Powerful Offense Leads Volleyball to First Win of Season

Saturday, August 31

Lincoln, Neb.

1:00 PM

University of Oklahoma

1-1,0-0SEC

Texas A&M - Corpus Christi

0-2,0-0Southland

Oklahoma

A&M-Corpus Christi

Powerful Offense Leads Volleyball to First Win of Season

August 31, 2024 | Volleyball

Box Score Final Stats

LINCOLN, Neb. – Kelli Jo Burgess hit a perfect 1.000 and the offense combined for 67 kills as the Sooners earned a 3-1 victory over Texas A&M - Corpus Christi Saturday afternoon. After dropping the first set, 30-28, the Sooners won the next three, 25-17, 25-11, 25-21, to clinch their first win of the season.

Burgess became just the second Sooner with a minimum of 10 kills to hit 1.000 in a match, recording 11 kills on 11 attempts. The sophomore joins Grace Whitley who achieved the feat on 11-of-11 hitting in a three-set match in 2011.

Junior Alexis Shelton had yet another dynamic performance, recording 25 kills and nine digs to go with four blocks to lead the offense. Lydia Martyn chipped in 12 kills and added seven blocks in an impressive showing.

Senior Payton Chamberlain was one dig shy of a double-double with 39 assists ato go with nine digs. Junior Leah Wilton-Laboy chipped in 16 assists in the final set. The duo combined to tied a program record for assists in a four-set match with 64.

The first set was a back-and-forth marathon that saw 13 ties and six lead changes with six set points to close out the set. OU led 16-13, but a 4-1 Islanders run made it a tie set at 17-all. A kill from Burgess gave the Sooners their first set point at 24-23. The teams traded the next 11 points with the Islanders pulling out the 30-28 win.

OU controlled the second set, hitting .441 as a team in a 25-17 win to tie the match at 1-all. After a 4-1 run to start the set, the Sooners never relinquished their lead. OU pushed its lead to the largest margin at 18-11 off an Islander service error. Shelton gave the Sooners set point and another Islanders error secured the set for OU.

The Sooners were even more dominant in the third set, hitting .632 as a team and recording five blocks. A 7-1 run to start the set gave OU a 9-3 lead. The Sooners closed out the set with a 16-8 advantage to take the set 25-11.

In the final set, OU jumped out to a 15-10 lead. The Islanders used a late 4-0 scoring run to take their first lead of the set at 19-18. Shelton came up clutch with her 25th kill of the match to tie it at 20-all. Jasmine Ellison served up a pair of aces and Martyn closed things out with her 12th kill of the day to give OU the 25-21 victory.

OU will return to the state of Nebraska for the MH Hospitality Challenge in Omaha, Neb. Hosted by the University of Nebraska Omaha, the Sooners will face Drake on Sept. 6 and host Omaha on Sept. 7.

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