Volleyball Continues Homestand Saturday

Oct. 1, 2009

Texas Tech (2-9, 0-2 Big 12) at Oklahoma (10-4, 3-2 Big 12)
Match 15	Saturday, October 3, 2009 \| 3 p.m. CT
Location	Norman, Okla. \| McCasland Field House
Tickets	$8 adults \| $5 (seniors/youth)
Internet	Live Stats
Promotions	250 Snap Bracelets \| Free kids' clinic \| Post-match autographs
Game Info	2009 Media Guide \| Match Notes

SOONERS CONTINUE HOMESTAND AGAINST TECH
After opening the season with 12 of their 13 matches on the road, Oklahoma continues its three-game homestand Saturday afternoon. First serve between the Sooners and Texas Tech is set for 3 p.m. CT.

SERIES BREAKDOWN
Overall Series: Texas Tech leads 34-20
In Norman: Texas Tech leads 13-11
In Lubbock: Texas Tech leads 14-5
At Neutral Sites: Texas Tech leads 7-4
OU's Series Streak: Won 7
Last Meeting: OU, 3-2 (9/27/08 in Norman)

SATURDAY PROMOTIONS: FREE KIDS' CLINIC AND POST-MATCH AUTOGRAPHS
A free one hour clinic will be held for kids immediately following the match. The team will also sign autographs after the match. The first 250 people through the door receive a snap bracelet.

SOONERS REWIND: OU DROPS HARD-FOUGHT MATCH
The University of Oklahoma volleyball team dropped a hard fought 3-2 match to 10th-ranked Nebraska Wednesday evening. In front of a crowd of 2,046, the second largest ever to watch a match in McCasland Field House, the Sooners took the opening set 25-17. Nebraska answered winning the second 26-24 and third 25-15 before OU took the fourth 27-25. The Huskers won the fifth set 15-10. Sophomore setter Brianne Barker led OU with her 10th double-double this season, recording 42 assists and a career-high 25 digs.

SOONERS RAISE FUNDS FOR JIMMY EVEREST CENTER
University of Oklahoma volleyball fans contributed more than $4,000 to the Jimmy Everest Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at the Children's Hospital at OU Medical Center during the team's Pledge for a Cure event Wednesday night. Visit SoonerSports.com for details on how fans can still contribute monetary donations in memory of Javier Restrepo.

OKLAHOMA'S DEFENSE ONE OF NATION'S BEST
Oklahoma leads the Big 12 in digs per set with 17.73, a mark that is seventh in the nation. National leader NJIT averages 21.17 per set. Freshman María Fernanda ranks second in the league in digs per set and 38th in the nation with 4.80 per set. Senior Bridget Laplante (194th, 3.74) also ranks in the top 250 nationally in digs per set.

FREUDENRICH RANKED IN TOP 100 NATIONALLY
Junior Sarah Freudenrich ranks in the top 100 nationally in blocks per set (76th, 1.15/set) and hitting percentage (142nd, .324). The top 250 student-athletes nationally were ranked in each category.

RESTREPO NINE WINS SHY OF #100
Oklahoma head coach Santiago Restrepo is nine wins shy of his 100th victory at the school. In six seasons overseeing the Sooner program, Restrepo owns a mark of 91-75.

LAPLANTE'S CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENT
Senior Bridget Laplante recently reached the 1,000/1,000 mark for her career. Laplante (1,044 kills and 1,157 digs) becomes just the second Sooner under Restrepo to reach the plateau after Joanna Schmitt accomplished the feat from 2003-06 with 1,730 career kills and 1,177 career digs.

REMEMBERING JAVI: SOONERS CONTINUE MISSION
Throughout the 2009 season, the Oklahoma volleyball team continues their year-long mission to honor the son of their head coach, Santiago Restrepo. When he was just one-and-a-half years old, Javier Restrepo was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). In August 2008, he had a relapse and received a bone marrow transplant and then received a liver transplant but unfortunately relapsed again. Javi fought the disease like a true champion, nearly beating it on multiple occasions before it ultimately claimed his life on July 31, 2009.

SIDING ON THE RIGHT
Oklahoma has produced a sideout percentage of 100 percent during two sets this season. The rare feat was accomplished against North Carolina and UT-Arlington. It has only been done six times under head coach Santiago Restrepo.

THE TURNAROUND UNDER RESTREPO
Oklahoma has improved dramatically under head coach Santiago Restrepo. The proof is in the numbers produced by the Sooners under Restrepo compared to those prior to his arrival. Below is a statiscal comparison of the year prior to Restrepo's arrival and since. See the first page of this week's match notes for a comparison.

FERNANDA NAMED BIG 12 DEFENSIVE POW
University of Oklahoma freshman libero María Fernanda was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week on Sept 20. Fernanda is the first Sooner to be named Defensive Player of the Week since Mariana Blum earned the honor on Sept. 10, 2007. Fernanda joins teammates Sarah Freudenrich (Rookie of the Week; Oct. 22, 2008) and Caitlin Higgins (Offensive Player of the Week; Nov. 3, 2008) as current Sooners with weekly award honors.

EKWEREKWU LEADING OFFENSE
Junior Francie Ekwerekwu currently leads OU offensively with 2.69 kills per set and is second on the team with 11 service aces. She averages 1.00 blocks per set. Ekwerekwu has played in 49 sets this year and leads Oklahoma with 3.50 points per set. She had a five-match double-digit kill performance end against Nebraska.

DUO LEADING IN SERVICE ACES
Sophomore Brianne Barker leads the Sooners with 12 service aces on the year. Junior Francie Ekwerekwu is second on the team with 11. Ekwerekwu is consistently in the service rotation for the first time in her career. She previously only had one service attempt in 2008 at Southern California. Sophomore Caitlin Higgins is the other Sooner with double-digit aces with 10.

DELAYED HOMESTAND
After playing its 12 of its first 13 matches on the road, Oklahoma has six of its next nine matches at home beginning with the Sept. 30 Nebraska match.

HOME SWEET HOME
Oklahoma played in the friendly confines of the McCasland Field House for the first time this season on Sept. 19. The last time OU played a home opener later was when the Sooners opened their 2003 home slate on Sept. 24 against Texas. The last time OU played their first two home matches later than Sept. 30 was also in 2003. The Sooners played their second home match against Nebraska on Oct. 4.

EKWEREKWU ON THE CLIMB
Having already matched her season high of 14 kills once already, junior Francie Ekwerekwu bested the mark at Kansas with 15 kills. She matched her career high of a .562 hitting percentage at Colorado. Ekwerekwu had 11 kills in 16 attempts.

LAPLANTE SETS NEW DIGS MARK
With 27 digs at Kansas, senior Bridget Laplante surpassed her previous career best of 26 set at Kansas State on Oct. 18, 2007.

ALVA COMES UP BIG ON DEFENSE
Sophomore Danielle Alva saw time in all four sets at Kansas State. Alva's 14 digs were a career high, she added a service ace and assist in the win.

ONE-WOMAN WRECKING CREW
Junior Sarah Freudenrich is causing havoc in most matches she has played in this season. Freudenrich is averaging 2.35 kills per set and hitting a team-best .331. In 13 matches played this season, she has 10 or more kills in seven of those contests. Considering her offensive power is potent, what really makes her a valuable commodity is her blocking. She already has 58 blocks on the year, a 1.12 per set average. She has six block solos and 52 block assistson the year.

SOONERS OUT-HITTING OPPONENTS
Oklahoma fares quite well in out-hitting opponents. The Sooners have hit .212 as team in the first 14 matches of the season. They have held opponents to a .139 clip.

OKLAHOMA AGAINST THE BIG 12
Oklahoma owns a winning series against four Big 12 opponents (Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State and Missouri) but has just an 86-179 mark in conference play.