Season-Best Blocking Leads OU to 3-1 Win

Wednesday, October 24

Manhattan, Kan.

7:00 PM

University of Oklahoma

Kansas State

Season-Best Blocking Leads OU to 3-1 Win

October 24, 2018 | Volleyball

By: Athletics Communications

Oklahoma

^RVKansas State

Box Score

Highlights

Set Scores
Team	1	2	3	4
Oklahoma	25	25	23	25
Kansas State	23	17	25	19

Stat Comparison
Category	OU	KSU
Kills	58	49
Pct.	.256	.120
Digs	77	73
Blocks	19.0	10.0

Individual Leaders
Category	OU	KSU
Kills	Enneking - 18	Heyne - 14
Assists	McLaughlin - 52	Dixon - 39
Digs	Kinley - 24	Two players - 14
Blocks	Kadiku - 10	Sandbothe - 7

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Behind a season-high 19 blocks, the Oklahoma volleyball team took down Kansas State 3-1 inside Ahearn Field House on Wednesday Night.

The Sooners (13-8, 5-4 Big 12) took the first two sets 25-23, 25-17, before the Wildcats (12-8, 2-7 Big 12) forced a fourth with a 25-23 victory in set three. OU closed it out 25-19 in the final frame.

“To come out and perform on the road the way we did from an execution standpoint, it was all we could have asked for as a staff,” OU head coach Lindsey Gray-Walton said. “We were pushed in the third, and we were able to respond in the fourth, and that's exactly what you have to do on the road. They earned it, and I'm excited for them.”

Oklahoma's 19 blocks match a program record for total denials in a four-set match in the 25-point rally scoring era (2008-present). Junior Brianna Kadiku led the way with a career-high 10 while Paige Anderson added nine.

“Our aggressive serving set up all of that from a defensive standpoint,” Gray-Walton said of her team's blocking performance. “With strong serving, you can get a setter beyond ten feet and make it easier for your blockers. It's something we work on every day, so we knew if we did that, it could show up tonight. Credit to our team – 19 blocks is a big, big number, so we should be proud of it.”

On the attack, Oklahoma out-killed KSU by a 58-49 mark while hitting .256 to the Wildcats' .120. The Sooners also led KSU in assists, 57-45, and digs, 77-73.

Senior outside hitters Alyssa Enneking and Morgan Miller both earned double-doubles on Wednesday. Enneking finished with a match-high 18 kills and added 14 digs for her 13th double-double of the year. Miller totaled 10 kills to go with a season-high 18 digs for her first double-double of 2018.

Also finishing with double-digit kills were Anderson (12) and Sarah Sanders (11).

Kylee McLaughlin led the match with 52 assists, her first 50-plus performance since Sept. 7. She finished one dig shy of a double-double.

Keyton Kinley totaled a match-high 24 digs while Aysia Harty added 10.

The first set proved competitive, featuring 15 ties and seven lead changes. The Sooners hit .316 in the frame on 16 kills with Paige Anderson, Alyssa Enneking and Morgan Miller each contributing four. Additionally, OU totaled seven blocks in the period as Kylee McLaughlin and Brianna Kadiku each had five block assists.

Oklahoma carried its momentum from the first set to jump out to a 5-0 lead in the second. The Sooners cruised to a 25-17 victory, leading throughout the entirety of the frame. Enneking led the way with seven kills while Anderson added four more. The OU defense tacked on three more kills to reach the double-digit mark for the 10th time this season and fourth in the last five matches.

Tied 10-10 in the third, Oklahoma used a 5-0 run to force a K-State timeout. The Wildcats came out of the break with a five-point run of their own and quickly gained a 19-16 lead. Although the Sooners battled back within one twice, KSU forced a fourth set with a 25-23 win in the third.

After the fourth opened in a 6-6 tie, the Sooners used a six-point run to create a 12-6 lead. OU used a timeout after KSU made it 16-13, but Oklahoma scored four straight out of the break to go up by seven. Although KSU got back within two at 20-18, the Sooners closed the match out on a 5-1 run to seal the win.

Up next, the Sooners continue their road swing on Saturday as they face No. 8 Texas at 3 p.m. CT in Austin, Texas.