Post by oukaes on Nov 22, 2006 0:32:49 GMT -5
NORMAN, Okla. - For the third straight match, the No. 13 Oklahoma volleyball team used five games to extend its home winning streak to 10 straight. On a night that was devoted to the five-member senior class, the Sooners came back from a 2-1 deficit to beat the Iowa State Cyclones, 3-2 (30-16, 28-30, 25-30, 30-21, 15-5) Tuesday night at the McCasland Field House.
In OU’s final home match of the regular season, seniors Joanna Schmitt and Rachel Jackson paced the offense as Schmitt pounded a match-high 19 kills and recorded her 18th double-double of the season with 14 digs. Jackson guided the offense to an overall hitting percentage of .280 with 56 assists and four kills while she also added nine digs and three blocks on the defensive end.
Every member of the departing senior class added something in the victory as Eliane Santos pounded 13 kills on a .310 hitting percentage while leading the team in blocks with two solo blocks and six block assists. In addition, Laura Tomes pounded eight kills and added six total blocks while Anna Monsen led the defensive effort with a match-high 16 digs.
“This senior class has left a legacy at Oklahoma that no other squad in history has done,” head coach Santiago Restrepo said. “Everything that we have accomplished this season couldn’t have been done without this great group of leaders. The most exciting thing about tonight is we are not done and we still have a lot of history to make for these seniors and a lot of volleyball left to play.”
As a team, the Oklahoma defense dominated an Iowa State squad that ranks third in the conference in blocks and first in digs. Oklahoma, the Big 12’s top blocking team, recorded 15 blocks to ISU’s four and out dug the Cyclones, 72-64.
Oklahoma jumped out to a commanding 16-3 lead in the first game and dominated the entire match as the offense hit at a .424 clip while holding the Cyclones to a -.028 hitting percentage. Schmitt and Laplante led the offense with four kills each and hitting at a .500 and .571 hitting percentage, respectively.
It looked as if the Sooners had set the tone, but game two was a completely different story as both teams battled point for point with 19 ties and 14 lead changes in the second frame. Neither team’s offense could get anything going as Oklahoma hit at a .093 clip in the second frame and Iowa State recorded a .083 hitting percentage. With the score tied at 27-27, ISU went on a 3-1 run to close out the second frame and tie it up.
The Sooners jumped out to the 7-2 lead, but the Cyclones tied it up at 15-15 after one of their nine service aces in the match. Another ace gave ISU its first lead of the game at 22-21 and Oklahoma could never gain back the lead as ISU won the third set, 30-25.
With their backs against the wall, the Sooners faced a crucial game four. Iowa State took its only the lead of the game at 1-0 and tied it up on seven other occasions, but OU maintained the lead and pushed it to a game five. The final tie came at 8-8, but Oklahoma went on a huge 12-3 run to take 20-11 advantage and run away with the fourth game win at 30-21.
Oklahoma took the momentum from game four and rolled in game five. The Sooners opened with the 3-2 lead and closed the match out with a huge 12-3 run as they dominated the Cyclones and extended their winning streak to five straight.
The Sooners will conclude their regular season this Saturday as they head to Waco, Texas to take on the Baylor Bears at 7 p.m. Following its regular season finale on Saturday, OU will find out its NCAA fate when the 64-team field is announced on Sunday.
On a personal note really proud of this team and the turnaround this year. In the match the thing that really stuck out was the difference in blocks OU 15 to ISU 4 considering both teams are near the top of the conference in blocking.
I know Im a sooner fan but I really saw a cyclone team that did not quit...they really impressed me and the fought the whole way...when the get into the tournament I really think they are going to do really well...credit Christy Johnson for what she has done with that program
In OU’s final home match of the regular season, seniors Joanna Schmitt and Rachel Jackson paced the offense as Schmitt pounded a match-high 19 kills and recorded her 18th double-double of the season with 14 digs. Jackson guided the offense to an overall hitting percentage of .280 with 56 assists and four kills while she also added nine digs and three blocks on the defensive end.
Every member of the departing senior class added something in the victory as Eliane Santos pounded 13 kills on a .310 hitting percentage while leading the team in blocks with two solo blocks and six block assists. In addition, Laura Tomes pounded eight kills and added six total blocks while Anna Monsen led the defensive effort with a match-high 16 digs.
“This senior class has left a legacy at Oklahoma that no other squad in history has done,” head coach Santiago Restrepo said. “Everything that we have accomplished this season couldn’t have been done without this great group of leaders. The most exciting thing about tonight is we are not done and we still have a lot of history to make for these seniors and a lot of volleyball left to play.”
As a team, the Oklahoma defense dominated an Iowa State squad that ranks third in the conference in blocks and first in digs. Oklahoma, the Big 12’s top blocking team, recorded 15 blocks to ISU’s four and out dug the Cyclones, 72-64.
Oklahoma jumped out to a commanding 16-3 lead in the first game and dominated the entire match as the offense hit at a .424 clip while holding the Cyclones to a -.028 hitting percentage. Schmitt and Laplante led the offense with four kills each and hitting at a .500 and .571 hitting percentage, respectively.
It looked as if the Sooners had set the tone, but game two was a completely different story as both teams battled point for point with 19 ties and 14 lead changes in the second frame. Neither team’s offense could get anything going as Oklahoma hit at a .093 clip in the second frame and Iowa State recorded a .083 hitting percentage. With the score tied at 27-27, ISU went on a 3-1 run to close out the second frame and tie it up.
The Sooners jumped out to the 7-2 lead, but the Cyclones tied it up at 15-15 after one of their nine service aces in the match. Another ace gave ISU its first lead of the game at 22-21 and Oklahoma could never gain back the lead as ISU won the third set, 30-25.
With their backs against the wall, the Sooners faced a crucial game four. Iowa State took its only the lead of the game at 1-0 and tied it up on seven other occasions, but OU maintained the lead and pushed it to a game five. The final tie came at 8-8, but Oklahoma went on a huge 12-3 run to take 20-11 advantage and run away with the fourth game win at 30-21.
Oklahoma took the momentum from game four and rolled in game five. The Sooners opened with the 3-2 lead and closed the match out with a huge 12-3 run as they dominated the Cyclones and extended their winning streak to five straight.
The Sooners will conclude their regular season this Saturday as they head to Waco, Texas to take on the Baylor Bears at 7 p.m. Following its regular season finale on Saturday, OU will find out its NCAA fate when the 64-team field is announced on Sunday.
On a personal note really proud of this team and the turnaround this year. In the match the thing that really stuck out was the difference in blocks OU 15 to ISU 4 considering both teams are near the top of the conference in blocking.
I know Im a sooner fan but I really saw a cyclone team that did not quit...they really impressed me and the fought the whole way...when the get into the tournament I really think they are going to do really well...credit Christy Johnson for what she has done with that program
