Sooners Face Tall Task Against No. 2 Texas

Oct. 9, 2009

Oklahoma (11-5, 4-3 Big 12) at No. 2 Texas (11-0, 6-0 Big 12)
Match 17	Saturday, October 10, 2009 \| Noon CT
Location	Austin, Texas \| Gregory Gym
Tickets	$10 (reserved) \| $7/4 (general admission)
Internet	Live Stats
Game Info	2009 Media Guide \| Match Notes

SOONERS TAKE ON NO. 2 TEXAS IN AUSTIN
Facing the toughest test of the season, the University of Oklahoma volleyball team travels to Austin on Saturday to take on the second-ranked Texas Longhorns at noon CT.

SOONERS REWIND: ISU POWERS PAST OKLAHOMA
The University of Oklahoma volleyball team dropped a 3-1 [23-25, 25-22, 10-25, 21-25] decision to 14th-ranked Iowa State Wednesday evening at McCasland Field House. The Sooners struggled offensively and never found rhythm after taking the second set from the Cyclones. As a team, Oklahoma hit just .068, committing 36 attack errors. Iowa State out-blocked OU, 17-6. The Cyclones hit .225 and of the 17 blocks, five were block solos. Sophomore setter Brianne Barker led the way with her 11th double-double of the year with 39 assists and 16 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 on Sept. 30. Visit SoonerSports.com for details on how fans can still contribute monetary donations in memory of Javier Restrepo. To date, contributions total more than $8,000.

OKLAHOMA'S DEFENSE ONE OF NATION'S BEST
Oklahoma is second in the Big 12 in digs per set with 17.77, a mark that is eighth in the nation. National leader NJIT averages 20.84 per set. Freshman María Fernanda ranks second in the league in digs per set and 37th in the nation with 4.82 per set. Senior Bridget Laplante (216th, 3.66) 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 (107th, 1.07/set) and hitting percentage (107th, .329). The top 250 student-athletes nationally were ranked in each category.

RESTREPO EIGHT WINS SHY OF #100
Oklahoma head coach Santiago Restrepo is eight wins shy of his 100th victory at the school. In six seasons overseeing the Sooner program, Restrepo owns a mark of 92-76.

LAPLANTE'S CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENT
Senior Bridget Laplante recently reached the 1,000/1,000 mark for her career. Laplante (1,053 kills and 1,178 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.

FERNANDA NAMED BIG 12 ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
University of Oklahoma freshman libero María Fernanda was named the Big 12 Rookie of the Week Monday, after earning conference Defensive Player of the Week honors earlier this season. Fernanda is the first Sooner to be named Rookie of the Week since Sarah Freudenrich earned the award Oct. 22, 2008. Fernanda is the only Sooner to be honored twice.

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. See this week's match notes for the comparison.

FERNANDA NAMED 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 2.68 kills per set and is third on the team with 11 service aces. She averages 0.98 blocks per set. Ekwerekwu has played in 56 sets this year and leads Oklahoma with 3.45 points per set. She had a five-match double-digit kill performance end against Nebraska. She rebounded with 11 kills against Iowa State.

DUO LEADING IN SERVICE ACES
Sophomores Brianne Barker and Caitlin Higgins lead the Sooners with 12 service aces each on the year. Junior Francie Ekwerekwu is third 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.

ON TRACK FOR A CAREER MARK
Sophomore setter Brianne Barker has 1,582 career assists already. OU has separate records for each scoring era but Barker's current mark would rank in the top five of both the sideout scoring and 30-point rally scoring records.

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.

BOULAVSKY SETS MARK VS. TTU
Sophomore Suzy Boulavsky recorded a new career high with a .636 hitting percentage against Texas Tech. She also matched her career best with 15 kills against the Red Raiders.

SOONERS DOMINATE RED RAIDERS
As a team, Oklahoma hit .320 against Texas Tech, marking the sixth time this season OU has hit at least .250 in a match. The Sooners have hit .300 or better on just two occasions - against TTU and a .347 clip against Rice.

EKWEREKWU KEEPS ON CLIMBING
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.

HIGGINS LEADS OU AT KANSAS
Sophomore Caitlin Higgins recorded a season-high 17 kills to lead OU at Kansas. Higgins also added 10 digs for her third double-double this season.

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.

BOULAVSKY GETTING IT DONE
Sophomore Suzy Boulavsky was OU's X-factor in the win at Kansas State. Boulavsky contributed 12 kills.

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.

HIGGINS LEADS OUT PAST UTA
Sophomore Caitlin Higgins had an excellent match against UT-Arlington. Higgins recorded her second double-double of the season with 13 kills and a career-high 23 digs.

ONE-WOMAN WRECKING CREW
Junior Sarah Freudenrich is causing havoc in most matches she has played in this season. Freudenrich is averaging 2.39 kills per set and hitting a team-best .329. In 15 matches played this season, she has 10 or more kills in eight of those contests. Considering her offensive power is potent, what really makes her a valuable commodity is her blocking. She already has 63 blocks on the year, a 1.07 per set average. She has seven block solos and 56 block assistson the year.

GRAND HOMECOMING
Junior Francie Ekwerekwu had a stellar performance at the UT-Arlington Invitational, earning Most Valuable Player honors. In her return to her hometown, Ekwerekwu led OU with 3.12 kills per set and a .327 hitting percentage. She also recorded nine blocks (1.12/set), including one block solo. Her three service aces and seven digs also contributed to OU winning the tournament with a 2-0 mark.

SOONERS OUT-HITTING OPPONENTS
Oklahoma fares quite well in out-hitting opponents. The Sooners have hit .205 as team in the first 14 matches of the season. They have held opponents to a .143 clip. Defensively, OU is out-digging opponents 17.8 per set to 16.8 per set and 2.3 blocks per to 1.9 blocks per set.

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 87-180 mark in conference play.

SHOCKER CLASSIC ALL-TOURNEY
Freshman María Fernanda was named to the all-tournament for the Best Western Shocker Classic. It marks the second straight weekend the rookie was named among the best at an event. She was previously named to the all-tournament team at the Mizuno Invitational in Houston.

BOULAVSKY NETS CAREER HIGH
Sophomore Suzy Boulavsky netted a career-high 15 kills against Central Arkansas.

SOONERS HIT WELL AGAINST RICE
As a team, Oklahoma hit .347 against Rice on Aug. 28. The last time the Sooners produced a match with a better percentage was against Seton Hall on Aug. 25, 2007.

TRIO NAMED ALL-TOURNAMENT
Sophomore setter Brianne Barker was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2009 Mizuno Invitational hosted by Rice. Freshman LB María Fernanda was named to the team as was senior OH Bridget Laplante. Barker averaged 9.85 assists per set and 3.31 digs. Fernanda led OU with 4.23 digs per set and Laplante led the team in kills with 34.

A TALE OF TWO SEASONS
When Oklahoma began the 2008 season, the Sooners returned just two starters. What a difference a year makes. To start the 2009 season, Oklahoma returns all six position starters. Of those six, one is a senior (OH Bridget Laplante). The team's only other senior is OH Jackie Fotu.