Volleyball Live vs. Huskers on O-Zone

NORMAN, Okla. - The Oklahoma volleyball squad faces its toughest challenge of the season on Wednesday when the top-ranked and undefeated Nebraska Cornhuskers invade Norman for a 7 p.m. matchup inside the Howard McCasland Field House.

The Sooners (5-7, 0-4) will be looking for their first conference win of the season while the No. 1 Huskers (11-0, 3-0) will be aiming for their 36th straight regular-season win.

Wednesday night's match will be OU Student Night as all OU students can get in free with a valid OU student ID. Group ticket packages are also available for $3 per person with a minimum of 10 people. Packages can purchased by calling (405) 325-5482.

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Also, Wednesday night will be $.50 hot dog night until supplies last and one lucky fan will win a 20' flat screen TV. The match will be broadcast live for all O-Zone viewers.

Match Notes (PDF) | 2005 Season Stats | Live Stats

Nebraska has been nothing short of dominant this season after chalking up wins against four top-5 teams two top-25 teams. It has come as no surprise to the Big 12 coaches who chose Nebraska as a unanimous choice in the preseason poll to win the conference crown. In its 11 matches this season, NU has swept nine of its opponents.

The Huskers supremacy in the Big 12 is easily explained as they lead the Big 12 both offensively and defensively. In conference matches, NU leads the league in hitting percentage with a .377 clip while also holding its opponents to a .099 mark. Nebraska ranks in the top two in every statistical category except for digs and aces.

NU's lineup is loaded with three All-Americans in Melissa Elmer, Sarah Pavan and Jennifer Saleaumua. Elmer leads the Huskers at the net where they own a nation-best 4.35 blocks per game. Elmer, a 6-2 middle blocker, owns a nation-leading 2.31 BPG mark while four other Huskers average 1.00 BPG or more.

Pavan, selected as a Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year, pilots the Husker balanced offense with a team-leading 3.64 kills per game while hitting at a .358 clip. The all-around player for the Huskers also leads the team in aces (11) while notching 1.47 stuffs per game.

Adding to the offensive attack is Saleaumua (2.42 KPG), Christina Houghtelling (3.47 KPG) and Jordan Larson (3.39 KPG).

Guiding the 6-2 Husker offense are setters Maggie Griffin and Dani Busboom who are tallying 7.50 and 6.56 assists per game, respectively. The system is working well for Nebraska as they are second in the conference with 16.33 assists per game in Big 12 matches.

Saleaumua leads the team with 4.25 DPG while NU averages 13.78 in Big 12 matches (sixth in the league).

Oklahoma enters the contest on a four-match losing skid and is seeking its first league win of the season. Defensively, the Sooners rank in the top half of the Big 12 in opponent hitting percentage where they are holding Big 12 teams to a .199 clip. It is sparked by OU's play at the net where it is averaging 2.81 blocks per game behind the play of junior Eliane Santos.

Santos is leading the team with 1.44 stuffs a game in conference action (ninth in the Big 12). Seniors Jennifer Adams and Anna Stadel are making their presence known in Big 12 matches with 1.07 and 1.00 BPG, respectively.

The Sooner offense will need help from everybody on the floor against the top-ranked Huskers. Santos continues to lead the team in kills with 3.88 per game in conference action (10th in Big 12). Additional help will need to come from preseason All-Big 12 selection Joanna Schmitt (3.30 KPG), Tonon (2.55 KPG) and sophomore Sarah Weiland (2.26 KPG).

OU vs. NU Lifetime
The Sooners will be looking for their first win against Nebraska since 1997 when OU swept NU in Norman. The Huskers lead the all-time series 61-6. In matches played in Norman, OU has won three of 25.

Last Time Out vs. Nebraska
The teams met twice in 2004, with the final meeting in Norman. The Sooners dropped the match, 1-3, but it marked the first time OU had pushed the Huskers to four games since 1993. Joanna Schmitt highlighted the Sooners' offense with a match-high 21 kills.

Last Time Out
Oklahoma played a five-game match for only the second time this season in a loss to Colorado. Despite the 2-3 loss, the Sooners posted their best performance of the season at the net with 18 team blocks. Offensive leaders Joanna Schmitt and Eliane Santos led the way for the Sooners. Schmitt recorded her second double-double of the season with 13 kills and 10 digs. Santos recorded a team-high 16 kills along with seven block assists and two solo blocks.

Sooners Against Ranked Opponents
The Sooners will be looking for their first win against a ranked opponent since 1998 (a victory over then-No. 22 Kansas State). Nebraska will be the 44th ranked opponent OU has played since that streak began.

The Sooners haven't faced a top-ranked team since meeting Nebraska in 2000. The No. 1 Huskers and Sooners met twice that year with NU sweeping OU both times. Nebraska went on to win its second national title and post a 34-0 record.

Jackson Nears All-Time Assists Mark
Junior setter Rachel Jackson is closing in on the OU rally-scoring career assists mark. Jackson currently owns 1,877 career assists and needs only 33 more to pass Jessica Barney (2001-02) on the all-time rally-scoring assists list.

Big 12 Dominance
The Big 12 Conference is making a strong case that it's one of the best volleyball leagues in the country. This week the conference has five teams in the AVCA Top-25 poll with No. 1 Nebraska leading the charge.

The league played exceptional in non-conference play and owned a mark of 72-19 (.791) against all other conferences. In addition, the Big 12 notched six wins over top-10 teams during the non-conference stretch.

Weiland Moves To No. 6 On Single Season Aces List
After posting 24 aces in her first 12 matches as a Sooner, sophomore transfer Sarah Weiland has already moved into the No. 6 spot on OU's single season list. Weiland leads the Big 12 with 0.62 per game and only needs to 19 more to break the single season aces mark held by Jessica Barney in 2001.

Next Up For The Sooners
Following Nebraska, OU will hit the road for a meeting against its fourth ranked team of the season, No. 22 Texas on Saturday, Oct. 1. The match is slated for 6:30 p.m. in Austin, Texas. UT owns a 2-1 mark in league play and a 7-2 overall record. The Longhorns will face No. 16 Kansas State in Manhattan, Kan., this Wednesday before meeting the Sooners Saturday.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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