CSI). The 6-2 middle blocker ranked in the top 10 of every statistical category, except assists, in the Scenic West Athletic Conference as a freshman and a sophomore. In 2004, Santos averaged 4.07 kills per game while hitting a .375 clip and also tallied 2.52 digs, 0.48 aces and 1.35 blocks per game. Santos joins current Sooner Gabriela Tonon as the second Brazilian on the team.

“She will come into our program and immediately be one of the best offensive players in the Big 12,” Restrepo said. “She is the type of athlete that can carry a team and immediately elevate their level of play.”

Adding to the newcomer class are sophomore transfers Hannah Sharp (Fishers, N.Y.) and Sarah Weiland (Round Rock, Texas) who arrive from the University of Louisville and Tulane University, respectively. The 5-10 Sharp played in a reserve role as a defensive specialist/libero on a Louisville squad that advanced to the NCAA Regional Finals before losing to top-ranked Nebraska. The high-school all-stater was a three-sport standout at Victor Central and led her club volleyball team, Volley FX, to the 2004 East Coast Championship.

“Hannah has very refined skills with excellent passing and defense,” Restrepo said. “Defense is one of our weaknesses and that is why she stood out to me. I feel that she can really be an asset to this program and help us improve.”

Weiland (Round Rock, Texas) joins the Oklahoma program after a year at Tulane where she started 22 out of 29 matches. The 6-0 outside hitter pounded 278 kills on the season, third on the team, and recorded a team-high 38 aces in 2004. Weiland also produced eight double-doubles for the Green Wave squad that went 17-12 in 2004.

“Sarah will add a lot of depth at right-side hitter for us,” Restrepo commented. “She played in a great volleyball program in high school and will compete for the right-side hitter position.”

Lacy Barnes (Rose Hill, Kan.) and Abbi Owens (St. Louis, Mo.) mark the lone freshmen to join the Oklahoma squad. Barnes, a 5-8 defensive specialist/libero, was a Kansas All-State and All-Metro selection as senior. In 2003 and 2004, Barnes led Rose Hill High School in digs, serving percentage and kill efficiency and earned team MVP honors. Barnes also led her club team, Wichita Power, to the 2004 Junior National Championships and a third-place finish at the Southern California Qualifier. In addition, she lettered in basketball and track where she was named the 2005 Rose Hill Track Athlete of the Year.

“Lacy is really going to add a lot of depth at defensive specialist for us,” Restrepo said. “She is an extremely gifted athlete who is also very intelligent and will bring a lot to our program.”

Owens arrives on the Norman campus with a strong high school resume where she was a three-time all-district selection at Visitation Academy. The 5-10 outside hitter was a two-time member of the Metro Women's Athletic Association All-Star first team and was selected to the PrepVolleyball.com All-Region team as a senior. Owens led Visitation Academy to its first-ever state tournament appearance where she led all state participants in attacks and digs. In addition, Owens played on the St. Louis CYC club team that placed second at the 2004 Asics Junior National Championships. The newcomer was also a track standout at Visitation where she still holds the school record for high jump.

“The best thing about Abbi is that she can play a variety of positions,” Restrepo commented. “We can train her to play any position and she will excel at it. She's an extremely talented hitter and works well as a defensive specialist.”

In his first season, Restrepo led his 2004 squad to its best finish since 1997 with a 12-17 record. With the newcomers on board, the 2005 Sooners are expected to be even better. Oklahoma plays its season opener Saturday, August 27 against Texas Christian in Dallas, Texas.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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