OU Volleyball Opens 2022 with Crimson and Cream Exhibition

NORMAN – Oklahoma volleyball had its first chance to play in front of a crowd Saturday afternoon in McCasland Field House during the annual Crimson and Cream Exhibition. The Crimson team defeated the Cream team, 3-2.

"First, we want to thank everybody for coming out for the Crimson and Cream Exhibition, four days into preseason," head coach Lindsey Gray-Walton said. "To see the (McCasland) Field House with a pretty full bottom bowl, it's exciting what can happen when the lights are on."

Competing for the Cream team, 2021 AVCA Southwest Region Freshman of the Year, sophomore Megan Wilson, led the match with 26 kills on 63 total attacks. Graduate student Savannah Davison led all players with eight blocks en route to victory for the Crimson team.

"The thing that we've been focusing on is how we sound, how we look overall, how we play the game, the emotion that we have for it and the recovery ability that we have to play," Gray-Walton noted.

Sooner Nation got their first look at freshmen Taylor Preston and Alexis Shelton, who registered 13 and 12 kills, respectively. Defensively, Shelton added five blocks and Preston with four blocks.

"From our freshmen that have been here since June to our sixth-year seniors that have been here for a while, everyone did a nice job today," Gray-Walton said. "We played clean, we served tough, and we feel like this system offensively can win a lot of games for us."

A graduate transfer from Cincinnati, Adria Oliver added 12 kills competing for the Crimson team.

The Sooners head to Fort Smith, Arkansas, to compete against Central Arkansas in an exhibition matchup next Friday, Aug. 19. OU officially opens the season at home with the OU Invitational inside McCasland Field House, and will kick off 2022 against Gonzaga on Friday, Aug. 26, Big Ten foe Iowa on Saturday, Aug. 27, before concluding the weekend with FIU on Sunday, Aug. 28.

"Overall, I'm just really pleased with how this team is with their competitiveness and just love for each other and playing the game," Gray-Walton said. "We have a fun season ahead for us."