Swinging for a Title

August 24, 2015 | Volleyball

By: Brendan Flynn

Position-By-Position Breakdown
S	Returning	Julia Doyle
	Incoming	Audrey Alford
		Kyndal Cowan
OH	Returning	Kimmy Gardiner
		Kierra Holst
		Christina Stuehm
		Madison Ward
	Incoming	Cathryn Cheek
		Madison Drescher
		Alyssa Enneking
MB	Returning	Leslie Atherton
		Marion Hazelwood
		Micaela Spann
DS	Returning	Mandy Dolph
		Lauren English
		Abbie Higgins
		Emma Kelly
		Taylor Migliazzo
	Incoming	Rachel Manriquez
		Valerie Woody

Six in a row. The Oklahoma volleyball team has been to the NCAA Tournament every year since 2009. In that time, the Sooners own a .606 win percentage in conference; good enough for third best in the Big 12. Meanwhile, Texas has won five of the last Big 12 championships, accruing only six losses in that span; two of which of come to Oklahoma. With all six starters returning from a year ago, plus libero Taylor Migliazzo, the Sooners find themselves in their best position to make a run at their first Big 12 title.

Oklahoma features one of the league's deepest crop of outside hitters; led by Big 12 Preseason Co-Player of the Year Kierra Holst. However, in order for the Sooners to contend for a title the difference from 2014 to 2015 will come from elsewhere on the floor.

“We've been working on putting better touches on the ball and coordinating chemistry to get all of our new pieces in tune with what we do and learn the system,” stated 12^th year head coach Santiago Restrepo. “We're definitely dedicated ourselves a lot to improving our passing. Better passing and better defense have been the emphasis.”

The passing starts on the back row with Migliazzo, a 5-foot-4 senior from Kansas City, Mo., who has held the libero position for each of the past two seasons. She led OU with 3.65 digs per set last season, followed by Madison Ward at 2.44.

The Back Row

Taylor Migliazzo

“Defense wins games, matches and championship. We are trying to mold one that can do everything,” continued Restrepo. “Taylor has played the longest in that position and has done a good job, but we have others that are fighting for those positions and striving to get better. We've got a great mix of players; though it's a work in progress.”

Joining Migliazzo with regular rotations at defensive specialist a year ago are junior Lauren English and sophomore Emma Kelly. English, at 5-foot-8 from Dallas, Texas, averaged 0.55 digs per set, while Kelly, a 5-foot-8 Houston, Texas native, averaged 1.03. Also figuring into the mix is Abbie Higgins, a 5-foot-8 junior from Amarillo, Texas. She appeared in 41 sets in 2014; averaging 0.68 digs per set.

Competing for the opportunity to add depth to the Sooners' group of defensive specialists are junior Mandy Dolph, sophomore Rachel Manriquez and freshman Valerie Woody. Dolph, at 5-foot-4 from Edmond, Okla., made her first appearance at OU last season in a sweep of West Virginia. Manriquez, also an Edmond native, stands at 5-foot-6 and enters her first season with the Sooners after spending 2014 as a redshirt at Iowa State. Woody, at 5-foot-4 out of Rowlett, Texas, arrives in Norman following three-straight All-District selections for Rowlett High School.

Setting the Tone

Julia Doyle

Senior Julia Doyle, a 6-foot-2 setter from Plymouth, Minn., assumes the starting role for an unprecedented fourth season. Last season's Big 12 Setter of the Year, she was an AVCA All-America Honorable Mention and ranked second in the Big 1 with 1,276 assists for a 10.63 per set average.

“This year, she is the fittest and in the best shape that she has ever been in,” Restrepo said of his team's setter. “She has concentrated extremely hard on getting higher [in her jumps] and moving faster. It is great to see. She is going to be one of our leaders. She is the quarterback of the team and is the one that is going to set the tone of how we play.”

Backing up Doyle is a pair of freshmen in Audrey Alford and Kyndal Cowan. Alford, a 5-foot-9 product of Norman, Okla., is the Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the Year and an Under Armour Second Team All-American following her senior year at Norman North. The 5-foot-10 Cowan, from Midland, Texas, was an All-District Team selection for all four year at Midland High School.

Pin to Pin

Kierra Holst

It will be the job of the setters, particularly Doyle, to distribute the ball to the Sooners' versatile set of outside hitters.

“Outside hitter is a position that we definitely have a lot of depth. I think they all possess the ability to play left or right side.”

Holst, a 6-foot-4 All-American Honorable Mention from Coppell, Texas, led last year's offense with 3.75 kills per set on 450 kills; the OU record for a single season in the 25-point, rally-scoring era. She was a unanimous All-Big 12 First Team selection a year ago. After taking the spring off to recover from a foot injury, Holst brings an aggressive mindset on the floor combined with the potential to be one of the region's greatest players.

“She was very close to being [Big 12] Player of the Year last year. This is a player that has gotten a lot better in the gym. The more touches she gets, the better she becomes. We are looking forward to seeing her greatness. She is a kid that we rely a lot on and comes through in crunch time. She is also a good role model and leader for our team.”

Ward proved to be an extremely valuable and versatile outside hitter last season. A 6-foot-1 redshirt-sophomore from Lawton, Okla., she was second on the team with 3.08 kills and 2.44 digs per set on her way to earning a unanimous All-Big 12 First Team selection. Ward was also named an AVCA All-Southwest Region Honorable Mention.

“She is still developing and getting better. She has gotten a lot better as far as location of the ball, her consistency and her shot repertoire. We will utilize her on both the left and right side for blocking. She puts up an extremely big block so we are looking to do a lot of things with her.”

Oklahoma's third option at outside hitter is junior Kimmy Gardiner, a 6-foot-1 product from Grapevine, Texas. She was an AVCA All-America Honorable Mention as a freshman at Mississippi State in 2013. In her first season in Norman, she averaged 2.28 kills and 1.56 digs per set.

Junior Christina Stuehm and a trio of freshmen; Cathryn Cheek, Madison Drescher and Alyssa Enneking will provide depth off the bench for Restrepo's squad at outside hitter. Stuehm is a 5-foot-11 native of Tulsa, Okla. that last appeared in a match as a freshman in 2013. Enneking, a 5-foot-11 product of League City, Texas, was the Texas Gatorade Player of the Year at League City Clear in 2014. She was an Under Armour All-America First Team honoree, while Drescher, at 6-foot-2, was Honorable Mention out of Southlake Carroll in Southlake, Texas. Cheek, at 5-foot-11 out of Coppell, is coming off a Texas 6A-7 All-District First Team season at Coppell High School.

In the Middle

Micaela Spann

Coming inside, the Sooner setters will look to a talented group of middle blockers to contribute to the offense. Junior Micaela Spann and sophomore Marion Hazelwood return to the lineup seeking an expanded role in the offense. Spann, at 6-foot-2 from Carrollton, Texas, has been a proven asset on the block through her first two seasons. She was second on the team last season with 0.87 blocks per set to go with 1.79 kills and a .288 attack rate.

An All-America Honorable Mention and the AVCA Southwest Rookie of the Year, Hazelwood is a Beach City, Texas native standing at 6-foot-3. She was first on OU with 0.90 blocks per set and a .322 hitting percentage, while averaging 2.27 kills per set.

“Marion is one of those players that could dominate the league once she understands that we need her to work extremely hard every single point, which sometimes she does. It's just a matter of maturity. We are looking for great things in her sophomore year.”

Rounding out the group is Leslie Atherton, a 6-foot-2 redshirt-freshman from Tulsa. She participated in practices as a true freshman in 2014, but did not appear in any matches.

The action gets underway on the road for the Sooners with a challenging weekend at Colorado, including opening night against No. 9 Florida State on August 28. Oklahoma will also take on San Diego and the No. 24 Buffaloes. The home opener will be September 3 against Little Rock at the annual NIKE Invitational. The Sooners will later host a second home tournament when Pac-12 contenders USC (Sept. 17) and Washington (Sept. 18) along with Maryland (Sept. 18) out of the Big 10 visit McCasland Field House.