Sooners Start September In Colorado - University of Oklahoma

Week Two \| Oklahoma @ Northern Colorado Classic & Colorado State
Day 1: Friday, August 31	Game 1: Oklahoma vs. Air Force at noon Game 2: Oklahoma @ Northern Colorado at 8 p.m.	Day 2: Saturday, September 1	Game 3: Oklahoma vs. North Dakota State at 11 a.m.
Location	Greeley, Colo. \| Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion
Online	Live Stats \| Twitter (@SoonersVB)
Day 3: Sunday, September 2	Oklahoma @ Colorado State at 3 p.m.
Location	Fort Collins, Colo. \| Moby Arena
Online	Live Stats \| Watch \| Audio \| Twitter (@SoonersVB)
Additional Info	2012 OU Cumulative Stats (as of 8/29)

TAKE NOTE

DIGGIN' IT

Senior libero Maria Fernanda is OU's career-digs leader with 1,703 already under her belt. Her 55-dig performance in the 2012 Nike Invitational put her over the 1,700 marker. The total puts her eighth all-time in the Big 12. Three more digs, and she'll sit seventh all-time in the conference.

She is the only active Big 12 player to rank in the top-10 of conference career leaders in eight separate categories, and one-of-two OU players on the list, joining Joanna Schmitt (2003-06), who ranks fourth in attack attempts (4,971) and ninth in kills (1,730).

DOUBLE DIPPING

Three Sooners recorded double-double performances in last weekend's Nike Invitational - all career firsts for the trio.

Freshman setter Julia Doyle accomplished the feat first against Western Michigan with 33 assist and 11 digs. She later joined forces with a pair of outside hitters in senior Morgan Reynolds (10 kills, 14 blocks) and junior Keila Rodriguez (10 kills, 12 digs) with a 37 assist and 16 dig performance against Tulsa.

BLOCK PARTY

In Oklahoma's five-set victory over Tulsa to close out the Nike Invitational, the Sooners totaled 20.5 total blocks, including 14 block assists by junior Sallie McLaurin, and a personal-best 11 block performance by Reynolds. The duo combined to score four points off of two separate back-to-back blocks in the fifth and final set of the match in a 7-0 OU scoring run.

McLaurin's 14 total blocks against Tulsa marked a new five-set match record for the Sooners, while the 41 total block assists was also inked into the record book for most block assists in a five-set match.

NORMAN, Okla. - The University of Oklahoma volleyball team (3-0) opens a grueling September schedule when it travels to Colorado to partake in the 2012 Hampton Inn & Suites Northern Colorado Classic, Friday, Aug. 31 and Saturday, Sept. 1, and take on No. 24 Colorado State (3-0) Sunday, Sept. 2, to play four games in just three days.

The Sooners first make way to Greeley, Colo., home of the Northern Colorado Bears to face Air Force (1-2) and Northern Colorado (2-1) on Friday at noon and eight p.m. CT, respectively. OU will close-out the 2012 Hampton Inn & Suites Northern Colorado Classic with an 11 a.m. match against North Dakota State (0-3) Saturday morning.

It's an unfamiliar tournament field for Oklahoma, as OU has never squared-off against Air Force or North Dakota State in the program's 38 years of existence. The Bears and Sooners have only met once; 31 years ago back in 1981 on neutral territory in Tulsa, Okla., in a match that saw Oklahoma take home the win.

Entering the tournament, OU is the only participant with an undefeated record after it totaled three wins over Missouri State, Western Michigan and Tulsa in last weekend's home-opening Nike Invitational.

Following its Saturday morning match in Greeley, Oklahoma will head North West to Fort Collins, Colo., to tackle their first ranked opponent of the season - No. 24 Colorado State. Last year, the then No. 16 Sooners knocked off the No. 15 Rams in a three-set sweep at the McCasland Field House.

The Sooners are 13-114 all-time against ranked opponents, including two wins last year over No. 8 Texas and No. 15 Colorado State. Despite the record, their toughest competition will be competing at Moby Arena. OU has claimed the last two meetings - both in Norman, Okla., but has yet to claim a win in Fort Collins.

Since 1997, the Rams have gone 214-27 (.888) in Moby Arena, including a 12-1 record 2011 home campaign.

Both Oklahoma and Colorado State will be coming off of a three-match tournament, straight into their match-up as CSU is slated against a No. 14 Tennessee squad, BYU and Wichita State at the Shocker Volleyball Classic, Friday and Saturday.

Despite the grueling weekend, in which OU takes on four separate opponents in three days, it's just the beginning for the Sooners.

The Crimson and Cream will travel to Fayetteville, Ark., to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks, Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. CT, and follow with an appearance at the Ameritas Player Invitational in Lincoln, Neb., where they will face a tough line-up with No. 1 Nebraska, No. 10 Kentucky and Duquesne.

For all the latest information on Oklahoma volleyball, please log on to www.SoonerSports.com or, for up-to-the-minute updates, follow Oklahoma volleyball on Twitter at @SoonersVB (https://twitter.com/SoonersVB).