Volleyball Stays Perfect in Big 12

Sept. 22, 2007

WACO, Texas - For the third time this season the Oklahoma volleyball team rallied from a 0-1 deficit as the Sooners topped Baylor, 3-1 (27-30, 30-26, 30-22, 30-23), in Waco Saturday night.

The win kept the Sooners perfect in Big 12 play as they improved to 4-0 in the conference and 11-2 overall. Baylor fell to 8-6 and 1-3 in league play. Oklahoma and No. 1 Nebraska (3-0 in the Big 12) remain the only teams in the conference with a perfect league record.

"We started sluggish in the first game, but I was happy to see us bounce back and gain momentum in every game," head coach Santiago Restrepo said. "Our defense stepped it up in the final two games and I think that was the difference in the match."

The Oklahoma defense hung with Baylor's, which entered the match as the top-blocking team in the conference. The Sooners notched eight blocks to BU's 10.5, but won the battle in the back row as OU collected 76 digs to BU's 72.

Middle blockers Francie Ekwerekwu and Anna Stadel led the Sooners at the net with four block assists each while Hannah Sharp and Bridget Laplante collected 15 digs a piece for the OU defense. Lacy Barnes and Julie Chester were also strong on the defensive end as each added 13 digs for the Sooner defense that held Baylor to a .218 hitting percentage and only allowed one BU player to record double-digit kills.

Offensively, Chester guided the offense to a .270 hitting percentage with 63 assists. Outside hitter Mariana Blum pounded a match-high 20 kills while Laplante followed that with 16 kills, marking her seventh double-double of the season. Ekwerekwu also had a strong outing with 12 kills on a .458 hitting percentage and only one error while Sarah Weiland also notched 11 kills with only one attack error. Stadel was equally impressive with 12 kills on a .333 clip.

In a first game that saw both teams battling back and forth, Oklahoma used a 3-0 rally to jump out to the 20-18 lead but the Bears used a four-point rally of its own to take the lead back at 22-20. Led by two consecutive Stadel aces, the Sooners took the lead at 26-25. However, Baylor's hot offense that recorded a .417 hitting percentage in game one got on a roll and went on a 5-1 run to win the game and take the 1-0 lead.

OU's key to the second frame was a four-point rally that gave the Sooners a 22-20 edge. The Sooners never lost that lead, although Baylor threatened and closed the gap at 26-25. Stadel's kill off of Samantha Arriaran's assist was the game-winner as OU won 30-26 and tied it up at 1-1. The Oklahoma offense was more efficient in game two as the squad recorded a .264 hitting percentage behind Blum's seven kills in the second frame.

Guided by Blum's four kills in the rally, Oklahoma went on a 5-2 run to lead 22-17 in the third frame. The Sooner defense held Baylor's offense to a .082 hitting percentage in the third game as OU collected 25 digs. The defense was led by Chester and Laplante, who recorded six digs each in the third set.

The Sooners opened the fourth frame with the 4-0 lead and never lost the lead as they won, 30-23, to claim the game and the match. Oklahoma was dominating the match as it led 20-11, but Baylor chipped away and cut OU's lead to 23-19. However, OU never let the Bears get closer as it won the match on a Stadel kill.

Oklahoma will return to the McCasland Field House on Wednesday to host Colorado (5-5, 0-2 Big 12) at 7 p.m.

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