Hazelwood, Ward Selected Preseason All-Big 12

Preseason All-Big 12
Marion Hazelwood // MB Hazelwood is a two-time AVCA All-America Honorable Mention and was a unanimous 2015 All-Big 12 First Team selection. She has totaled 490 kills and 222 blocks in her career.
Madison Ward // OH Ward is a member of the Preseason All-Big 12 Team for a second year in a row after being a unanimous 2014 All-Big 12 First Team honoree. She led OU in kills (2.95) and digs (2.60) per set a year ago.

IRVING, Texas – The University of Oklahoma volleyball team landed two student-athletes on the All-Big 12 Preseason Team. Redshirt-senior outside hitter Madison Ward (Lawton, Okla.) earned her second preseason honor in as many years, while junior middle blocker Marion Hazelwood (Beach City, Texas) was a unanimous selection.

Ward, a unanimous All-Big 12 First Team performer in 2014, led the Sooners with 2.95 kills and 2.60 digs per set a season ago. Early in the season, she was named to the Omni Hotels Classic, hosted by Colorado, All-Tournament Team and OU's own NIKE Invitational All-Tournament Team. Ward was second on the team in double-doubles with nine, including a 14-kill match at TCU in which she posted a career-high 24 digs. She previously recorded a career-high in kills with 22 against North Texas to go with 13 digs.

Hazelwood returns to anchor the Sooners in the middle after earning her second AVCA All-America Honorable Mention in 2015. She was an All-Big 12 First Team unanimous selection after posting 2.12 kills per set on a .348 attack percentage as a sophomore. Hazelwood added 1.09 blocks per set on 10 solo blocks and 108 block assists. She reached double figures in blocks on seven occasions, all coming in Big 12 play, including 15 at Kansas State to go with a career-high 11 blocks for her second career double-double.

The Big 12 will release its preseason coaches' poll on Thursday afternoon. Oklahoma opens its season on Friday, August 26 against Oral Roberts at McCasland Field House in Norman.