Volleyball Set for Mississippi Road Trip

NORMAN – The Oklahoma volleyball team is back on the road, heading east to Mississippi for a pair of matches. The Sooners will start their weekend with a 1 p.m. matchup at Ole Miss on Friday, followed by a 2 p.m. Sunday match against Mississippi State.

Date: Friday, Nov. 8
Time: 1 p.m. CT
Opponent: Ole Miss
Watch: SECN+
Live Stats: Statbroadcast

Date: Sunday, Nov. 10
Time: 2 p.m. CT
Opponent: Mississippi State
Watch: SECN+
Live Stats: Statbroadcast

WEEKEND REWIND
The Sooners picked up their first win over a top 10 team since 2014, defeating No. 9 Texas, 25-21, 25-27, 19-25, 25-17, 15-9, in an incredible five-set thriller Sunday afternoon in the first of two Red River Rivalry matches this season.

Down 2-1 in the match, the Sooners claimed the final two sets to pull off the upset win. The victory marked the Sooners' first win over the Longhorns since 2014. Alexis Shelton had her best match of the season, registering 27 kills with 15 digs for her seventh double-double of the season. The junior hit at a .365 clip as she recorded her 23rd straight match with double-digit kills.

SHELTON EARNS SEC HONOR
After leading the Sooners to an upset-victory over No. 9 Texas, junior outside hitter Alexis Shelton has been named the Southeastern Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Week. This is the first weekly award in Shelton's career. The Charlotte, N.C., native shared the honor with Florida's Kennedy Martin as she picked up OU's second weekly honor of the year. Senior Payton Chamberlain was named co-setter of the week in September.

In the Sooners lone match of the weekend, Shelton was dynamite as she led OU to its first win over the Longhorns since 2014 and first over a top 10 opponent since 2014. Shelton led all players with a season-high 27 kills and recorded a season-high 15 digs for her seventh double-double of the year. With her sixth 20-kill performance of the season, Shelton has now recorded 23-straight matches with double-digit kills, dating back to 2023. Shelton's .365 hitting percentage was her second-highest mark of the season and fifth mark over .300 in 2024.

MILESTONES IN THE MAKING
Senior setter Payton Chamberlain is nearing in on an impressive career milestone. The Roanoke, Texas, native needs just 24 assists to reach the 3,000-career mark. Chamberlain has recorded at least 40 assists in 11 matches this season and could reach the milestone in her next two games. Chamberlain averages 41 assists per match.

Junior outside hitter Alexis Shelton is nearing a milestone of her own, closing in on the 1,000 career kills mark. Shelton currently sits at 979 for her career, needing just 21 to hit the milestone. The senior is averaging 17.5 kills/match and 4.33 per set on the season. Shelton is coming off a season-high 27-kill performance at Texas and has notched double-digit kills in every match this season.

WELCOME TO THE BLOCK PARTY
The Sooners defense has been a force to be reckoned with this season, recording at least eight blocks in 16 matches this season. Against Tulsa on Sept. 13, the Sooners put up an impressive 20.0 blocks, the most by a Sooner squad since tallying 19.0 against Kansas State in 2020. OU has recorded at least 7.0 blocks in every match this year and reached the double-digit mark on 10 occasions. Against Texas on Nov. 3, the Sooners tallied 16.5 blocks, their most in conference play and the most Texas has allowed all season. In conference play the Sooners are second in blocks/set at 2.69, and first in all matches with 2.80 per set.

STATS & RANKINGS
Multiple Sooners are ranked in their respective strengths in conference action. Lydia Martyn continues to rank at the top of the hitting percentage group with a .439 mark in league play. Payton Chamberlain is fourth in assists with 10.00 per set, and Alexis Shelton is 10th in kills per set with 3.86. As a team, the Sooners are second in hitting percentage at .270. Nationally, the Sooners are No. 10 in blocks per set at 2.80 and No. 21 in hitting percentage at .272

THE OPPOSITION
OLE MISS: The Rebels are 14-8 on the year with a 4-6 record in conference play. Ole Miss is coming off a 3-1 loss to No. 24 Florida on Sunday. The squad is led by Nia Washington's 3.56 kills/set and Mokihana Tufono's 786 assists. On the defensive side, Payton Brgoch and Sasha Ratliff each boast 1.04 blocks/set, while Cammy Niesen has recorded 360 digs.

MISSISSIPPI STATE: The Bulldogs are 10-8 on the year and 4-5 in league action. Mississippi State is coming off a big win over Texas A&M, sweeping the Aggies on Sunday. Arissa Smith was named the conference defensive player of the week, as she set a career high with nine blocks and added a .462

LOOKING AHEAD
After two weeks away, the Sooners will return home for a midweek matchup with former Big 12 rival and current SEC foe Texas A&M. The match is slated for a 7 p.m. start on Wednesday, Nov. 13, on SEC Network.

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