Sooners Prepare For Long Week

Sept. 3, 2012

Week Two \| Oklahoma @ Northern Colorado Classic & Colorado State
Tuesday, September 4	Oklahoma @ Arkansas at 7 p.m. CT
Location	Fayetteville, Ark. \| Barnhill Arena
Online	Live Video \| Twitter (@SoonersVB)
Ameritas Player Invitational
Game 1: Thursday, September 6	Oklahoma @ Nebraska at 7 p.m. CT
Game 2: Friday, September 7	Oklahoma vs. Kentucky at 6 p.m. CT
Game 3: Saturday, September 8	Oklahoma vs. Duquesne at 1:30 p.m. CT
Location	Fort Collins, Colo. \| NU Coliseum
Online	Twitter (@SoonersVB)
Additional Info	2012 OU Cumulative Stats (as of 09/02)

TAKE NOTE

HANDS UP

Junior middle blocker Sallie McLaurin matched a personal-best four solo blocks against No. 24 Colorado State. The total was just one shy of a new individual four-set match record in the OU record books.

She last notched four solo blocks against Missouri on October 10, 2010.

BREAKOUT PERFORMER

Outside hitter Keila Rodriguez is taking full advantage of her playing time this season. The junior has progressively improved in the opening weeks of the 2012 campaign, shattering through her own career performances with a personal-best 12 kills against Colorado State, 15 digs versus North Dakota State and four total blocks against Tulsa.

DIGGIN' IT

Senior libero, Maria Fernanda is OU's career digs leader with 1,769 under her belt. Her 55-dig performance in the Nike Invitational put her over the 1,700 marker.

She now sits sixth in the Big 12 record books with 1,769 career digs. She is the only active Big 12 player to rank in the top-10 of Big 12 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).

NORMAN, Okla. - The University of Oklahoma volleyball team (5-2) looks to conclude an eight-match road stand this week, as it faces Arkansas (6-1) Tuesday night at 7 p.m. CT in Fayetteville.

The team will then travel to Lincoln, Neb., for the Ameritas Player Invitational where it will face No. 1 Nebraska (5-0), No. 19 Kentucky (5-2) and Duquesne (7-1), Thursday through Friday, respectively.

The Sooners have captured the last two meetings against Arkansas, with wins in both Norman and Fayetteville; however, the Razorbacks lead the series 3-2.

The first two meetings between the teams saw the Razorbacks take the victory in a pair of three-set sweeps, while the latter two saw both teams battle it out in five. OU claimed the last meeting in four, 3-1, nearly a year ago in McCasland Field House.

OU is 61-95 against SEC teams, including former Big 12 members Texas A&M and Missouri.

The Sooners will see their second SEC opponent of the week, following its meeting with Arkansas, at the Ameritas Player Invitational with No. 19 Kentucky. It'll be just the second meeting between the two teams, as OU leads the series, 1-0.

The Sooners will face another unfamiliar opponent at the invitational in Duquesne.

Despite the lack of familiarity between Kentucky and Duquesne, the scene doesn't play out quite the same with invitational host, Nebraska. The former Big 12 member has gotten its 2012 campaign off to a quick start with a 5-0 record and No.1 AVCA ranking in back-to-back weeks.

The Huskers lead the series over the Sooners 74-6, and remain undefeated, 7-0, when facing the Crimson and Cream with a No.1 before their name.

Oklahoma will close out its eight-match road trip against Duquesne Saturday at 1:30 p.m., and finally return home for the annual Oklahoma Invitational, September 14-15.

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).

Players Mentioned

Sallie McLaurin

Keila Rodriguez

Sponsors

University of Oklahoma Athletics