Volleyball Hosts K-State For Pair of Matches

NORMAN – The Oklahoma volleyball team will welcome Kanas State to Norman for a pair of matches Oct. 19-20. The teams will play at 6 p.m. on both Thursday and Friday. Both matches will air on ESPN+ with Chad McKee and Kelly Files on the call.

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

Date: Thursday, Oct. 19
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Opponent: K-State
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: Statbroadcast

Date: Friday, Oct. 20
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Opponent: K-State
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: Statbroadcast

LAST TIME OUT
The Oklahoma volleyball team fell to No. 16 Kansas in three sets, 25-20, 25-21, 25-18 Saturday afternoon inside Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena.

Alexis Shelton and Taylor Preston led the offense with 14 kills apiece. Lydia Burts chipped in seven, with Kelsey Carrington and Hannah Pfiffner each adding four. Payton Chamberlain recorded 41 assists, four digs and three blocks on the afternoon. Callie Kemohah notched 13 digs and Mele Corral-Blagojevich tallied six.

MANSFIELD MATCHUP
When Kansas State comes to Norman, they'll be bringing along a familiar face to OU head coach Aaron Mansfield. Jason Mansfield, the head coach of the Wildcats, is Aaron's older brother and is in his first season at the helm of the K-State program.

HOME SWEET HOME
With 16 matches played in 2023, the Sooners have only played six at home. The BYU match on October 7 started a span where OU will play five of six matches inside the friendly confines of McCasland Field House. After Oct. 24, the Sooners will have just three more home matches while having six on the road.

YOUNG AND HUNGRY
The underclassmen on the 2023 team have been called on to make an impact this season and have done just that. Of the five Sooners who have played in every set this year, three are underclassmen in sophomores Alexis Shelton and Taylor Preston and freshman Mele Corral-Blagojevich.

Shelton and Preston have controlled the offense for the Sooners in 2023, ranking first and second, respectively, in kills per set and total kills. Shelton also ranks fourth in total digs while Preston ranks fourth in total blocks. Corral-Blagojevich leads the team with 17 service aces and is third with 87digs.

Freshman Hannah Pfiffner has also appeared in all but one match, recording 94 kills and 31 total blocks. Sophomore Syndey Thompson has made an appearance in 49 sets and has recorded 54 digs and 14 service aces.

BLOCKING BURTS
Lydia Burts has made a huge impact on the Sooners defense, leading the team with 70.0 total blocks on the season, 34 more than the next closest player. Burts has recorded at least five blocks in seven matches this season, including a season-best 9.0 in the season opener.

Burts has recorded six digs or more in five matches, including 7.0 against BYU. Burts has 13 solo blocks on the season with a season high four against UCF.

WE DIG IT
Junior libero Callie Kemohah reached a major milestone on Sept. 15 against UCLA. Kemohah notched 1,000 digs and now sits at 1,102 digs in her career. Kemohah now ranks 13^th all-time in OU history and could find herself in the top five by the end of the season. The junior needs just 46 to break into the top 10 and 206 to make the top five.

PC2K
The countdown to 2,000 assists is on for junior setter Payton Chamberlain. Chamberlain has record 1,897 assists in her career with 1,416 of those coming while at OU. Chamberlain is averaging 10.71 assists per set and with 12 matches left should easily achieve the feat. She currently ranks 11^th all-time in assists and will move into 10^th when she hits 2,000.

QUICK HITTERS

The Sooners will face all four new conference opponents in 2023. OU will play a two-game series at UCF and Cincinnati, host Houston at home for two and face BYU at home once.
The Sooners play just three non-conference games at home in 2023. OU will host UCLA for a pair of matches in mid-September and Tulsa in late October.
Eight of OU's regular season opponents earned berths to the 2022 NCAA Tournament, including Texas, Ball State, Houston, UCF, Iowa State, BYU, TCU and Baylor. Texas was crowned the national champion, while Houston and Baylor made it to the regional semifinals

THE OPPOSITION

K-State is currently 10-7 on the season and 4-4 in conference play after dropping a five-set match at UCF on Saturday. The Wildcats have two wins over ranked opponents in then-No. 18 Baylor and then-No. 25 Iowa State.

Aliyah Carter leads the Wildcats with 224 kills on the season and a 4.23 kills/set mark. Aniya Clinton ranks second on the team with 140 kills on the year. Izzi Szulczewski has notched 435 assists in 2023 to go with 150 digs and 17 service aces. Sydney Bolding leads the defense with 90.0 blocks.

FOLLOW THE SOONERS
For updates and more information on Oklahoma Volleyball, follow the Sooners on Twitter and Instagram (@OU_Volleyball) and like Oklahoma Volleyball on Facebook.

UP NEXT
The Sooners will host Tulsa for the final non-conference match of the season on Tuesday, Oct. 24 inside McCasland Field House. OU will then travel to Iowa State for a pair of matches Oct. 28-29.

Volleyball Hosts K-State For Pair of Matches

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Players Mentioned

Kelsey Carrington

Payton Chamberlain

Mele Corral-Blagojevich

Callie Kemohah

Lydia Martyn

Hannah Pfiffner

Taylor Preston

Alexis Shelton

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University of Oklahoma Athletics

Volleyball Hosts K-State For Pair of Matches

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Kelsey Carrington

Payton Chamberlain

Mele Corral-Blagojevich

Callie Kemohah

Lydia Martyn

Hannah Pfiffner

Taylor Preston

Alexis Shelton

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