by NORMAN – The Oklahoma volleyball team earned an upset victory Sunday afternoon, downing No. 20 Tennessee in four sets, 27-25, 25-22, 19-25, 25-23, to pick up its first SEC win.
The win also marked the Sooners’ first over a ranked opponent since 2014 when the Sooners defeated No. 2 Texas in three sets.
“I think they’re proving to themselves that they can play with anyone,” head coach Aaron Mansfield said. “It means a lot for our program to have come a long way in the last year and a half and it’s a testament to all of the work that the players have put in, both this year and last year.”
Alexis Shelton led the way with 19 kills to go with four digs, two blocks and two service aces. Kari Geissberger and Lydia Martyn each recorded 14 kills, with Geissberger hitting an impressive .440. Martyn did a little bit of everything, notching four service aces, two digs and three blocks. Geissberger added four blocks to lead the team.
“(Kari and Lydia) have played a lot of college volleyball, so they’ve been through a lot of ups and downs and experiences,” Mansfield said. “Kari has just been really steady for us and she just brings a sense of lightness and joy to the court that I think our team feeds off of and it’s really helpful and beneficial in moments where the score gets really tight because the tendency is to feel kind of hesitant and she helps our team stay loose out there. Lydia has been really consistent this year, so to have two people like that that our team can look to is big for us.”
Payton Chamberlain notched a season-high 52 assists to go with eight digs and two aces. Callie Kemohah recorded 11 digs and seven assists.
The Sooners were locked in a tight battle in the first set and needed extra points to claim the victory. Geissberger set up set point, before an error allowed Tennessee to tie it at 25-all. Shelton and Geissberger put it away with back-to-back kills to take the set, 27-25.
In the second set, the Sooners trailed early before climbing back to tie the match at 15-all. A kill from Shelton gave OU a 22-21 lead they would not relinquish. Shelton and Martyn took control on offense, each recording five kills to help the Sooners to the 25-22 win.
Tennessee took the third set, 25-19, after hitting .367 in the set. In the fourth and final set, the Sooners once again came-from-behind. Trailing 20-16, Kemohah and Whitney Wallace took control from behind the service line, putting the Sooners ahead 23-22. Shelton had the final two kills of the night as the Sooners won the set 25-23.
“To be down in the fourth set, the tendency is to think about the fifth set and think about what happens if we lose,” Mansfield said. “It’s hard to beat a team when they’re that efficient offensively but we just stuck with our game plan and we just needed a couple points at the end that we got, so I’m super proud of the team and their fight.”
