Ekwerekwu Leads OU to 3-2 Win

Sept. 12, 2009

Oklahoma 3, UT-Arlington 2 | Box Score: PDF | HTML

	1	2	3	4	5	F
Oklahoma	22	25	21	25	15	3
UTA	25	14	25	23	6	2

Stat Leaders
Oklahoma	Statistic	UTA
Higgins (23)	Digs	Daniel (21)
Barker (38)	Assists	Daniel (40)
Freudenrich (15)	Kills	Frantz (16)
Freudenrich (.414)	Hitting %	Daniel (.320)
Two players (4)	Blocks	Shearin (4)

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ARLINGTON, Texas – The University of Oklahoma volleyball team was taken the distance by UT-Arlington Saturday evening in the final match of the UT-Arlington Invitational. The Sooners (7-2) needed all five set to down the Mavericks (2-7), 3-2 [22-25, 25-14, 21-25, 25-23, 15-6]. Oklahoma overcame early offensive struggles to claim the victory and saw several players post double-digit totals over a variety of categories.

Junior Sarah Freudenrich had a career night offensively, setting a new mark with 15 kills. Freudenrich hit .414 to lead OU. Arlington native Francie Ekwerekwu did not disappoint in her return home, tallying a season-high 14 kills and a career-high five digs. Ekwerekwu added four block assists. For her performance over the tournament, Ekwerekwu was named Most Valuable Player.

Sophomore Suzy Boulavsky and senior Bridget Laplante each added eight kills with Laplante adding a season-high 20 digs and Boulavsky contributing on four block assists. Laplante also earned all-tournament honors. Sophomore Kylie Cowan saw action at setter and recorded 22 assists. Freshman Maria Fernanda added 21 digs.

Despite a hampering injury, sophomore setter Brianne Barker tallied her sixth double-double of the season with 38 assists and a season-high 17 digs. Sophomore outside hitter Caitlin Higgins had her second double-double of the year with a season-high 13 kills and a career-high 23 digs.

As a team, Oklahoma committed 22 attack errors but managed to hit .227. The Mavs hit .180 and committed 24 attack errors.

Oklahoma took a 4-1 advantage before an OU attack error pulled the Mavericks to within one at 4-3. OU then doubled up the Mavs at 8-4 on another kill from Freudenrich, a block from Boulavsky and Ekwerekwu and two kills from Laplante. The Sooners led 8-6 and stretched that to 10-7 before the Mavs made it 10-8. The Sooners got kills from freshman Morgan Reynolds, Freudenrich and Boulavsky and the aid of two UTA errors to go up 15-11.

After OU led 16-13, the Mavericks rallied back to take their first lead of the set at 17-16 and led 18-17 before a kill from Higgins even the score at 18-all. UTA pushed past the tie to go up 21-18 on three straight kills. After the Mavs gained a 22-19 lead, the Sooners charged back to within one at 22-21 and forced UTA to call a timeout. Out of the break, the two teams traded a point to bring the tally to 23-22 before the Mavs scored the set's final two points to win 25-22.

The Mavs carried the momentum into the start of the second set. UTA jumped out to an early 2-0 lead and extended that to a 5-2 advantage before the Sooners came to life. Oklahoma scored the next four points to jump ahead 6-5 and went up 8-7 before steamrolling to a 25-14 set win to even the match heading into the intermission.

In the third set, the Mavericks took the early advantage at 3-1 before the Sooners came back to tie the period at 6-6. Oklahoma lengthened that lead to two points at 8-6 and maintained the margin until the Mavs cut the lead to one at 11-10. The two teams traded points with UTA hanging around before the Mavericks tied the set at 12-12.

After two additional ties, the Mavs gained a slim 15-14 edge and went up 17-14 forcing the Sooners to call a timeout. Out of the break, Oklahoma was unable to respond as the Mavericks continued to hold off the Sooners. Oklahoma scored five consecutive points late in the set to cut the lead to 23-21 but UTA went on to take the period, 25-21.

The Mavs took a 10-9 lead after six ties only to see OU answer for a seventh tie at 12-12 to start the fourth set. The Sooners then regained the thin 13-12 lead on a kill from Freudenrich and tacked on two points on an ace from Higgins and a UTA attack error to go up 15-12.

Out of the break, the Sooners held the advantage at 21-17 before the Mavs scored two straight to cut the margin to 21-19. Oklahoma led 22-19 before UTA rallied to within one at 23-22. The Sooners reached set point at 24-22 on a service error by the Mavs. Unable to capitalize, OU called a timeout with the score at 24-23. Following the short recess, the Sooners got a kill from Laplante to take the set 25-23 and force a fifth and deciding set.

In the deciding set, the two teams traded the lead until OU finally took a 6-5 lead and pushed it out to 8-5 before the squads traded sides. After the switch, OU rolled to the win, out-scoring the Mavs 7-1 down the stretch, including five straight, to win the set 15-6 and the match, 3-2.

Oklahoma opens conference play Wednesday night at Kansas State. First serve between the Sooners and Wildcats is set for 7 p.m. at Ahearn Field House in Manhattan. OU opens the 2009 home season next Saturday, Sept. 19, against Missouri at 11:30 a.m. at McCasland Field House. Admission to the MU-OU match is free.