VB Hosts Free Match Saturday Morning

Sept. 14, 2007

NORMAN, Okla. - Earning its first Big 12 win of the season after knocking off No. 25 Texas A&M Wednesday, the Oklahoma volleyball team will return to Norman for its home conference opener this Saturday against Kansas.

First serve between the Jayhawks (7-4, 0-1 Big 12) and Sooners (8-2, 1-0 Big 12) is set for 11 a.m. at the McCasland Field House.

PROMOTIONS
Saturday will mark Fan Appreciation Day with all fans receiving free admission to the match. The early start gives many fans the opportunity to catch the volleyball match prior to OU's home football game against Utah State. Prior to the match, the volleyball program will recognize the 2006 volleyball team and it's record-breaking season while also unveiling the 2006 Sweet 16 Banner. In addition to the free admission, the first 500 fans will receive a "2006 Sweet 16" rally towel.

PARKING
Due to the football game, fans are encouraged to take advantage of the parking at Lloyd Noble and take the shuttle to the Field House. The shuttle will begin at 10 a.m. and will cost only $2 round trip. Parking will be limited around the Field House because of reserved parking for the football game.

LIVE STATS/LIVE VIDEO
Live stats will be available at SoonerSports.com. Live video will not be available for Saturday's match.

SCOUTING KANSAS
The Jayhawks are coming off a 3-0 loss to No. 19 Kansas State in their opener on Wednesday. The loss snapped KU's five-match win streak as it owns a 7-4 overall mark. The Kansas defense has been key for the Jayhawks this season as it is holding opponents to a .156 hitting percentage (fourth in the Big 12) and averaging 2.67 blocks per game (fourth in Big 12) behind middle blockers Brittany Williams (1.08 bpg) and Caitlin Mahoney (1.06 bpg). Offensively, the squad is running a 6-2 offense with setters Emily Brown and Katie Martincich. Leading the KU offense that is recording a team clip of .182 are Jenna Kaiser (2.38 kpg) and Flavia Lino (2.27 kpg).

LAST TIME THEY MET
The Sooners have won the last two matches against the Jayhawks, both wins coming last season. The two wins snapped a nine-match losing streak to KU. The squad's last meeting was in Lawrence in October of last season which resulted in a 3-1 win OU victory. Oklahoma also notched a sweep against KU in the meeting in Norman last season. Sophomore Bridget Laplante was the offensive leader against the Jayhawks in Norman last season as she recorded a .452 hitting percentage.

SERIES RECORDS
Oklahoma leads the all-time series between the schools, 39-25. However, since the inception of Big 12 play in 1996, the Jayhawks have dominated the series with a 15-6 record. Oklahoma's two wins last season snapped a nine-match losing streak to the Jayhawks.

PLAYER TO WATCH
Senior libero Hannah Sharp has been a key defensive contributor for the Sooners this season. The Sooners rank second in the Big 12 in digs per game (17.71) in large part to Sharp's efforts. The senior is averaging 4.47 digs per game (third in the Big 12). Sharp has collected double-digit digs in all but one match this season and set a career high with 25 digs against Oregon State. The libero is coming off a strong defensive performance against No. 25 Texas A&M where she led the defense with 24 digs.

SOONERS KNOCK OFF NO. 25 TEXAS A&M
The Sooners started off Big 12 play on a strong note Wednesday night as they knocked off No. 25 Texas A&M , 3-2 (26-30, 26-30, 30-27, 30-24, 15-13), in College Station. The Sooners overcame a 2-0 deficit to snap the Aggies undefeated record in front of a hostile crowd of over 2300 fans. Mariana Blum and Bridget Laplante were the leaders for the Sooners as each notched a double-double while Hannah Sharp led the defensive effort with a match-high 24 digs.

RALLYING FROM A 2-0 DEFICIT
Trailing 2-0 against No. 25 Texas A&M, the Sooners didn't panic as they were in familiar territory. In 2006, the Sooners trailed 2-0 to Texas Tech but came back to win the match. The five-game match marked OU's first of the season. Ironically, Texas A&M was not in familiar territory as it recorded its first loss when leading after two games since losing to Colorado on Oct. 16, 2005 in a five-game match. That match was also at home.

UP NEXT
The Sooners will hit the road against another ranked team next Wednesday. Oklahoma will face No. 19 Kansas State on Sept. 19 in Manhattan, Kan. Fox Sports Midwest as well as Fox Sports Southwest (Cox Channel 37) will be televising the match live. The Sooners will continue their road trip on Saturday, Sept. 22 as they head to Baylor for a 7 p.m. meeting with the Bears in Waco.

SOONERS AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
Following its win against No. 25 Texas A&M, the Sooners are now 1-1 against ranked teams. Oklahoma's loss against the top-25 was to No. 18 San Diego in a close 3-1 match (30-32, 30-22, 24-30, 33-35). Last season, the Sooners were 2-4 against ranked teams during the regular season with two of the losses coming against No. 1 Nebraska. Oklahoma upset No. 8 Texas last season, marking the school's first win over a ranked team since 1998.

CHESTER STEPPING UP
Despite only playing minimal amounts in 2006 behind former All-Big 12 performer Rachel Jackson, senior setter Julie Chester looks like a seasoned veteran leading the offense. In addition, Chester is putting up statistics that are comparable around the country.

Chester is currently ranked fifth in the nation in assists per game (14.17) and is leading the challenging Big 12 Conference in assists per game. The senior is the only Sooner to have picked up two all-tournament honors this season. Chester was named to the Sooner Legends Nike Invitational All-Tournament team and the USD Invitational All-Tournament team. She is currently ranked third all-time in the OU career record book in assists and is leading the team to a .243 hitting percentage.

BLUM NAMED BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Oklahoma volleyball player Mariana Blum was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week for the matches of Sept. 4-9. It marked the first time in her career that Blum has received the honor. Blum posted a conference-leading 5.40 digs per game in 10 games, including sweeps of Virginia and UC-Santa Barbara. She also averaged 0.50 blocks on the week. Blum recorded single-match career highs in digs and kills.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Related News

Related Videos

Sponsors