NORMAN – The Oklahoma volleyball team clinched its first Big 12 win of 2018 with a 3-0 sweep of Kansas State on Friday night inside McCasland Field House.
The Sooners took down the Wildcats with 25-19 victories in sets one and two before sealing it with a 25-21 win in set three.
OU out-hit KSU, totaling 51 kills to K-State's 37, while averaging a .309 hitting percentage and holding its opponent to .189. The Sooners also edged the Wildcats in digs (56-49), blocks (9.0-5.0) and assists (45-34).
Sophomore middle blocker Paige Anderson registered a career-high 16 kills in the contest, leading all players. She added a match-high six blocks for 19.0 total points.
Classmate Kylee McLaughlin led the match with 41 assists while fellow sophomore Keyton Kinley paced the match with 23 digs.
The Sooners came out hot, beginning their conference home opener on a 10-2 run. Anderson and Sarah Maras both tallied a pair of kills in that span while Alyssa Enneking and Sarah Sanders each added one. Additionally, Anderson and Sanders combined on two blocks in the Sooners' opening run.
After the Wildcats settled in, the two teams traded points throughout the frame before KSU got within three at 20-17. Nonetheless, the Sooners scored four straight to earn set point, and a kill from Enneking sealed the first set win.
The second frame proved more competive, featuring six ties and four lead changes. The Wildcats were within one at 20-19 when Oklahoma called timeout. The Sooners scored five straight of the break to take a 2-0 lead in the match. During OU's run, Anderson and McLaughlin combined on a block assist before Enneking, Sanders and Anderson all tallied kills.
Anderson hit .700 in the second period with seven kills on 10 attemps while Sanders fininshed .667 with four kills.
Oklahoma saw another strong start in set three, opening on an 8-0 run that included three Enneking kills and one apiece from Sanders and Anderson. Throughout the frame, the Wildcats slowly chipped away at the Sooners' early advantage, coming within three at 23-20. Still, the Sooners remained steady as Sanders tipped the final kill over the net to clinch the win.
Up next, the Sooners continue conference play with another split week, hosting Kansas on Sept. 26 at McCasland Field House before traveling to Waco, Texas, on Sept. 28 to take on currently No. 19 Baylor. Both matches are set to air on ESPNU at 8 p.m. CT.
