TULSA - The Oral Roberts University volleyball team returns to
Summit League action this weekend with home contests against IPFW
at 7 p.m. on Friday and Oakland at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
Scouting the Mastodons
IPFW is 7-6 overall this season and 2-2 in Summit League play with
wins over South Dakota State and UMKC. Rebekah Roehm leads the
Mastodons with 169 kills, while also posting 118 digs. Megan
Steenhuysen has tallied 283 assists for IPFW and Jamie Schwartz
leads the team defensively with 140 digs.
Scouting the Golden Grizzlies
Oakland has posted a 9-2 record and a 3-1 mark in conference
action this season with wins over UMKC, Southern Utah and South
Dakota State. The Golden Grizzlies will face Centenary on Friday
night before traveling to Tulsa on Saturday. Oakland is led by
Adrienne Leone, who has smashed 177 kills on the season. Ashley
Nevelle has posted 405 assists, while Brittany Dunn has recorded
183 digs.
All-Time Results Versus the Opponents
ORU and IPFW have met five times in the overall series, with the
Golden Eagles holding a 4-1 advantage. The two teams split
decisions last season, as ORU shut-out IPFW in Tulsa and was
blanked by the Mastodons in Fort Wayne. The Golden Eagles have
never lost to Oakland, posting a 22-0 record all-time against the
Golden Grizzlies. ORU blanked Oakland in both meetings last
season.
Vieira Climbing ORU Record Book
Juliane Vieira returns for her senior season in 2009 after earning
Summit League Setter of the Year awards last season. Vieira, the
lone returning starter this season, posted 1,248 assists over the
last two years. The Ribeirao Preto, Brazil, native has added 389
assists this season for a total of 1,637, which ranks ninth in ORU
history. Vieira also currently ranks third all-time in school
history with a 10.23 assists per game mark.
The Kids are Alright
ORU has a very young team this season, with six freshmen being
counted on to help ease the loss of seven letterwinners from last
year's 22-9 squad. So far this season, five of the newcomers have
played a vital role in ORU's success.
Tatum Fredeen, Elizabeth
McVicker,
Joana Gruber,
Olivia Ophus and
Shelby Robb have combined
for 220 kills on 567 attempts, 22 assists, 17 service aces, 153
digs and 29 total blocks in 118 sets played. Gruber is currently
second on the squad with 71 kills and third in hitting percentage
(.246), while also pacing ORU with 12 service aces. Ophus is
currently second on the team with 96 digs, while ranking fourth
with 53 kills. Fredeen ranks fifth among the Golden Eagles with 48
kills, including a career-high 15 against UALR on Sept. 4. McVicker
leads the squad with a. 317 hitting percentage (48 kills) and ranks
third with 11 total blocks.
Sister Act
Sisters Lauren and
Olivia Ophus, from nearby Jenks High School,
currently rank first and second, respectively, on the team in digs.
Lauren, a sophomore for the Golden Eagles, surpassed last season's
total of 61 digs after the first seven matches of the year. Lauren
leads ORU with 106 digs and posted a career-high 20 in ORU's win
over Northwestern State on Sept. 5. Olivia, a freshman for ORU, has
tallied 96 digs, and posted the second-most digs on the squad with
40 in her first collegiate action to help lead the Golden Eagles to
the Redbird Classic title. Olivia also ranks third with 53 digs,
including a career-high 12 in ORU's 3-0 win over Centenary on
September 19.
No Place Like Home
The Golden Eagles back the belief about home field advantage,
putting together a 62-16 (.795) mark inside the friendly confines
of the Aerobics Center the last seven seasons under head coach
Sheera Sirola. ORU has been dominant at home against the Summit
League in regular-season play since 2003, posting a mark of 32-4
(.889), including 126 sets won and only 27 lost.
- ORU -
