Completed Event: Volleyball versus Incarnate Word on August 29, 2025 , Win , 3, to, 0
Final
Volleyball
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vs Incarnate Word
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University of Oklahoma Athletics
OU Ends Regular Season in Waco
November 23, 2006 | Volleyball
NORMAN, Okla. - Owning the best winning percentage in school history, the No. 13 Oklahoma volleyball team will look to close out the regular season on a strong note as it heads to Waco, Texas this Saturday to take on Baylor. First serve between the Sooners and Bears is set for 7 p.m.
Saturday night's match is crucial to OU's finish in the Big 12 standings. OU owns a 16-3 record in Big 12 play and is tied with Texas in second place as each squad plays its final Big 12 match on Saturday night.
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BIG 12 STANDINGS RACE
OU and Texas are currently tied for second in the Big 12 standings as each own a 16-3 conference mark. The Sooners own a better overall mark with a 25-5 record while Texas posts a 21-5 overall mark. Each team plays its final match of the season on Saturday as Oklahoma travels to Waco and Texas heads to Lincoln to take on No.1 Nebraska.
If both teams were to win, Texas and OU would share second place in the Big 12 as there is no tiebreaker because there is no conference tournament.
However, the Sooners are assured of finishing no lower than third which would be their highest finish ever in the Big 12 Conference. The previous best was a fifth-place finish in 1997.
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THE MATCH UP
In the last meeting between Oklahoma and Baylor, the Bears were in the midst of an eight-match losing streak in conference play. The Bears snapped that streak with an upset over then-No. 16 Missouri and since that five-game win in Waco, Baylor has gone 5-4 with two of its losses against top-10 teams Texas and Nebraska.
The Sooners will be putting their 7-2 Big 12 road record to the test in Waco as well as their five-match win streak in their final match of the regular season.
Statistically, Baylor holds the slight advantage in the defensive categories as the Bears collect 15.65 digs per game compared to OU's 15.34. Both squads are averaging 3.12 BPG at the net and It will be a great match up at the net between two of the Big 12's top blockers in OU's Eliane Santos (1.54 BPG) and BU's Guilliard-Young (1.59 BPG).
On the offensive end, Oklahoma owns the advantage in every offensive category except for service aces where Baylor is averaging 1.59 SAPG compared to OU's 1.42.
SCOUTING BAYLOR
As mentioned above, the strength of the Baylor squad is at the net where they third in the Big 12 with 3.12 blocks per game. A majority of BU's success at the net is from preseason All-Big 12 selection Desiree Guilliard-Young, who is averaging 1.59 blocks per game (2nd in the Big 12). Guilliard-Young and fellow middle blocker Anna Breyfogle (1.33 BPG) team up as one of the deadliest blocking combinations in the Big 12.
In the back row, libero Kristen Schramek is leading the defense with 4.02 digs per game while Nicole LeBlanc is also contributing 2.96 digs per game.
Offensively, the Bears are tough behind the line as BU's setter Taylor Barnes is tough as she is leading the conference with 0.53 aces per game.
Leading the offensive charge for the Bears is LeBlanc (3.25 KPG) while Guilliard-Young (2.95 KPG), Breyfogle (2.75 KPG) and Katie Sanders (2.50 KPG) are also contributing offensively. The foursome brings a tough offensive attack for opponents to stop. Additionally, Guilliard-Young and Breyfogle are extremely consistent as they have been hitting .353 and .315, respectively.
SERIES RECORDS
OU leads the all-time series between the schools, 22-13, but OU is searching for its first win in Waco since Oct. 1, 2003. When the match is held in Waco, OU owns the slight 8-7 advantage.
LAST TIME THEY MET
Oklahoma swept Baylor (30-27, 30-25, 30-21) in its fifth conference match of the season in Norman. The OU offense struggled as it hit at only a .190 hitting percentage, but the defense came up huge for the Sooners as it slowed the Bears to a .095 clip. Defensively, senior Laura Tomes led the way with three solo blocks and four block assists while freshman Bridget Laplante paced the offense with her 15 kills.
UP NEXT: NCAA TOURNAMENT FATE
With the conclusion of the regular season on Saturday, the Sooners will find out their NCAA Tournament fate on Sunday afternoon when the 64-team field and 16 sites are revealed. Oklahoma is aiming for its fourth trip in program history to the NCAA Tournament and first since 1997.
IOWA STATE IN REVIEW
The Sooners continue to win close matches as they won their third straight five-game match with a 3-2 (30-16, 28-30, 25-30, 30-21, 15-5) win over Iowa State this past Tuesday in the final home match of the season. In OU's final home match of the regular season, seniors Joanna Schmitt and Rachel Jackson paced the offense as Schmitt pounded a match-high 19 kills while Jackson guided the offense with 56 assists.
PROGRAM-BEST WINNING PERCENTAGE
As the OU volleyball team continues to roll, it also adds more to its record-breaking season. The Sooners currently own the best winning percentage in the history of the program. The previous best was .765 as the 1987 squad finished with a 26-8 record under head coach Miles Pabst. Currently, OU owns a 25-5 mark with a .833 winning percentage.
SOONERS TIE HIGHEST RANKING EVER
The Oklahoma volleyball squad continues to climb up the polls as it received a No. 13 ranking in the latest CSTV/AVCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll released Nov. 20, tying its highest ranking in program history. Oklahoma finished the 1988 season also ranked No. 13, the only other season the program was ranked.
BEST ONE YEAR TURNAROUND IN BIG 12 HISTORY
The Sooner volleyball program has undergone a complete turnaround from the 2005 season. OU finished the 2005 season with a 7-22 overall mark and 2-18 record in Big 12 play. However, the Sooners have done a complete reversal in 2006 and own a 25-5 record and 16-3 mark in the conference with one matches remaining. The Sooners own the best one-year turnaround in Big 12 history. Below is a look at the best one-year improvements in the conference:
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*Sooners still have one conference match remaining.
2006 ACCOMPLISHMENTS
The 2006 Sooners have had a record-breaking season in head coach Santiago Restrepo's third year at the helm of the program. Below are key milestones the Sooners have achieved in 2006.
* Ranked in top-25 for first time since 1988
* Best winning percentage in program history
* Best Big 12 record ever
* Most wins since 1985 (finished 27-13 that year)
* Best conference finish ever (assured of third place)
THIRD YEAR A CHARM
Head coach Santiago Restrepo knows how to turn around a program and his third year with a team has been deadly for opponents. In his third year at Southern Miss, Restrepo led the Golden Eagles to a program-best 27-6 record. He has done the same in his third year at Oklahoma. Below is look at his first three years at each school.
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MONSEN DIGS 1,000
In OU's previous match against Colorado, senior libero Anna Monsen became only the second player in OU rally-scoring history to reach 1,000 career digs. The senior follows Joanna Schmitt with 1,033 career digs.
SCHMITT MAKES HISTORY
Senior Joanna Schmitt has accomplished a feat that few Sooners in history have done. The Wisconsin native is the first Sooner in OU rally-scoring history to reach 1,000 digs and 1,000 kills and only the fourth in the 32-year history of the program.
SOLO LEADER
Middle blocker Eliane Santos has been a force at the net in her two-year career with the Sooners. Santos leads all Big 12 players with 30 solo blocks and leads the conference in Big 12 play with 1.61 blocks per game. The senior is also the OU rally-scoring record holder with 59 career solo blocks in her two-year stint with the Sooners.
ACADEMIC HONORS
Rachel Jackson and Hannah Sharp were both named to the Academic All-District second and third teams, respectively. Additionally, Jackson, Sharp as well as Anna Monsen and Joanna Schmitt were named to the Academic All-Big 12 first team. Eliane Santos rounded out the crew with her second-team selection.
MAKING HISTORY TIMELINE
The 2006 version of the Oklahoma volleyball squad has been all about making history and defying the odds. Below is a timeline of the accomplishments the squad has achieved this season.
Sept. 13 - OU 3, Texas A&M 0
* OU snaps a 27-year losing streak to Texas A&M and earns its first-ever win in College Station in the Big 12 opener.
Sept. 27 - OU 3, #8 Texas 2
* Win over then-No. 8 Texas marks first-time ever OU has beaten Texas in volleyball and the first time since 1998 that OU beat a top-25 team.
Sept. 30 - OU 3, Colorado 2
* Oklahoma beats Colorado for the first time in Boulder since Oct. 13, 1988.
Oct. 2 - OU Ranked No. 25
* OU cracks the top-25 polls on Oct. 2 for the first time since 1988.
Oct. 11 - OU 3, Texas Tech 2
* With a come-from-behind 3-2 win, OU beat Texas Tech in Lubbock for the first time since Oct. 18, 1997.
Oct. 14 - OU 3, Kansas State 2
* OU snaps a 14-match losing streak to Kansas State with a 3-2 win over the Wildcats in Manhattan.
Oct. 18 - OU 3, #12 Missouri 0
* A 12-match losing streak to Missouri is snapped with an upset of the then-No. 12 Tigers.
Nov. 11 - OU 3, Kansas State 0
*With the sweep, OU completes best one-year turnaround in Big 12 history.
Nov. 15 - OU 3, Missouri 2
*Sooners record best Big 12 record in OU history.
SEEING DOUBLE
Outside hitter Joanna Schmitt has been the Sooners' go-to-girl this season. It is no surprise as the senior captain is leading the team with a 4.28 kills per game average (third in the Big 12) and has recorded 18 double-doubles already this season.
VB Highlights: OU 3, Florida State 2
Wednesday, September 10
VB Highlights: OU 3, Abilene Christian 0
Saturday, August 30
VB Highlights: OU 3, Incarnate Word 0
Friday, August 29
VB Highlights: OU 3, Missouri State 1
Friday, August 29
