Sooners Ready for Primetime at No. 17 Baylor

NORMAN – Coming off its first conference victory on the season, the Oklahoma volleyball team returns to the Lone Star State for the third time this season as they face No. 17 Baylor.

"We are excited to get on the road and compete again," head coach Lindsey Gray-Walton said. "Our team has been good so far at focusing while on the road and the task at hand while also enjoying the process. Each day is an opportunity to attack what's in front of us and we will do the very same against Baylor."

In their second primetime spot for conference play, the match will air on ESPNU at 8 p.m. Wednesday inside The Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas. Live stats will also be available through Baylor's StatBroadcast page.

"Our team is aware to the value of every match, but also isn't consumed with anything but trying to attack every rep and compete every point," Gray-Walton noted. "Control what we can control, and we can have a fun time showcasing Oklahoma volleyball on national television."

The Sooners lead the overall series with the Bears 39-27, along with 16-15 away. Baylor has been on a 12-match win streak against the Sooners with OU's last win and sweep against the Bears on Nov. 15, 2015, in Waco.

BIG 12 STORYLINES

BIG 12 DUB

The Sooners swept the Mountaineers, 3-0 (25-20, 25-18, 25-20), last Saturday afternoon for their first Big 12 victory on the season.
The victory marked the first win against WVU since Nov. 19, 2020, and the first sweep since Nov. 22, 2019, which was held in McCasland. Under head coach Lindsey Gray-Walton, OU is now 6-3 overall against WVU.
Sophomore Megan Wilson led the offense with her seventh-straight match in double-digit kills – 13 kills on a .370 clip with just three errors. For the third time this season, Wilson posted a career-high five service aces, which moved her to 35 aces on the season, putting her third in the record books.
Sophomore Payton Chamberlain added 31 assists and six digs, while sophomore Callie Kemohah led the defense with nine digs.

NATION'S BEST

Three OU underclassmen rank in the top 30 among Division I volleyball players in many statistical categories.
Wilson ranks fifth in total aces with 35 and aces per set with 0.70. She leads the Power Five in total aces and is the only Big 12 player in the top 10 in that category. The sophomore is also 15th nationally in points per set with 5.11, while fifth in the Power Five.
Freshman Morgan Perkins is 24th in blocks per set with 1.38 and is the third best freshman in the nation in that category. Kemohah ranks 24th in digs per set with 4.92 and is best in the Power Five in that category. She is the only Big 12 player in the top 30.
As a team, the Sooners rank 13th in hitting percentage with .288, while sitting in 21st in blocks per set with 2.66.

BATTLING IN THE BIG 12

As a team, OU holds top-three rankings in three of the six major statistical categories in the current conference standings. The Sooners are second in hitting percentage (.288) behind top-ranked Texas, while also second in service aces per set (1.61). OU is also third in assists per set with 12.35.
Multiple Sooners hold top-10 rankings in the current conference standings. Wilson leads the Big 12 in service aces per set (0.70) and total service aces (35). She also ranks second in the league with 5.11 points per set, while third in the league with 3.98 kills per set, 199 total kills and 255.5 points.
Kemohah tops the conference in digs per set (4.92) and is second with 251 total digs. Perkins sits in second with 1.38 blocks per set and third with 69 total blocks. Chamberlain ranks fourth with 10.11 assists per set.
In conference games only, Wilson tops the league with 0.78 service aces per set, sits in second with 5.39 points per set and seven total service aces, and third with 4.44 kills per set.
Chamberlain's 9.33 assists per set rank fifth in conference play, while Perkins and Kemohah are ranked seventh in blocks per set (1.11) and digs per set (3.44).

SIX FOR THE RECORD BOOKS

The 2022 team has already etched their name six times in the record books.
As a team, the Sooners set program records for aces (11) and block assists (30) in a four-set match, along with 28 block assists in a three-set match.
Wilson's five aces in a three-set match against Tulane (Sept. 10) are tied for the most in program history, while moving up to third in aces in a single season with 35. This Wilson's fourth mark in the record book after posting 392 kills and 20 solo blocks during the 2021 season, putting her seventh and tied for fifth, respectively.
Perkins, a newcomer, has already made her mark in the record book after setting a program record for 11 block assists in a three-set match against Texas Southern (Sept. 16).

BIG 12 WEEKLY AWARDS SWEEP-STAKES

For the first time in program history, Oklahoma volleyball swept the Big 12's weekly awards on Sept. 20
Wilson was named Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season. She leads the Sooners and is third in the conference with 199 kills, as well as leading OU and the conference in aces per set (0.70) and total aces (35). Wilson moved to third in program history for total aces (35) in a season. She also sits in second with 5.11 points per set and total points (255.5) in the Big 12.
Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 20) was awarded to Kemohah, marking her first this season and third of her career. The Lucas, Texas native currently leads the conference and the Power Five with 4.92 digs per set. She also sits second in the Big 12 in total digs (251) and posted 17 digs over last week to lead the Sooners.
Perkins locked in her first weekly honor for Rookie of the Week on Sept. 20 after earning her first career double-double with career-highs in kills (10) and blocks (11) against Texas Southern on Sept. 16.
OU is the fifth Big 12 school to sweep all three awards and first since Sept. 23, 2019, where Baylor took home every honor. This also marks the seventh time in conference history that weekly conference awards were swept by a single school.
In addition, just six times has OU won multiple awards in the same week, and two of those came last season.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT: NO. 17 BAYLOR

The Bears are one of two Big 12 teams that remain ranked in the AVCA Division I Coaches Poll at No. 17. Baylor is 12-3 overall and 2-1 in conference play, which puts them in a three-way tie for second in the Big 12. The Bears snapped a 10-win streak after its only conference loss came to Iowa State in four sets last Wednesday.
Baylor also defeated Kansas last Saturday in a five-set thriller, 3-2. Senior Lauren Harrison had her first double-double on the season with 22 kills and 10 digs, while both Elise McGhee and Kara McGhee each had 14 and 11 kills, respectively.
Baylor has the hitting percentage leader in the Big 12 as fifth-year senior Mallory Talbert leads the league with .447, while K. McGhee follows close behind in second with a .443 hitting percentage. K. McGhee also tops the conference with 1.56 blocks per set and 84 total blocks. Freshman setter Averi Carlson ranks third in the league with 10.48 assists per set and 566 assists.

QUICK HITTERS

OU's 10-2 non-conference record marks their best non-conference start since 2013, along with the Gray-Walton era.
Eight of OU's regular season opponents earned berths in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, including seven conference foes - No. 1 Texas, No. 17 Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Texas Tech and West Virginia. The Longhorns reached the Elite Eight while the Jayhawks and Bears each advanced to the Sweet Sixteen.
OU will host every Big 12 team (eight) at home in 2022, including its regular season and Senior night against TCU on Nov. 26.

NEXT SERVE

The Sooners make their fourth trip to the Lone Star State where they face Texas Tech at 6 p.m. next Wednesday, Oct. 12, before returning to McCasland Field House to host Iowa State for Alumni Weekend at 6 p.m. next Saturday, Oct. 15.

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Sooners Ready for Primetime at No. 17 Baylor