Sooners Stun Bruins in Five-Set Thriller

Friday, September 15

Norman, Okla.

5 p.m.

University of Oklahoma

6-2,0-0Big 12

UCLA

7-2,0-0Pac-12

UCLA

Oklahoma

Photo by: Morgan Givens, OU Athletics

Sooners Stun Bruins in Five-Set Thriller

September 15, 2023 | Volleyball

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NORMAN – The Oklahoma volleyball team snapped UCLA's seven-match win streak in a five-set thriller Friday evening inside McCasland Field House. The Sooners (6-2) topped UCLA (7-2) 25-23, 25-21, 15-25, 24-26, 15-7.

The win was the first at home for head coach Aaron Mansfield and improved the Sooners to 6-2 on the year. Mansfield is now just one win away from 100 victories as a head coach.

"It's hard to put into words," Mansfield said. "I remember stepping foot in here for the first time and just wondering what it was going to be like. Our staff and our players have worked really hard to put us in this position. I've never felt fan support like this and had a community come out and support a volleyball match like this. I feel like we have a long ways to go but, this being the first win for our staff and our new team, it's just really special."

Taylor Preston led all players with 16 kills on the night. Alexis Shelton added 15 and Lydia Burts chipped in 12. Shelton nearly recorded a double-double, adding eight digs to her night.

Payton Chamberlain notched 43 assists and nine digs while Callie Kemohah added 12 digs of her own. Lydia Burts recorded six blocks and Chamberlain added four to the Sooners total of 11.0.

Back-to-back kills from Pfiffner gave the Sooners their first lead of the match at 5-3. UCLA used a 3-1 run to tie the match at 6-all on a kill from Anna Dodson. A kill from Preston put OU back in front 8-7. After UCLA tied the match at 12-all, Ellison picked up her first kill of the night to push the Sooners into the lead. Out of a timeout, an ace from Rylee Fay put the Sooners up 17-14. OU was the first to 20 in the set as Shelton slammed home a kill to give OU a three-point advantage. Up 23-20, the Sooners forced UCLA to call timeout. Out of the timeout, UCLA pulled within one but a block from Shelton set up set point. A serving error by the Bruins ended the set with OU taking the opening frame, 25-22.

The Sooners had an impressive comeback in the second set to move ahead in the match, 2-0. Down 18-11, the Sooners used a 9-1 run to take their first lead of the set. UCLA tied the match at 21-all, but the Sooners used a 4-0 run and a kill from Preston to take the 25-21 win.

UCLA took set three 25-15 and set four 26-24. The Sooners found some momentum in the start of the fourth, taking an early 3-2 lead. The Sooners narrowly stayed in front, before a UCLA kill made it a tie game at 6-6. A 3-1 lead put the Sooners in front 9-7, but the Bruins tied it once again at 9-all. The Sooners pulled ahead 12-9 off a kill from Burts. After going ahead 15-12, the Sooners came out of a timeout to back-to-back kills from Kelsey Carrington to extend the lead. A 5-0 run brought the game even at 17-all, but back-to-back errors put the Sooners in front 19-17. Shelton's 11^th kill of the game made it a three-point set and forced a UCLA timeout. The Sooners extended their lead to 23-19 but the Bruins used a 5-0 run to take a 24-23 lead.

In the fifth, the Sooners jumped out to a 4-1 lead behind Preston's 15^th kill of the game. At the switch, the Sooners led 8-3 and a kill from Carrington made it 10-4. OU kept its foot on the gas, moving to set point on a kill from Shelton and taking the match on a service error from UCLA.

The Sooners will be back in action inside McCasland Field House on Saturday at 2 p.m. for the second matchup against UCLA.