Sooners Open NCAA Tournament in Oregon

Oklahoma

LSU

December 4 | 6:30 pm | Matthew Knight Arena | Eugene, Ore.

Postseason Under Restrepo
Year	Postseason
2013	Second Round
2012	Second Round
2011	First Round
2010	Sweet 16
2009	First Round
2007	Second Round
2006	Sweet 16

NORMAN, Okla. – The University of Oklahoma volleyball team is heading to its sixth consecutive NCAA Tournament and eighth in the last nine seasons. The Sooners, who finished the regular season 20-10 overall and tied for second in the Big 12 at 10-6, face LSU at Oregon in Eugene on Thursday, December 4 at 6:30 pm CT.

The Ducks, seeded 10^th in the tournament field, host Santa Clara in their first round match. The winners will face off in the second round on December 5 at 4:00 pm CT.

For Oklahoma, it is the 11^th overall appearance in program history. The Sooners are an even 10-10 in the NCAA tournament and 7-7 under 11^th-year head coach Santiago Restrepo. Oklahoma recently wrapped up its fifth straight 20-win season and 18^th in program history.

“It is always very exciting and we don't take it for granted,” Restrepo said of his team's position in the tournament. “We know that it's extremely difficult to get here and we are very proud of our team. LSU is very well coached. They have a very polished offense and play extremely good defense. We've got our work cut out for us.”

The Sooners and the Tigers have faced off 11 times, with the last meeting coming in 1999. LSU leads the all-time series, 8-3. Oklahoma has never taken on Oregon or Santa Clara.

The Oregon sub-regional feeds the Minneapolis Regional, the home state of Sooner junior setter Julia Doyle (Plymouth, Minn.). Doyle helped the Team USA Collegiate National Team to a gold medal in Minnesota at the Girls' Junior National Championships back in June.

The Final Four and National Championship will be held in Oklahoma's back yard at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City on December 18 and 20.

“We are extremely motivated by [the championship in OKC],” continued Restrepo. “There's still a chance that we could get there, but we've got to take it one match at a time and see what we do.”

Senior defensive specialist Kaitlyn Drawe (Lee's Summit, Mo.) becomes just the seventh Sooner to reach the NCAA Tournament in all four years of her career.

Last season, Oklahoma topped Alabama in four sets in the first round before being knocked out by No. 7 Stanford in Palo Alto, Calif.