Posted: Oct 19, 2022
NORMAN – The OU volleyball team fought hard but fell short to Kansas State on Wednesday night, 3-2. The Sooners were off to a fast start, taking the first two sets (2-0), but the Cyclones clawed their way back to force a fifth and final set. Kansas State took the match with a 15-13 final set victory, taking the match, 20-25, 15-25, 25-22, 25-15, 15-13.
"They were great in the first two sets and then we took our foot off the gas right when Kansas State had nothing else to do, but go for it," head coach Lindsey Gray-Walton said. "To win three sets by two points, we have to maintain our consistency in the competitive effort and willingness to execute every discipline."
In a nailbiter, OU led Kansas State in four of the six major statistical categories – points (74), kills (57), blocks (10) and assists (54). Although, the Wildcats out hit the Sooners, .227-.195.
Graduate student Savannah Davison and sophomore Payton Chamberlain both recorded double-doubles for the Sooners. Davison posted her first of the season with season-highs in both kills (17) and digs (10), while Chamberlain earned her second on the season with season-highs in assists (44) and digs (19).
Sophomore Megan Wilson recorded her 16th double-digit kill performance on the season with 15 kills, while also adding eight digs, just two off from a double-double. Both Wilson and graduate student Adria Oliver led the defense with five blocks each, while freshman Morgan Perkins returned with four blocks.
Sophomore libero Callie Kemohah added her seventh 20+ kill performance this season with 21 digs, while also one assist (nine) away from a double-double. Kemohah also tallied a team-high and career-high seven service aces.
In the first set, Kansas State posted the first kill of the match, but OU immediately responded with a kill of its own from Oliver. The Sooners came out fast with a 5-1 run, but the Cyclones would come back to tie the set, 10-10. Oliver lifted the Sooners in the lead with another kill to make the score 11-10. After the media timeout, a trio of Sooners (Wilson, Perkins and freshman Alexis Shelton) added three kills for a 19-14 lead, forcing a Kansas State timeout. Davison sealed the deal for the Sooners in the opening set, 25-20.
During the second set, OU jumped to a 7-1 lead, forcing a Wildcats timeout. The Sooners continued their dominance with a 5-1 run before another Kansas State timeout. Perkins brought the Sooners to a double digit-lead, 21-11, after her second kill after the break. The set point came from an attack error by the Wildcats, bidding the Sooners to a 25-20 victory.
The momentum flipped after Kansas State scored five unanswered points to take a 12-7 lead to start the third set. OU clawed back to tie the match 21-21 after another Davison kill, but the Wildcats would eventually take the third set 25-22.
The Wildcats jumped out to a 12-9 lead in the fourth set, forcing an OU timeout. After the break, Wilson's kill closed the gap by two (13-11), but the Cyclones went on a 4-1 run that would lead to the final timeout for the Sooners during the set. Kansas State would go on to force a fifth and final set after winning the fourth, 25-15.
In the fifth and final set, it was a back-and-forth battle, but Sooners took the lead after four-straight points, 8-4. Although, Kansas State clawed their way back with a 4-0 run to tie the match, 10-10. The Wildcats took the lead back, 13-11, forcing OU's final timeout of the match. Kansas State would close out the set and match win, 15-13.
OU returns to the national spotlight on ESPNU, Friday afternoon at 12:30 p.m. CT, against TCU in Fort Worth, Texas.
"We have another opportunity to get back to it against TCU," Gray-Walton noted. "This team is worthy of winning, and their belief is there … they just need that nudge to push them over the edge. We can be a scary team in the second half of conference play, but we have to commit to a mindset of believing it's possible."
"They were great in the first two sets and then we took our foot off the gas right when Kansas State had nothing else to do, but go for it," head coach Lindsey Gray-Walton said. "To win three sets by two points, we have to maintain our consistency in the competitive effort and willingness to execute every discipline."
In a nailbiter, OU led Kansas State in four of the six major statistical categories – points (74), kills (57), blocks (10) and assists (54). Although, the Wildcats out hit the Sooners, .227-.195.
Graduate student Savannah Davison and sophomore Payton Chamberlain both recorded double-doubles for the Sooners. Davison posted her first of the season with season-highs in both kills (17) and digs (10), while Chamberlain earned her second on the season with season-highs in assists (44) and digs (19).
Sophomore libero Callie Kemohah added her seventh 20+ kill performance this season with 21 digs, while also one assist (nine) away from a double-double. Kemohah also tallied a team-high and career-high seven service aces.
In the first set, Kansas State posted the first kill of the match, but OU immediately responded with a kill of its own from Oliver. The Sooners came out fast with a 5-1 run, but the Cyclones would come back to tie the set, 10-10. Oliver lifted the Sooners in the lead with another kill to make the score 11-10. After the media timeout, a trio of Sooners (Wilson, Perkins and freshman Alexis Shelton) added three kills for a 19-14 lead, forcing a Kansas State timeout. Davison sealed the deal for the Sooners in the opening set, 25-20.
During the second set, OU jumped to a 7-1 lead, forcing a Wildcats timeout. The Sooners continued their dominance with a 5-1 run before another Kansas State timeout. Perkins brought the Sooners to a double digit-lead, 21-11, after her second kill after the break. The set point came from an attack error by the Wildcats, bidding the Sooners to a 25-20 victory.
The momentum flipped after Kansas State scored five unanswered points to take a 12-7 lead to start the third set. OU clawed back to tie the match 21-21 after another Davison kill, but the Wildcats would eventually take the third set 25-22.
The Wildcats jumped out to a 12-9 lead in the fourth set, forcing an OU timeout. After the break, Wilson's kill closed the gap by two (13-11), but the Cyclones went on a 4-1 run that would lead to the final timeout for the Sooners during the set. Kansas State would go on to force a fifth and final set after winning the fourth, 25-15.
OU returns to the national spotlight on ESPNU, Friday afternoon at 12:30 p.m. CT, against TCU in Fort Worth, Texas.
"We have another opportunity to get back to it against TCU," Gray-Walton noted. "This team is worthy of winning, and their belief is there … they just need that nudge to push them over the edge. We can be a scary team in the second half of conference play, but we have to commit to a mindset of believing it's possible."
