Volleyball at Texas Tech Wednesday, Hosts WVU Saturday

Wednesday, November 22

Lubbock, Texas

2 p.m.

University of Oklahoma

Texas Tech

Volleyball at Texas Tech Wednesday, Hosts WVU Saturday

November 21, 2023 | Volleyball

Match Notes

NORMAN – The last week of the season is upon us and the Sooners are set for a pair of matches to close out the 2023 season. OU will travel to Lubbock, Texas, for the final road match of the year on Wednesday at 2 p.m.

The Sooners will then head home for their final game as a member of the Big 12 Conference. OU will face West Virginia on Saturday at 1 p.m. and seniors Kristen Birmingham, Kelsey Carrington, Daleigh Ellison and Callie Kemohah will be honored in a pre-match ceremony.

Date: Wednesday, Nov. 21
Time: 2 p.m. CT
Opponent: Texas Tech
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: Statbroadcast

Date: Saturday, Nov. 25
Time: 1 p.m. CT
Opponent: West Virginia
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: Statbroadcast

LAST TIME OUT
The Sooners split the season series with Cincinnati, dropping the first match in five sets before picking up a five-set victory the next night. In game one, three Sooners had double-digit kills on the night, led by Alexis Shelton's 29. Shelton was just shy of a double-double with nine digs and just one kill off her career-high of 30. Lydia Burts added 13 kills on the night to go with four blocks and Taylor Preston recorded 10 kills, three blocks and two digs. Payton Chamberlain paced the offense with her eighth double-double of the season, recording 55 assists and 10 digs.

In game two, Ireland McNees recorded a double-double with 15 kills and 14 digs, both career highs. Lydia Burts led the offense with 17 kills on 31 attempts for a .484 hitting percentage. Burts stuffed the stat sheet with five digs and six blocks. Taylor Preston recorded 12 kills and Daleigh Ellison chipped in nine. Payton Chamberlain paced the offense with 53 assists, while also adding nine digs and three blocks.

SENIOR SALUTE
Saturday's match will also serve as Senior day with Kristen Birmingham, Kelsey Carrington, Daleigh Ellison and Callie Kemohah all being honored in a pre-game ceremony.

Birmingham has appeared in 23 matches and 75 sets for the Sooners across her three-year career. She has tallied 103 kills and 56 blocks in her time as a Sooner.

Carrington has appeared in 55 matches and 156 sets as a Sooner. In her time at OU, she has tallied 170 kills and 145 blocks.

Ellison has appeared in 22 matches and 71 sets during her lone year as a Sooner. In her time at OU, she has recorded 105 kills, 34 digs, 38 blocks and 8 service aces.

Kemohah has appeared in 81 matches and 309 sets for the Sooners. A three-year starter, Callie has recorded 1251 digs, 330 assists and 67 service aces.

MAGNIFICENT MCNEES
Ireland McNees had a career game against Cincinnati, recording her first double-double while also helping to pace both the offense and defense. The freshman tallied a career-best 15 kills to go along with a career-high 14 digs.

ONE LAST TIME
The 2023 season marks the final year in the Big 12 for the Sooners. This week's matches against Texas Tech and West Virginia will be the final Big 12 games for the Sooners who have compiled a 289-373 record all-time in league play. The Sooners had two top-two finishes in conference play in 2006 and 2014, along with third place finishes in 2010, 2013, 2018 and 2019.

MILESTONES IN THE MAKING
Junior Setter Payton Chamberlain reached a career milestone on Oct. 29 against Iowa State as she notched her 2,000^th career assist. Chamberlain finished the match with 38 to bring her career total to 2,035 with 1,554 of those coming at OU. Chamberlain currently ranks 11^th all-time in OU history with 1,765 assists (2,246 total). The junior is also just 30 assists away from reaching 1,000 in a season and would be just the eighth Sooner to accomplish the feat in the 25-point rally scoring era.

Junior libero Callie Kemohah reached a major milestone on Sept. 15 against UCLA. Kemohah notched 1,000 digs and sits at 1,251 digs in her career. Kemohah now ranks 8^th all-time in OU history and could find herself close to the top five by the end of the season, needing just 57 to pass Sooner legend Keyton Kinley (1,308).

DOUBLE THE FUN
Payton Chamberlain has tallied eight double doubles this season. Most recently, the junior recorded a 55 assist, 10-dig double-double against Cincinnati Chamberlain has recorded a double-double against four conference opponents (Cincinnati, Baylor, UCF, K-State).

Callie Kemohah recorded her first double-double of the season against Tulsa with a season-high 27 digs and 12 assists. Alexis Shelton has also recorded a pair of double-doubles against Purdue Fort Wayne and Ball State. Against Ball State, Shelton and Chamberlain both had double-doubles. Ireland McNees added a double-double against Cincinnati with 15 kills and 14 digs.

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
The Red Raiders are 10-18 on the year and 3-13 in league play with wins over West Virginia and Kansas. Tech is coming off back-to-back 3-0 losses to K-State over the weekend. The Red Raiders are led by Caitlin Dugans 318 kills on the year, while Brynn Williams has added 289. Setter Reese Rhodes has notched 689 assists on the year.

West Virginia is 9-20 on the season and 2-14 in conference play with wins over TCU and Cincinnati. The Mountaineers have dropped their last eight matches and are coming off a 3-0 loss to Baylor last Saturday. WVU is led by Hailey Green and Bailey Miller who boast 390 and 316 kills apiece. Setter Lauren DeLo has amassed 1,001 assists on the season.

FOLLOW THE SOONERS
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