Sooners Host Texas Southern and Nevada to Complete Non-Conference Slate

Oklahoma

Texas Southern

Nevada

vs. Texas Southern/Nevada / Sept. 16 / 1 and 7 p.m. / McCasland Field House / Norman, Okla. / Match Notes / SoonerVision on ESPN+

NORMAN – The Oklahoma volleyball team concludes its non-conference competition in McCasland Field House Friday against Texas Southern and Nevada at 1 p.m. CT and 7 p.m. CT, respectively.

"It'll be really exciting to be home to finish out the non-conference schedule after such a strong road showing of competing well, even if we didn't find success in wins, but also finding success in wins when adversity hit," head coach Lindsey Gray-Walton said. "So more than ever, we are needing to be sharp mentally, disciplined defensively and communication is our competitive advantage this year. The more we communicate, the more we want to impose our will on our opponents, how we look, and how we play the game, we're going to have more results like what we saw this past week."

OU is undefeated in the overall series matchup against the Tigers, leading 2-0 after sweeps in 2014 and 2011, respectively. Friday night will mark the first matchup between the Sooners and Wolfpack.

"Texas Southern is a team that's trying to find their lineup and what's going to work best for them, so it will challenge our ability to play to our standard when things around us are chaotic, broken and not always in system," Gray-Walton noted. "Nevada is a team that has two very dominant pins, both based on quantity and on the quality that they yield for their teams. So, we will have to be good in both in system and out of system situations."

Free pizza will be available at noon CT for students outside of McCasland prior to Friday's match against Texas Southern. OU's match against Nevada will serve as Throwback Night and Military Appreciation Night. Free fanny packs are available for fans while supplies last. In addition, active and retired military members can purchase tickets at a group rate here or in-person.

Live stats will be available through OU's StatBroadcast page and all OU matches will air on SoonerVision on ESPN+. For more information on how to watch, click here.

For fans in attendance, doors at McCasland Field House open an hour before the first match of the day (noon). Parking is available in the Field House lot on the east side of McCasland Field House or the Duck Pond lot on the corner of West Brooks Street and South Jenkins Avenue.

OU Athletics' clear bag policy will be in effect and walk-through metal detectors will be utilized. More information can be found here.

Season and single-match tickets are now on sale for the 2022 season. Fans can purchase online through SoonerSports.com or by calling the OU ticket office at (405) 325-2424. Adults are $7 and youth/senior tickets are $5.

"The turnaround is fast, but the best thing is that we have a home crowd that we get to enjoy to finish non-conference play," Gray-Walton said.

WEEKEND STORYLINES

SWEEPING THE WILDCATS

The Sooners swept Abilene Christian 3-0 (25-16, 25-18, 25-17) Tuesday night at Moody Coliseum in Abilene, Texas.
The Sooners moved to 8-2 on the season, making it their best start in program history since 2016, as well as the best start in the Gray-Walton era.
The Sooners out-hit the Wildcats .340 to .028 and offensively dominated the match the whole way through. Sophomore Megan Wilson and freshman Alexis Shelton led the Sooners with a pair of double-digit kills with 14 and 11, respectively. Wilson matched her career-high seven digs for the fourth time in her career and third overall this season.
Junior middle blocker Kelsey Carrington posted three blocks and five kills on five total attempts for a perfect 1.000 hitting percentage.
Sophomore libero Callie Kemohah added her 10th-straight double-digit kill performance with 17, while also adding four assists.
OU remains undefeated in the overall series with the Wildcats, leading 2-0.

YOUNG AND HUNGRY

The underclassmen on the 2022 team have been called on to make an immediate impact and have done just that.
Wilson has controlled the offense for the Sooners, leading the team with 139 kills and a 3.86 kills per set. Both marks rank her third among the best in the conference. She also leads the team and is second in the conference with 24 service aces.
A do-it-all athlete, sophomore setter Peyton Dunn ranks first on the team in assists with 242, while sophomore setter Payton Chamberlain is quickly racking up the assists with 138 over the last four matches. The libero of the team, Kemohah, leads the top two spots in the conference with 189 digs and digs/set (5.25).
Preston, a breakout star and newcomer, is the only Sooner to post a double-double this season. She earned her second over the weekend with a career-best 19 kills and 11 digs against Fresno State last Sunday. The Union, Kentucky native also added career-highs in blocks (six) and service aces (three).
Freshman Morgan Perkins is already making an impact defensively, leading the Sooners with 45 blocks. During OU's win against Fresno State last Sunday, Perkins earned a career-high seven blocks.

WONDERFUL WILSON

Wilson, an opposite/outside hitter, opened the season as the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, along with the most valuable player and spot on the All-Tournament Team at the OU Invitational and Santa Clara Tournament.
Wilson has been on a tear and currently ranks third in the league with 3.86 kills/set. She also is second in the league in total kills (139).
The sophomore ranks second in the conference with 0.67 service aces per set and first in total service aces (24).
The Kingwood, Texas native ranks second in the conference, averaging 4.99 points per set and leads the Big 12 with 179.5 points.

IMPREST-IVE START

Preston, a breakout star and newcomer, is the only Sooner to post a double-double this season (vs. Ball State and Fresno State).
The outside hitter earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team for the Santa Clara Tournament after posting a double-double and earning career-bests kills (19), digs (11), blocks (six) and service aces (three) against Fresno State last Sunday.
Preston and fellow newcomer Shelton are the only freshman ranked in the top 10 of the conference in kills per set with 3.18 and 3.16, respectively. The Union, Kentucky, native also sits in the top 10 with points per set.

BLOCK PARTY

The Sooners currently rank fifth in the Big 12 in blocks per set, averaging 2.74. However, OU ranks in the top three in total blocks with 98.5
OU has posted double-digit blocks in its last five matches, including a season-high 16 against Fresno State last Sunday.
Perkins, a freshman, is ranked in the top five in the conference. Perkins' 1.29 blocks per set rank fifth in the league and her 45 total blocks are third in the conference.
Carrington led the way defensively for the Sooners last weekend, matching a career-high nine blocks against Fresno State Sunday, which is tied for second-best in the conference and first overall among the team. The last time Carrington earned this mark was on Oct. 23, 2020, at Kansas State.

QUICK HITTERS

If OU wins out this weekend, it will have its best non-conference record since 2013.
The Sooners have played a five-set match, four four-set matches and five three-set matches this season. OU is 0-1 in five set matches, 3-1 in four-set matches and 5-0 in three-set matches.
Eight of OU's regular season opponents earned berths in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, including seven conference foes - No. 1 Texas, No. 15 Baylor, No. 19 Kansas, Iowa State, Kansas State, Texas Tech and West Virginia. The Longhorns reached the Elite Eight while the Jayhawks and Bears each advanced to the Sweet Sixteen, respectively.

SCOUTING TEXAS SOUTHERN

Texas Southern enters Friday's match looking for its first victory on the season (0-8).
Head coach Alexis Austin enters her second season with the Tigers after joining the staff in April 2021.
With an experienced roster, the Wildcats squad includes eight upperclassmen, including six juniors.
Thalia Cordero Moreno leads the Tigers with 51 kills and a 2.43 kills per set mark, while Alaiyah Fields ranks second in total kills (27). Dallas Balanay-Flores leads the team with 91 assists for a 4.14 assists per set average. Defensively, Kaitlyn Scroggins leads the team with 55 digs, while Taryn Stafford tops the team in blocks with 9.

SCOUTING NEVADA

Nevada currently has a 5-4 overall record after coming away with a win against California (3-1) last Saturday.
Lee Nelson has been with the Wolf Pack for six season after becoming the head coach in January 2015.
The Wolf Packs squad includes six upperclassmen, including only two seniors.
Sixth Year Kayla Afoa leads the Wolf Pack with 158 kills and a .200 hitting percentage, while Gabby McLaughlin ranks second in total kills at 131. Senior Andrea Alcaraz leads the team with 336 assists and has racked up 136 digs. Defensively, Jordan Schwartz leads the team with 43 blocks and 1.25 blocks per set. Junior libero Kia Kaohelaulii leads the team in digs with 163.

NEXT SERVE

The Sooners open conference play in Austin, Texas, against the top-ranked Longhorns next Saturday, Sept. 24, before returning to McCasland for their home conference opener against No. 20 Kansas at 6 p.m. CT, Sept. 28.

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Sooners Host Texas Southern and Nevada to Complete Non-Conference Slate