LUBBOCK, Texas – The Oklahoma volleyball team dropped a four-set match to Texas Tech, 3-1, Wednesday evening inside the United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock.
The Red Raiders took the match, 25-17, 25-23, 22-25, 25-18. Texas Tech also led OU in five of the six major statistical categories, except for digs where the Red Raiders and OU each posted 63 apiece.
"Texas Tech is a physical team that came with everything tonight on the pins and in the middle," head coach Lindsey Gray-Walton said. Sets two and three were more our brand of volleyball. "The connection with our middles continue to get better each match."
Freshman Alexis Shelton and graduate student Savannah Davison led the way with a pair of double-digit kills at 13 and 11, respectively. Shelton also added two blocks while Davison had a .409 hitting percentage and added season-high 10 digs and two service aces. Graduate student Adria Oliver made her mark offensively with nine kills, while also leading the Sooners defense with four blocks.
Sophomore Payton Chamberlain added her first double-double as a Sooner with 34 assists and a career-high 12 digs. Defensively, sophomore libero Callie Kemohah led the way with her sixth 20+ digs match this season with 22.
The Sooners went on a four-point scoring run, leading the Red Raiders 5-1 for a strong start. Texas Tech climbed their way back to take the lead after a 6-0 run led to an OU timeout. The Red Raiders were dominant for the rest of the set and had a 5-0 run to capture the opening set, 25-17.
OU had another strong start with a 6-1 run, but the Red Raiders were able to fight all the way back to tie it up 12-12. Texas Tech went on a 3-0 run before the media timeout and never looked back. After an OU timeout, Davison posted a kill to tie the match 23-23, but the Sooners came up just short 25-23.
The offense was on fire for the Sooners in the third set, where the Sooners had an 8-3 lead. After a Texas Tech timeout, the Red Raiders brought the score within two (17-15) after an attack error from freshman Taylor Preston. Texas Tech was able to bring the score within two again, 24-22, forcing an OU timeout. The Sooners were able to force a fourth set after a kill from freshman Morgan Perkins led the Sooners to a third set win, 25-22.
The fourth set was a slugfest in the beginning as the teams went back-and-forth, but Texas Tech went on a four-point run before the OU timeout, 13-8. The Red Raiders would carry the momentum throughout the whole set to win the match and final set, 25-18.
"Our team continues to learn how to compete hard for each other in each opportunity we have to compete," Gray-Walton noted. "The process of winning starts with creating championship behaviors. We're continuing to focus on getting better and more comfortable in high intensity moments as a unit. This is a gritty and resilient group. Their moments will come, we just need to keep showing up."
The Sooners return to McCasland Field House to host Iowa State for Alumni Weekend at 6 p.m. CT Saturday. Over 15 of the most accomplished alumni return to campus for weekend festivities, along with being honored during the match. Saturday's match also serves as Fan Appreciation Day, where admission to the Iowa State match will be free for all fans since it's also football gameday in Norman.
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