No. 2 Nebraska Sweeps OU, 3-0

Oct. 8, 2008

Oklahoma 0, #2 Nebraska 3 | Box Score: PDF | HTML

	1	2	3	4	5	F
Oklahoma	16	19	14	x	x	0
#2 Nebraska	25	25	25	x	x	3

Stat Leaders
Oklahoma	Statistic	Nebraska
Higgins (13)	Digs	Banwarth (13)
Barker (25)	Assists	Anderson (38)
Higgins (11)	Kills	Larson (14)
Barker (.417)	Hitting %	Cooper (.714)
Three with 1	Blocks	Mueller (4)

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LINCOLN, Neb. – The University of Oklahoma volleyball team battled but was unable to upset second-ranked Nebraska as the Huskers won in straight sets in front of a sold out crowd of 4,091 at Nebraska Coliseum on Wednesday evening. The Sooners (7-9, 3-5 Big 12) fell 25-16, 25-19 and 25-14 to the Huskers (16-0, 7-0 Big 12).

All four of Oklahoma's four true freshmen saw playing time, including defensive specialist Kylie Cowan who saw action for the first time this season. One of those freshmen, Caitlin Higgins, led OU with her seventh double-double of the season with 11 kills and 13 digs.

OU also got offensive help from the other two freshmen in the starting lineup. Setter Brianne Barker tallied six kills on the evening and added 25 assists, while right side hitter Suzy Boulavsky added five kills. Barker led OU in hitting percentage, tallying a .417 clip on the night.

Junior Jackie Fotu added five kills. In addition to Higgins' double-digit total, OU got 12 digs from senior Lacy Barnes and a career-high nine digs from sophomore Jasmine Powell. Barker added eight digs, while Cowan added five in her first appearance.

Nebraska was led by Jordan Larson' 14 kills. Tara Mueller added 13 kills and 10 digs for the Huskers. As a team, Nebraska hit .293 and out-blocked the Sooners, 7-3.

In the opening set, the Sooners went up 2-0 with a kill from Higgins and a block from sophomore Sarah Freudenrich and Boulavsky. Nebraska tied the game at 2-2 before OU regained a slim 4-2 lead on a kill from Freudenrich and a Husker attack error. OU held a 6-3 advantage before Nebraska took control of the set. NU went on to win the opener by nine, 25-16.

Nebraska scored the first point of the second set and went up 4-1 before kills from Boulavsky and an NU error pulled Oklahoma to within one at 5-4. Oklahoma tied the set at 6-all following a kill from redshirt sophomore Francie Ekwerekwu. The two teams shared the lead three more times and saw OU hold an 11-10 lead before Nebraska tied the game at 11-all and eventually took the advantage. The Sooners scored four consecutive points off NU errors, but the Huskers scored their 23rd point of the set off a kill from Kori Cooper and scored the next two points to take the 25-19 win.

Third set Oklahoma stayed within striking distance early in the third set. Nebraska held an advantage early, but a kill from Barker brought the game to a 4-all time. OU scored its eighth point a Husker miscue and from there, NU jumped up 15-8 before the first media timeout of the set. Following the timeout, OU got kills from Freudenrich and Boulavsky to cut the lead to seven but it was not enough as NU took the set 25-14 and the match, 3-0.

The Sooners return home Saturday to face 16th-ranked Kansas State in a 7 p.m. contest from McCasland Field House. Saturday's game is elementary school and military appreciation night. The first 250 fans in attendance receive an OU volleyball megaphone. The team will sign autographs after the match.