Volleyball Hosts Home Opener Wednesday at 7 P.M.

NORMAN, Okla. - The Oklahoma volleyball team (3-1) returns home for its home opener this Wednesday, Sept. 7 against UT-Arlington (1-4) inside the newly renovated Howard McCasland Field House.

First serve is set for 7 p.m. on poster night. The first 300 fans in attendance will receive a free 2005 OU volleyball poster. In addition, one lucky fan will win a 20'' flat screen TV. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children. All OU students are admitted for free with an OU ID.

UTA arrives in the midst of a four match losing streak. The Mavericks have suffered consecutive sweeps to Texas A&M, Rutgers, Marshall and Maryland. UTA's only win of the season came in its season opener with a sweep of Prairie View A&M at the Texas A&M Tournament.

Game Notes (PDF) | Statistics

Defensively, the Mavericks average 18.7 digs per game with sophomore outside hitter Morgan Rogers and junior libero Ashley Smith leading the charge. Rogers is averaging 4.14 digs per game while Smith has collected 4.73 per game. Also providing stops at the net is sophomore middle blocker Gina Kalb who is averaging 1.07 stuffs per game.

On the offensive side of the ball, UTA is only hitting at a .185 clip through four matches. However, the Mavs are sparked by key players Rogers (3.0 KPG) and senior outside hitter Ashley Van Antwerp (2.67 KPG). Rogers was named to the Terrapin Invitation All-Tournament team this past weekend for her efforts that included 3.33 kills per game and 4.8 DPG.
Oklahoma enters the contest after dropping its first match of the season to Alabama in the finals of the Hampton Inn Bama Bash this past weekend. In other tournament action from last weekend, the Sooners tallied wins against Indiana and Loyola-Chicago.

The match up Wednesday night will feature two similar offenses. The key to both schools' scoring is through the outside hitters. Leading the OU attack is usually junior outside hitter Joanna Schmitt who is averaging 5.45 KPG while hitting at an impressive .462 clip. However, Schmitt was sidelined due to injury in the Sooners' only loss of the season. Her status for Wednesday night's match up is yet to be determined.

Defensively, the Sooners must stop UTA's Rogers who is coming off a strong weekend of play. OU middle blocker returns to the lineup after sitting out the first two matches of the Bama Bash due to injury. Adams returned for two games in the Sooner loss to Alabama and is currently averaging 0.67 blocks per game while sophomore Anna Stadel bests her with 1.00 per game. Look for newcomer Hannah Sharp to continue to show defensive presence as she is leading the team with 3.14 digs per game.

The Sooners and Mavericks will be meeting for the 38th time with UTA leading the series 26-11. In match ups in Norman, OU edges UTA with a 6-5 lead. Oklahoma has won the last two meetings in Norman.

Following the home opener, Oklahoma will prepare for its final tournament of the regular season when it heads to San Antonio, Texas for the UTSA Dome Rally Sept. 9-11. The Sooners will face tough match ups against Rice, Notre Dame and host school UT-San Antonio.

Schmitt Earns All-Tourney Honors
Despite not playing in the final match of the Hampton Inn Bama Bash due to injury, Oklahoma junior outside hitter Joanna Schmitt was still selected to the Hampton Inn Bama Bash All Tournament team for her efforts against Indiana and Loyola-Chicago on Friday, Sept. 2. Schmitt hit at an impressive .547 clip in tournament action while pounding 42 kills and collecting 16 digs in two matches.

In addition, The preseason All-Big 12 team member pounded a match-high 19 kills against Loyola-Chicago while hitting at an impressive .567 clip, a new career high. Schmitt's previous career high in hitting percentage was .486, set against Oral Roberts last September.

Schmitt set a new three-game rally-scoring record with her 19 kills. Schmitt held the previous mark of 18 that was set her freshman season against Drake.

Weiland Serves Up New Record
Sophomore transfer Sarah Weiland, a Tulane product, broke all sorts of records after serving up nine aces against Loyola-Chicago Friday afternoon. Weiland set an Oklahoma sideout-scoring record as well as a new rally-scoring record

Former Sooner Sheena Werling held the rally-scoring record with six aces while Gloria Holcomb held the sideout record with eight. In addition, the Sooners totaled 17 aces which set a new team-rally scoring record.

Weiland also set new Big 12 records with her strong performance. She now holds the four-game rally scoring aces record mark in the conference. The previous record was eight and held by Katia Lara of Texas (2000). Currently, Weiland leads all Big 12 players with 15 aces on the season (1.25 per game).

Newcomer Contribution
The Sooners have had multiple newcomers who have been strong additions to the Sooner lineup. Sophomore transfers Hannah Sharp (Louisville) and Sarah Weiland (Tulane) have been leading contributors to the Sooners defensively and offensively. Sharp is leading the team in digs with 3.14 per game while Weiland adds 1.25 aces a game and 1.83 KPG.

Abbi Owens, a 5-9 outside hitter from Missouri, has been the lone Sooner to receive noticeable playing team. Owens missed most of preseason after suffering a concussion, but made her first collegiate appearance against Loyola where she tallied five kills in two games. Following Loyola, Owens played in all three games against Indiana and collected five digs for the Sooners.

Schmitt Sets New Career Mark
It only took her one match into the 2005 season to break the rally-scoring career record in digs for the Sooners. Junior Joanna Schmitt, a preseason All Big 12 selection, set the new career bench mark of 622 digs after collecting a team-high 13 digs in her first outing of the season (8/27).

The Cottage Grove, Wis., native already owns the rally-scoring career mark in kills with a current tally of 948 and two more seasons ahead of her.

Additionally, Schmitt is on pace to break the rally-scoring aces mark (73) and needs only 18 more to do so. Schmitt led the team in aces in 2004 after recording 20 over the course of last season.

McCasland Field House Face Lift
With OU's home opening match against UTA slated for this Wednesday at 7 p.m., all fans will get a chance to see the renovation done to the Howard McCasland Field House, the OU volleyball squad's home court.

This past summer the Howard McCasland Field House underwent a $6 million face lift that included a complete interior renovation comprised of a resanded and repainted floor with four efficient practice courts and chair-back seating that offers fans more comfort.

In addition, the entire facility was repainted and improvements were made to the HVAC system, sound system, lighting and scoreboards. The Sooners have also enjoyed renovations done to the training room as well as an upgrade to both teams' locker rooms.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Volleyball Hosts Home Opener Wednesday at 7 P.M.

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