Volleyball Adds Four for 2007 Class

NORMAN, Okla. With the No. 14 Oklahoma volleyball program continuing to roll, it looks as if the future only looks brighter as Oklahoma signed four players to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period, announced head coach Santiago Restrepo Thursday morning.

Setter Samantha Arriaran (Norco, Calif.), outside hitter Megan Bess (St. Louis, Mo.), middle blockers Chrissy Disarro (Plano, Texas) and Sarah Machen (Mobile, Ala.) complete Restrepo's third recruiting class at the University of Oklahoma.

“The four girls we signed are extremely talented athletes and very versatile,” Restrepo said. “They will be instrumental in keeping our program at the top of the Big 12 race year in and year out.”

2006 Roster | 2007 Signing Class Bios

Megan Bess

Bess, who stands at 6-1, will play at outside hitter for the Sooners. The Missouri native led Farmington High School to four straight conference and district championships while also earning All-State honors during her junior and senior season. The 2005 AAU All-American was a three-time all-district and all-conference selection at FHS. The standout track athlete also led her club team, Team Missouri, to a third-place finish at Nationals.

“Megan jumps extremely well and has a very potent arm swing,” Restrepo said. “She could develop into one of the strongest hitters in the Big 12. The thing I like most about Megan is that she is a gamer and always comes up huge in crunch time.”

Disarro will look to fill in the shoes of her current high school coach, Marcy Crabtree, who was an All-Big Eight performer for the OU volleyball program. The 6-1 middle blocker led Plano East to a Texas state playoff birth and is led the squad in hitting percentage (.416), aces (42) and blocks per game (1.13). Disarro played club volleyball for Victory Elite and is one of five players on the squad who will be playing at the Division I level next fall.

Chrissy Disarro

“Chrissy is an extremely talented athlete who could make a huge impact on the Big 12 Conference,” Restrepo said. “She has great instincts as a blocker and moves very well from side to side. Her aggressiveness and natural ability will be a great contribution next season.”

Arriaran, a 5-10 setter, is regarded as one of the top players in the 2007 class. The California native led Norco High School to two straight district championships and a 20-1-2 regular season record during her senior campaign. The three-time all-league selection led Norco High School to the state playoffs and also plays club volleyball for Vintage. Sooner fans might be familiar with her last name as her older sister, Erika, is a sophomore on the Texas women's basketball team.

“Sam has all the great qualities you want in a setter,” Restrepo said. “What I like most about Sam is she is not afraid to take control and run the team and she has incredible leadership qualities. Her height allows her to be a blocking threat at the net while she also does a great job with court awareness.”

Machen completes the 2007 recruiting class. The 6-1 middle blocker led McGill-Toolen High School to two state championships and a runner-up finish in three years of varsity play. The two-time All-State selection was also named to the all-area and all-county squads for three consecutive seasons. The four-year honor roll student was also a nominee for the Wendy's High School Heisman Award.

Sarah Machen

“Sarah has the potential to be one of the great middle blockers in the Big 12,” Restrepo said. “She is a true athlete and has incredible blocking instincts that will be a great addition to our team.”

The Sooners, who have recorded the most Big 12 wins in history this season, will lose five seniors this year. Rachel Jackson, Anna Monsen, Eliane Santos, Joanna Schmitt and Laura Tomes will finish their OU playing career this fall.

The 2006 version of the Sooners own a 23-5 mark and 14-3 record in Big 12 play and currently sit tied for second in the conference standings. Oklahoma will finish out the home portion of it schedule in the next week as it hosts Colorado at 7 p.m. this Saturday and hosts the Iowa State Cyclones on Senior Night next Tuesday at 7 p.m.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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