Volleyball Off to LA for Pac-12 Challenge

Pac-12 Challenge
Sept. 15-16 | Los Angeles | Galen Center

Pac-12 Network

Pac-12.com/live

Notes

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Oklahoma Sooners
Record: 9-1 Coach: Santiago Restrepo Career Record/Years: 356-225/18 Rank: NR

On the Air
TV	Pac-12 Network Anne Marie Anderson (Thurs.) Kelli Tennant (Thurs.) Chris Marlowe (Fri.) Tammy Blackburn (Fri.)
Stream	Pac-12.com/live Paul Duchesne (Fri.)

Sooners in the NCAA Top-100
Stat	Player	##	Rank
Assists	Alford	434	7
Assists/Set	Alford	12.06	4
Blocks	Hazelwood	40	73
Blocks/Set	Hazelwood	1.33	45
Hit Pct.	Spann	.463	5
Hit Pct.	Gardiner	.387	44
Hit Pct.	Hazelwood	.387	45

NORMAN, Okla. – The non-conference portion of the schedule wraps up for the University of Oklahoma volleyball team with the Pac-12 Challenge hosted by Southern California at the Galen Center in Los Angeles this week. The Sooners open with the No. 21 Trojans Thursday, September 15 at 10 p.m. CT. The tournament, which featured all four teams in Norman last season, continues with match-ups against Maryland and No. 5 Washington on Friday.

Oklahoma bounced back from its first loss of the season last Thursday night with a pair of sweeps to close out its NIKE Invitational and head towards the Pac-12 Challenge with a 9-1 record. Senior outside hitter Kimmy Gardiner is coming off her third All-Tournament honor in as many weeks and leads the Sooners with 3.48 kills per set on a .387 attack rate with 3.18 digs per set, which ranks second on the team. As a team, Oklahoma remains a top-five hitting team at third with a .336 hitting percentage. Senior middle blocker Micaela Spann leads the team at .463, which is fifth in the country and first in the Big 12, to go with 2.56 kills and 0.92 blocks per set. Sophomore setter Audrey Alford is distributing the ball to five hitters averaging 2.50 kills per set or better to the tune of 12.06 assists per set; ranking fourth in the nation.

2015 Oklahoma Invitational Recap

No. 3 USC and No. 7 Washington each went 2-0 in Norman last year with the Sooners snapping the Huskies perfect 28-0 start to the season in sets played. Oklahoma went 1-2 on the weekend with a 3-1 win over Maryland. The Sooners hit .250 as a team with Madison Ward averaging 2.83 kills and 2.08 digs per set. Kimmy Gardiner added 2.75 kills and 3.00 digs per set.

Doubling Up

Kimmy Gardiner, who posted the Sooners' first double-double of 2016 vs. UTEP, led Oklahoma with 10 double-doubles on the season in 2015. She currently leads the Big 12 with six double-doubles after posting two in OU's NIKE Invitational. A year ago, Madison Ward was second on OU with nine. She recorded her first of 2016 against Lamar (9/10). As a team, the Sooners were second in the conference with 30 total double-doubles last season. Oklahoma finished first in the league with the most players to record a double-double at seven.

Keepin' it 100

Entering the week, Oklahoma ranks third in the NCAA with a .336 hitting percentage and ranks in the top 10 in assists and kills. Setter Audrey Alford is tops amongst OU individuals; ranking fourth in the nation with 12.06 assists per set and 434 total assists.

Vs. the Ranked

The Sooners went winless in eight tries against ranked opponents last season, including 0-7 against the Top-10. Under head coach Santiago Restrepo, Oklahoma owns a 21-80 (.208) record against ranked teams. Over a stretch of six NCAA Tournament seasons from 2009-14, the Sooners went 15-34 (.306) vs. ranked teams. After a 0-19 record in his first two seasons at Oklahoma, Restrepo and the Sooners are 21-61 (.256) against teams in the Top-25. OU's last win over a ranked opponent was at No. 2 Texas (10/25/14).