Completed Event: Volleyball versus Incarnate Word on August 29, 2025 , Win , 3, to, 0
Final
Volleyball
3
vs Incarnate Word
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University of Oklahoma Athletics
OU Travels to Top-Ranked Nebraska
November 04, 2006 | Volleyball
NORMAN, Okla. - The 17th-ranked Oklahoma volleyball team faces its toughest task of the season as it heads to Lincoln, Neb., to take on No. 1 and undefeated Nebraska this Saturday at 7 p.m.
It will be a top-25 battle between the two teams in the Big 12 Conference as Nebraska, with a perfect 13-0 Big 12 mark, owns a two-game lead in the league race over Oklahoma (11-2 Big 12 play).
LIVE STATS, O-ZONE & TELEVISION
Live stats of the match will be available on Nebraska's web site, www.huskers.com. Additionally, the match will be televised live in the state of Nebraska on NET. However, a tape delay of the match will be shown on CSTV on Sunday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m.
As a bonus to O-Zone viewers, Nebraska will be sharing its broadcast so subscribing O-Zone viewers will be able to watch the match live from SoonerSports.com.
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THE MATCH UP
Oklahoma is meeting Nebraska for the second time this year and the circumstances are a little different the second time around. Since dropping a three-game match to Nebraska in Norman on Sept. 16, the Sooners have gone 11-1 and moved into the top-25 poll, taking a No. 17 ranking this week. Meanwhile, Nebraska continues to own a perfect record and remains the only team in the country with a perfect record.
“Obviously we are playing the No. 1 team in the country so it's going to be a huge challenge for us,” head coach Santiago Restrepo said. “Nebraska has been on quite a roll this season and it will take a flawless match by us to even think about pulling out a victory on their home court.”
The Sooners will be playing in one of the toughest venues in the country this weekend as the Nebraska Coliseum, which seats over 4,000 fans, is already sold out for Saturday night's match.
“It's always an exciting atmosphere in Lincoln and it will be a great challenge for us,” Restrepo said. “Nebraska has some of the best volleyball fans in the country because they respect the game of volleyball and even cheer for the opponents when there's a great play.”
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SCOUTING NEBRASKA
Nebraska holds a strong advantage in the offense category against the Sooners as Oklahoma will be facing one of the best offenses in the country. The Huskers lead the entire country in assists (16.50 per game) and are second in the nation in kills per game (17.51) and fourth overall with an impressive hitting percentage of .300.
Offensively, the Huskers have two-time All-American Sarah Pavan leading the way with 5.15 kills per game while Jordan Larson pairs on the outside with Pavan and is recording 4.31 KPG. In the last meeting against the Sooners the duo combined for 31 of the team's 50 kills. Another player to look out for is Tracy Stalls who is averaging 2.68 KPG and ranks fifth in the country with a .442 hitting percentage.
Defensively, NU leads the conference with 17.16 digs per game and 3.18 blocks per game in Big 12 matches only. The Huskers have the top libero in the Big 12 in Dani Busboom (5.15 DPG) and have three players averaging over one block a game.
SERIES RECORDS
Nebraska leads the Sooners in the all-time series, 64-6. In the series history, OU has only picked up one victory in Lincoln and that was a 3-1 upset by the unranked Sooners over the No. 7 Huskers on Oct. 21, 1987. Oklahoma's last victory in the series was a sweep of NU on Oct. 10, 1997 in Norman.
LAST TIME THEY MET
The Huskers handed the Sooners a 3-0 (27-30, 18-30, 32-34) loss in OU's second Big 12 match of the season this year. Joanna Schmitt (17 kills) and Laura Tomes (10 kills) highlighted the offense, but NU's Sarah Pavan (14 kills) and Jordan Larson (17) were too much as the Husker offense hit .264 and NU held the Sooners to a .174 hitting percentage.
UP NEXT: TWO-MATCH HOME STAND
The Sooners return home for a two-match home stand against Texas Tech and Kansas State. OU will host the Red Raiders on Wednesday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. in the Field House. Saturday's match time against Kansas State will be announced this Sunday after the OU home football game time is determined. OU's official web site, SoonerSports.com, will provide updates on the time.
PLAYER TO WATCH: ELIANE SANTOS
The senior middle blocker was named the Big 12 Co-Player of the Week for the week of Oct. 23, sharing the honor with UT's Destinee Hooker. Santos became the first OU player since 1997 to be named Big 12 Player of the Week.
Santos led nationally-ranked No. 17 Oklahoma to a 2-0 record with victories over Kansas and Texas A&M. She tallied 34.5 points, 23 kills, 11 blocks and three digs in seven games while averaging 3.29 kills and 2.43 blocks.
Santos continued her stellar play against TCU this week as she pounded 14 kills on a .407 clip against the Horned Frogs while adding five block assists at the net.
TCU IN REVIEW
Extending its non-conference win streak to seven and recording its first 20-win season since 1997, the No. 17 Oklahoma volleyball team swept TCU Tuesday night inside the Howard McCasland Field House. The Sooners registered their 15th sweep of the season with a 30-13, 30-20, 30-23 win over the Horned Frogs. Offensively, setter Rachel Jackson led the Sooners to an OU rally-scoring record with a .440 hitting percentage in the three-game match. Jackson added 47 assists to the offense and every hitter recorded a .350 clip or better with Joanna Schmitt leading the way with 17 kills.
OKLAHOMA VERSUS NO. 1
The Sooners are aiming for their first-ever win over a No. 1 ranked team. OU's last victory over Nebraska was on Oct. 10, 1997 when the Huskers were ranked No. 5 in the country and the Sooners were unranked. OU has upset two top-25 teams this year as Oklahoma handed then-No.8 Texas a five-game loss in Norman and followed that with a sweep of then-No. 12 Missouri at home.
SOONERS ON PACE FOR BEST TURN AROUND EVER
The Sooner volleyball program has undergone a complete turnaround from the 2005 season. OU finished the 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 20-4 record and 11-2 mark in the conference with seven matches remaining. The Sooners are on pace to have 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 seven conference matches remaining
SCHMITT MAKES HISTORY
Senior Joanna Schmitt was recognized after the Texas A&M match last Saturday night as she recently became a member of the 1,000 dig club. The outside hitter collected her 1,000th career dig against Texas two weeks ago and became the lone OU rally-scoring player to accomplish the feat. Schmitt now owns 1,038 career digs and 1,544 kills and is the only Sooner in rally-scoring history to own 1,000 digs and kills in her career. Additionally, the senior outside hitter is only the fourth player in the 32-year history of the program to accomplish the feat.
SOONERS ADD WIN NO. 20
Oklahoma collected its 20th win of the season against TCU this past Tuesday. It marked the first 20-win season for OU since 1997 when the Sooners finished with a 20-13 overall record. In the 32-year history of the program the Sooners have now had 12 20-win seasons.
CHASING BEST BIG 12 RECORD
With seven conference matches remaining, the Sooners are in prime position to own their best regular season Big 12 record ever. OU currently owns an 11-2 Big 12 mark and it's already the second-best Big 12 mark behind the 1997 OU team that finished 13-7 in the conference.
KEEP MOVING UP
Ranked for the first time in 18 years, the Oklahoma volleyball squad continues to climb up the polls as it received a No. 17 ranking in the latest CSTV/AVCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll released Oct. 30. This season marks the first time the OU volleyball program has been ranked since 1988, when it finished with a 23-9 overall mark and 8-4 record in Big Eight play. Prior to this season's ranking, 1988 marked the only season in the 32-year history of the OU volleyball program that it was ranked in the top 25 poll.
SOONERS TOUGH IN BIG 12 ROAD PLAY
The Sooners have been tough in Big 12 road play this season with a 6-1 record in Big 12 road play in some of the tougher venues in the conference. OU's lone loss on the road came against No. 8 Texas in a close five-game battle in Austin. The Sooners have racked up other road wins over Texas A&M, Iowa State, Colorado, Texas Tech, Kansas State and Kansas.
MOST WINS SINCE 1997
With a 20-4 overall record and the first half of the Big 12 season completed, Oklahoma has already accumulated more wins than any other squad since the 1997 team. That season marked OU's last trip to the NCAA Tournament as the team finished with a 20-13, and 13-7 mark in Big 12 play. With a current 11-2 Big 12 mark, it also marks the most league wins since 1997 when OU finished with a 13-7 record.
SOONERS AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
This season, Oklahoma has upset two top-25 teams in Texas and Missouri. OU's win against Texas marked the school's first win over a ranked team since 1998 (a victory over then-No. 22 Kansas State). Prior to OU's win, the Sooners had faced 53 ranked opponents, but couldn't pull out a win over any of the top-25 opponents.
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES
Through 24 matches last season Oklahoma owned a 6-18 overall mark and a 1-14 record in Big 12 play. In 2006, the Sooners have already surpassed last year's win total in conference and overall. A comparison of the stats below shows what a difference a year makes.
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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.
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 4.18 kills per game average (sixth in the Big 12) and has recorded 13 double-doubles already this season.
SOONER SWEEPS
The Oklahoma volleyball team is off to one of its best starts in history and not only is the squad winning, it is doing it in convincing fashion. Oklahoma has swept in 15 of its 20 victories this season. Additionally, the squad set a school record with seven consecutive sweeps from Sept. 2 - Sept. 13.
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
