Team Effort Leads Sooners Past Yale

Friday, September 6

Bloomington, Ind.

11:00 a.m.

University of Oklahoma

3-0

Yale

0-0

Yale

Oklahoma

Photo by: Timothy Hurst/For the University

September 06, 2019 | Volleyball

Box Score BTN+

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Oklahoma volleyball team won its second straight match at the Hoosier Classic Friday as it outlasted Yale.
The Bulldogs (0-1, 0-0 Ivy League) pushed OU (3-2, 0-0 Big 12) to the brink, but the Sooners came out on top in five sets, 26-24, 21-25, 25-22, 22-25, 15-8.

Yale led the Sooners in kills (60-55), hitting percentage (.167-.156), digs (76-73), but OU racked up nine service aces to the Bulldogs' four and outblocked Yale 19-12.

Three Sooners set new career highs in the contest and two recorded double-doubles in a total team effort.

With 18 kills, junior outside hitter Sarah Maras surpassed her career-best 11 against Northern Illinois in 209. She also posted 10 digs for her second career double-double, and added two blocks.

Freshman Olivia Curtis led the match in digs with 20 to her name, shattering her previous high of six against Cal in the Sooners' season opener. The newcomer also added seven kills, two blocks and an ace in the contest.

Libero Aysia Harty racked up 18 digs. The sophomore had previously tallied 12 last season against Texas A&M.

Always steady, Kylee McLaughlin posted her third double-double of the season and her second at the Hoosier Classic with a match-high 47 assists and 11 digs.

Paige Johnson fired off three aces and added 10 digs for her double-digit defensive performance as a Sooner. Sarah Sanders had her second straight match with double figures in kills, talllying 14.

OU took the opening set 26-24. The Sooners trailed Yale 17-14 late before using a four-point run to take the lead at 18-17. Curtis got a kill, followed by Johnson's first ace, then a double block from Paige Anderson and McLaughlin forced a Yale timeout. Curtis put up a solo block after the break to give OU the lead.Yale tied things again at 24-all, but Sarah Sanders blasted a kill to bring up set point. Maras scored to end the set for the Sooners 26-24.

The Bulldogs claimed the second frame 25-21 but the Sooners rallied in the third to win it 25-22. OU led the entire third set, up by as many as six points late in the frame. Yale went on a four-point run to close the Sooners' lead to 20-18, but a kill from Anderson, a Harty ace and blasts from Maras and Sanders kept OU on top. Brianna Kadiku was the clincher, sealing the set with a kill.

Yale won set four 25-22 to force a fifth set, which the Sooners dominated. Oklahoma jumped out to an 8-2 lead to start and held off the Bulldogs by as many as seven points in the deciding frame. Fittingly, Maras ended the match with a swing from the outside.

Up Next

The Sooners wrap up the Hoosier Classic at 6 p.m. CT with host Indiana. Live stats will be available for and the contest will be available for streaming on BTN+ with a cable subscription.