Completed Event: Volleyball versus Incarnate Word on August 29, 2025 , Win , 3, to, 0
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University of Oklahoma Athletics
OU Opens NCAAs with Oral Roberts
December 01, 2006 | Volleyball
NORMAN, Okla. - Selected as the 13th overall seed, the Oklahoma volleyball team will be making only its fourth appearance in school history in the NCAA Tournament as it heads to Fayetteville, Ark., joining host school Arkansas (16-12), Oral Roberts (26-8) and Missouri State (26-8) in the four-team field set for this Friday-Saturday (Dec. 1-2).
Oklahoma is making its first NCAA appearance since 1997 and is slated to play Oral Roberts in opening round action at 7 p.m. this Friday. In the same regional, Arkansas will face Missouri State at 5 p.m. The winners of both matches will meet on Saturday at 7 p.m. for a bid to the Sweet Sixteen in Honolulu, Hawaii.
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In addition to the squad making its first trip to the NCAA Tournament in nine years, Restrepo will be making his debut in the NCAA Tournament in his sixth year as a head coach at the Division I level and third with Oklahoma.
Restrepo, the Big 12 Coach of the Year, has led the Sooners to a record-breaking season as they have recorded the highest winning percentage in school history with a 26-5 record while also finishing second in the Big 12 standings with a 17-3 conference mark, the highest finish ever by an OU squad.
Within the Fayetteville Regional, the Sooners are the top-seeded team while Arkansas follows as the second seed and Missouri State and Oral Roberts round out the four-team field as the third and fourth seed, respectively
The winner of the First/Second Rounds will advance to Regionals in Honolulu, Hawaii the following weekend (Dec. 8-9) against the four-team pod hosted by UCLA in Los Angeles. That four-team field includes the tournament's No. 4 overall seed UCLA, Utah, Michigan State and University of Alabama-Birmingham.
The regional winners will advance to the semifinals and final hosted by Nebraska at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb., on December 14 and 16.
SCHEDULE
Below is the schedule for the First and Second Rounds in Fayetteville, Ark.
Friday, Dec. 1
Match 1 5 p.m. - Arkansas vs. Missouri State
Match 2 7 p.m. - Oklahoma vs. Oral Roberts
Saturday, Dec. 2
Match 3 7 p.m. - Match 1 winner vs. Match 2 winner
LIVE STATS/VIDEO STREAMING
Fans will have the opportunity to view a live broadcast of the matches in Fayetteville this weekend at www.ladybacks.com. Fans who wish to view the stream must sign up but it's free and have the opportunity to unsubscribe after the match. Anyone wishing to view the match must go to the "All Access" button on the right side of Arkansas' web site to register before they can listen/watch. Live stats of the matches will be available at www.ncaasports.com.
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TOURNAMENT HISTORY
With only its fourth appearance in NCAA Championship history, the Sooners do not have a lot of experience in the postseason. However, the Sooners have gone .500 in its three years of experience in 1997, 1988 and 1987.
In its last trip to the Tournament in 1997, Oklahoma won its first round match against Houston. Below is a look at OU's history in the NCAAs.
OU IN ARKANSAS
Oklahoma will be playing in Fayetteville for only the second time in the history of the program. OU's last visit was 0n Sept. 12, 2000 when Arkansas handed OU a 3-0 loss. It will also mark only the fourth time ever the Sooners have played in the state of Arkansas. In 1998, Arkansas-Little Rock and Oklahoma met twice in Little Rock with each team taking one win.
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SCOUTING ORAL ROBERTS
Oral Roberts enters the tournament as an automatic qualifier with an overall record of 26-8 and an 11-1 mark in the Mid-Continent Conference. The in-state rival has been on a roll since dropping a 3-0 match to Oklahoma on Sept. 6. Following that loss, the Golden Eagles reeled off 15 straight wins, their longest winning streak since the 2000 season, and closed out the season with a 24-2 mark since the sweep by the Sooners.
This will mark the Golden Eagles' ninth NCAA Tournament appearances, but their first since 2002. ORU is 4-8 all-time in tourney, complete with a trip to the 1995 Elite Eight.
As a squad, ORU is strong defensively as it is collecting 17.40 digs per game behind the play of Mid-Con Co-Defensive Player of the Year Cris Alves (5.35 DPG). The ORU offensive attack is led by senior outside hitter Ori Zuzic (Porec, Croatia), a two-time Mid-Continent Conference Player of the Year. She led the Mid-Con in both kills (4.85) and aces (0.69) per game, while also averaging 2.87 digs and 0.67 blocks.
In the all-time series, ORU leads 27-20 with Oklahoma claiming three of the last four meetings.
SCOUTING ARKANSAS
Host school Arkansas (16-12, 9-11 SEC) is playing in its fourth straight NCAA Tournament and is the first senior class in school history to advance to the tourney all four years. Head coach Chris Poole is making his ninth NCAA appearance in his 13th year with the program. Arkansas is hosting first round matches for the first time since 1998 and received an at-large bid after finishing fourth in the SEC Western division.
Arkansas handed OU its first loss of the season in the Sooners' opener in Norman in the Sooner Legends Nike Invitational. It was a close match in Norman as Arkansas jumped out to the quick 2-0 lead, but the Sooners rallied back taking the next two games. The fifth game went extra points and saw the Sooners lose 16-14 as they lost their only match of the season to a non-ranked team, falling 3-2 (28-30, 29-31, 30-20, 30-24, 14-16).
Senior Denitza Koleva has been the season-long go-to player as she is averaging 4.27 kills per game for an offense that averages 15.12 kills per game. Koleva has been dominant for the Lady Backs as she has recorded 20 double-doubles on the season. Key defenders for Arkansas include middle blockers Amy Allison and Destiny Clark who are each averaging 1.25 BPG.
The Sooners will be aiming for their first victory in the all-time series as Arkansas has won all three meetings between the two squads, including one in Fayetteville.
SCOUTING MISSOURI STATE
This is Missouri State's sixth appearance in the NCAA Tournament, with the previous five coming in 1982, 1990, 1993, 2003 and 2005. The Bears earned the at-large bid following a runner-up finish in the MVC Tournament over the weekend, and finished third in the regular season race with a 14-4 mark.
The Bears bring the best defense of the field as they lead all four squads in blocks per game (3.12) and digs per game (17.84). MSU is strong at the net as they have three girls averaging over one block a game with Sarah Lansing leading the way with 1.43 BPG. Offensively, all-conference selection Erin O'Connor will be the Bears leading force at the net as she is averaging 3.73 KPG.
Missouri State, formerly Southwest Missouri State, leads the all-time series 23-4 with the last meeting in 2001 and OU's last victory in 1988.
RESTREPO MAKING DEBUT
In his sixth year as a head coach at the Division I level and third with Oklahoma, Santiago Restrepo will be making his debut in the NCAA Championship. Despite leading Southern Miss to a program-best record of 27-6 in 2003 and earning conference Coach of the Year honors, the Golden Eagles were left out of the tournament.
SOONERS HIGHLIGHT INDIVIDUAL HONORS
Oklahoma picked up three of the six individual postseason Big 12 awards this past Monday as the conference coaches selected players from around the league for individual honors. Senior middle blocker Eliane Santos was named the league's Co-Defensive Player of the Year while fellow senior Anna Monsen was selected as the Co-Libero of the Year. Highlighting the Oklahoma selections was head coach Santiago Restrepo who was named Big 12 Coach of the Year.
HISTORY MADE WITH ALL-BIG 12 SELECTIONS
For the first time in school history, Oklahoma had four selections on the all-conference teams. In addition the Sooners tied Nebraska for the most selections of any Big 12 team in 2006. Oklahoma had a member on the All-Big 12 first team for the first time since 1996 as seniors Joanna Schmitt and Eliane Santos claimed first team accolades. Rounding out the Sooner foursome were fellow seniors Rachel Jackson and Laura Tomes who earned honorable mention honors.
PROGRAM-BEST WINNING PERCENTAGE
With a current 26-5 record, the Oklahoma volleyball team is assured of the highest winning percentage in school history. The previous best was .765 as the 1987 squad finished with a 26-8 record under head coach Miles Pabst. OU's current winning percentage is .839.
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. 27, 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
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 26-5 record and finished with a 17-3 mark in Big 12 play. The Sooners own the best one-year turnaround in conference history. Below is a look at the best one-year improvements in the conference:
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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 1,046 career digs.
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 4.36 kills per game average (third in the Big 12) and has recorded 19 double-doubles this season.
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 (second place)
SOLO LEADER
Middle blocker Eliane Santos has been a force at the net in her two-year career with the Sooners. Santos led all Big 12 players with 40 solo blocks and finished second in 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.
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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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.
Nov. 25 - OU 3, Baylor 1
*OU's victory gives OU a second-place finish in the Big 12 standings, its highest in history.
Nov. 26 - Sooners Selected as the 13th Overall Seed
*For the first time since 1997 and only fourth time in the history of the program, the Oklahoma volleyball team is invited to the 64-team field NCAA Tournament. The Sooners are picked as a 13th overall seed in the Championship.
Nov. 27 - Four Sooners Named All-Conference
*Oklahoma places four Sooners on the All-Big 12 teams for the first time in history. OU earns a first-team selection for the first time since 1996 as Joanna Schmitt and Eliane Santos earn first-team accolades. Seniors Rachel Jackson and Laura Tomes round out Oklahoma's list as honorable mention selections.
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.
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.
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES
Oklahoma ended last season with a 7-22 overall mark and a 2-18 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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SOONERS COLLECT 20-WIN SEASON
Oklahoma collected its 20th win of the season against TCU on Oct. 31. 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.
BLOCK PARTY
Traditionally when people think of the top blocking team in the Big 12, perennial powerhouse Nebraska comes to mind. However, Oklahoma took that over as it finished the Big 12 regular season as the top-blocking team in Big 12 matches with 3.23 per game.
ROAD WARRIORS
The Sooners have been impressive when playing away from home this season. In neutral matches, OU owns a perfect 4-0 record with wins over Oregon State, South Dakota State, Sam Houston State and Texas Southern. In true road matches, Oklahoma is 9-3 with its only road losses to top-10 teams Wisconsin, Nebraska and Texas.
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
