VB Records Most Big 12 Wins Ever

COLUMBIA, Mo. - It took all five games, but the No. 14 Oklahoma volleyball team collected its 14th Big 12 win of the season, marking the most Big 12 wins of any OU team in the history of the Big 12 Conference. The Sooners rallied in the fifth and final game to extend their overall record to 23-5 with a five-game win (30-25, 27-30, 32-30, 20-30, 19-17) over Missouri in front of 2,169 rowdy fans in the Hearnes Center in Columbia, Mo., Wednesday night.

The Sooners added to their record-breaking night as setter Rachel Jackson set an OU five-game rally-scoring record with 77 assists and Anna Monsen was huge defensively for Oklahoma as she set an OU five-game rally-scoring record with her 31 digs.

Box Score | Cumulative Stats | 2006 Schedule

Senior Joanna Schmitt matched her career high with 26 kills and recorded her 16th double-double of the season as she also collected 24 digs. The Sooner offense registered a .257 hitting percentage and four other Sooners tallied double-digit kills as Eliane Santos (21 kills), Bridget Laplante (16 kills), Laura Tomes (14 kills) and Sarah Weiland (12 kills) also guided the offense.

The OU defense complemented the offense as Oklahoma recorded 17 team blocks, led by Santos' eight in the game. Tomes was also huge at the net with two solo blocks and seven block assists.

The match came down to the fifth and final game. The Sooners trailed the entire set until a kill by Santos gave OU its first lead, 7-6, of the fifth game. OU couldn't hold on as the two teams traded points until MU took the 13-11 lead but a Tomes kill cut the lead to one. However, an OU service error gave Mizzou the two-point advantage but once again the Sooners rallied behind a Weiland kill and a combined block by Jackson and Santos tied it up at 14-14. The two squads tied it up three more times until 17-17. Schmitt's solo block and a Missouri error gave Oklahoma the 19-17 win and the match.

Missouri jumped out to the 8-4 lead in game one, but Oklahoma took the lead back at 14-11 after a 5-0 run. However, the Tigers wouldn't go away as they cut it to within one at 25-24, but the Sooners would never give up the lead as they used a 5-2 run to close out the game. Schmitt and Weiland scored the final five points of the match as the two finished with six kills each and the squad recorded a .348 hitting percentage in the first frame.

Oklahoma took its momentum into game two where it led the entire set until 24-24 when the Tigers tied it up on a Laplante attack error. The Tigers tied it up two more times before taking its first lead at 27-26. Following an OU time out, MU took the 28-26 advantage, but Oklahoma cut it to within one at 28-27 after a Missouri attack error. The Sooners couldn't hold on as another OU error and a Missouri kill tied the match up at 1-1.

Once again OU jumped out to the quick lead in game three as it built a 6-3 lead against MU, but the Tigers used a 3-0 run to tie it up at 6-6. The two squads traded points until Weiland's kill gave OU the two-point lead at 11-9, but MU went on a 5-0 run to take the 14-12 lead and held the advantage until the Sooners tied it up at 26 all. MU took the lead on the ensuing point but Oklahoma tied it up again at 29-29 after Jackson and Santos paired for the OU block. The Sooners recorded four straight points to take game three, 32-20, and own the 2-1 advantage heading into game four. Schmitt was huge for OU in game three as she pounded 10 kills in set, including the game-winner.

OU hung with Mizzou in the fourth frame as the match stayed close with 10 different ties throughout the game. However, Oklahoma could never gain a lead and the momentum really swung in Missouri's favor as it went on a 4-0 run and took the 21-17 lead and added another 4-1 run to take the 25-18 lead. Oklahoma couldn't get the momentum back as MU scored the final three points of the game to win it, 30-20.

Oklahoma will return home for its final two home matches of the season as it hosts Colorado at 7 p.m. Saturday and rounds out the home schedule with Senior Night next Tuesday at 7 p.m. against Iowa State.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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