Volleyball Falls to Kansas in Five

Nov. 3, 2007

LAWRENCE, Kan. - The No. 18 Oklahoma volleyball team was unable to win another five-game match this season as the Sooners fell to Kansas, 3-2 (30-26, 28-30, 20-30, 30-27, 15-10), Saturday night in Lawrence. Oklahoma owned the 2-1 lead heading into the fourth game but dropped the final two frames as KU claimed the match.

The Sooners fell to 18-7 and 10-5 in Big 12 play while also dropping to 5-2 in five-game matches this season. The Jayhawks improved to 11-14 and 4-11 in conference action. It marked the second meeting between the two squads this season as Oklahoma knocked off KU, 3-1, earlier this season in Norman.

The Oklahoma offense out hit the Jayhawks, .237 to .184 and had its best defensive outing up front with a season-high 15 team blocks. However, the Sooners also had 12 crucial service errors and only collected 69 digs to KU's 81.

Freshman setter Samantha Arriaran made her first career start for the Sooners this season as she filled in for the injured Julie Chester. The rookie recorded 62 assists and had three kills while also adding six digs and three block assists on the defensive end.

Four Sooners recorded double-digit kills as senior Mariana Blum led the effort with 22 kills on a .487 hitting percentage. Sarah Weiland followed with 14 kills while Bridget Laplante and Anna Stadel added 13 each.

Francie Ekwerekwu led the front row effort with four solo blocks, a career high, and four block assists. Stadel followed with five block assists and a solo block. Libero Hannah Sharp led the back row effort with a match-high 23 digs while Blum added 19 digs for her 14th double-double of the season. Laplante also collected 14 digs for her 14th double-double of the year.

Kansas took the quick lead in the first frame and never looked back as it won the first game 30-26 with OU trailing the entire game. Both offenses were similar in the first frame with KU recording a .235 hitting percentage and OU notching a .231 clip. However, the Kansas defense was the difference with three solo blocks and six block assists in the first frame. Blum led the Sooners in the first frame with six kills on a .714 hitting percentage.

The Sooners came out with the momentum in frame two, but the Jayhawks tied it up at 8-8. The two squads tied it up again at 19-19 and Oklahoma took the lead from there until KU evened it up at 24-24. The Sooners went on to take the lead again at 27-26 and a Sarah Weiland kill gave the game to OU at 30-28 as OU and KU went into the break tied.

Oklahoma came out with momentum in the third set as the offense recorded a .368 hitting percentage and held KU to a .081 hitting percentage. The Sooners only recorded two attack errors in the entire frame as they rolled to a 30-20 victory in frame three and took the 2-1 lead in the match.

OU carried its momentum into game four as the Sooners led the majority of the match until the Jayhawks went on a 6-0 run to take the 28-26 lead. The Sooners cut it to one at 28-27, but KU didn't back down as it recorded the next two points to win 30-27 and push it to a fifth and deciding game.

KU opened the fifth frame with a 4-1 lead, but Oklahoma battled back to tie it up at 7-7. Tied up again at 9-9, the Jayhawks capitalized on an OU service error and a kill to take the 11-9 lead. An OU timeout couldn't stop the Jayhawks as KU added two more points to take the 13-9 lead. Oklahoma couldn't overcome the deficit as KU won the game, 15-10, and won the match.

The Sooners will return home next Wednesday as they host the Texas Tech Red Raiders at 7 p.m. inside the Field House.

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