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Volleyball's Dunn, Williams Added to Roster |
Two University of Oklahoma volleyball players were added to the women's basketball roster for the spring semester, head coach Sherri Coale announced Friday, helping the depth of a team depleted by injuries.
Tara Dunn, a 6-foot-2 redshirt freshman from Poth, Texas, and Eden Williams, a 5-3 redshirt sophomore from Amarillo, Texas, began practicing with OU's women's basketball team on Dec. 26. The OU women's basketball team previously had eight players on the active roster after four members suffered season- or career-ending injuries.
"We're very excited," Coale said. "Eden and Tara, both, are athletes at the University of Oklahoma -- they play on our volleyball team -- and are good friends with our players. They were both very good high school basketball players and willing to come out and help us."
"Tara and Eden are both extremely talented athletes and, more importantly, great team players," OU volleyball head coach Santiago Restrepo said. "I hope that both of their contributions will be great for Sherri Coale and Oklahoma women's basketball."
Dunn earned all-district co-MVP honors in basketball as a senior and was a state all-tournament team member in 2010 when Poth reached the class 2A finals. Williams was a multisport star in high school, earning everything from state tournament MVP honors in volleyball to pole vault titles in track and field.
"Their approach to everything has been awesome and that is a reflection, I think, too, of Santiago," Coale added, "and the fact that he is willing to allow his athletes to do that. That's a pretty big thing. We recruit all over the country and sign a limited number of players, and then to give them up for a couple of months to go and do something else, I think, speaks volumes about his character. We could not appreciate him more."
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Avoiding a Trap |
The Sooners may be getting more than they bargained for when they scheduled Cal State Northridge to end the pre-conference schedule.
While the Matadors are 6-4, they feature one of the best 3-point shooting offenses and scoring defenses in the NCAA. Cal State Northridge defeated UCLA, which beat Oklahoma earlier in the season, 77-72, in its last game on Dec. 20.
"This is a game that is going to test us immediately," Coale said. "They're very good. They're long, they use their length exceptionally well. They're smart offensively, they really know how to play, and they play hard."
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Sooners Visit OU Children's Hospital |
Just before the holiday break, the OU women's basketball team made a visit to the OU Children's Hospital to spread good tidings and cheer to patients at the Jimmy Everest Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders in Children.
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UP NEXT
The Sooners play their final game before beginning the Big 12 Conference schedule:
| Date |
Opponent
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Time
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| 12/29 |
vs. CSUN
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1 p.m.
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| 1/2 |
vs. W. Virginia
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7 p.m.
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 Tickets | Full Schedule
MOST RECENTLY
Oklahoma captured a 70-46 victory over UC Riverside before heading into Winter Break.
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Sherri Coale
"It's all an adjustment. It's a grand adventure that we're all on here. Over the week, Morgan [Hook] missed three practices because she had a death in the family, so we had seven guys. We just tried to utilize our time the best we could."
Junior G Aaryn Ellenberg
"I think it's probably a focal point all the time, because being one of the people who has the ball the most, I probably shouldn't be turning it over that much. I think it's more just not being so rushed. I get rushed a lot. It's more squaring up in triple threat and being ready and not trying to force it and doing it all by myself."
Sophomore G Eden Williams
"I'm just honored. This is a great program, in general, so to even be asked is an honor. I just want to help them, keep them positive. Watching four of your teammates go down is awful. Even watching one is bad. I just want to be there for them."
TEAM NOTES
Aaryn Ellenberg was named the Big 12 Player of the Week following her 27-point performance versus UC Riverside. It was her sixth career weekly honor.
With 92 3-pointers made through 11 games played, Oklahoma is on pace to match its program record for makes by the end of its regular season. OU made 251 in 35 games in 2010-11.
Oklahoma and Cal State Northridge are meeting for the first time. For OU, it will be the third and final matchup of the regular season meeting a team for the first time. OU captured its two largest wins of the year against the other two opponents -- a 100-61 win versus Oregon and 96-35 rout of Northwestern State.
2012-13 Game Notes
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
Junior G Aaryn Ellenberg
Ellenberg leads the Big 12 for 3-point field goal percentage (.494) and makes per game (3.5). The junior has also closed within 18 points of 15th on OU's career scoring list, Angie Alexander, who totaled 1,302 points between 1989-92.
Senior G Whitney Hand
Hand underwent successful surgery Thursday, Dec. 26, to repair her torn ACL suffered in OU's victory against North Texas on Dec. 6.
Senior F Joanna McFarland
McFarland has reached double-digit rebounding totals in four of her last five games and has nine or more boards in eight of her last nine contests.
WRITE SPACE AND TIME
Join head coach Sherri Coale, who shares her thoughts in her own blog hosted on SoonerSports.com, providing the inside view of her program:
Coach Coale's Journal |
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