Oklahoma volleyball ended a three-match skid with a 3-0 road sweep of Alabama on Sunday, Oct. 25, at Foster Auditorium in Tuscaloosa.
Junior middle Carley Butler led the Sooners with 15 kills, tying her career high, while posting a career-best .684 hitting percentage on just two errors in 19 attempts, according to OU Athletics. Sophomore Tekoa Barnes added 11 kills and matched her career high with five service aces, including three consecutive aces in the second set that stretched Oklahoma's lead to 12-6.
Oklahoma won by set scores of 25-18, 25-18 and 25-22.
The Sooners hit .320 as a team. Sophomore Alyssa Flack chipped in 10 kills, senior Elise Hani contributed five kills and five block assists, and sophomore setter Avaya Maga ran the offense with 36 assists.
Oklahoma controlled the match from the opening point, jumping to a 5-0 lead in the first set. Barnes' back-to-back aces pushed the lead to 19-13 in the opener before Barnes closed it out with four kills on five swings.
The second set followed a similar script. After an early back-and-forth, Barnes rattled off three straight aces to give Oklahoma a 12-6 cushion. A block from Hani and Mikala Young sealed the 25-18 second-set win.
Alabama made its strongest push in the third set, cutting a 7-2 deficit to 8-6 and later pulling within two at 24-22. A Crimson Tide attack error ended the match.
The win was a bounce-back for Oklahoma after three consecutive losses following the Sooners' upset of then-No. 9 Texas in the Red River Rivalry, as Stormin in Norman reported. The Sooners improved to 11-7 overall and 4-5 in SEC play. Alabama dropped to 9-10 and 1-9 in conference action.
Oklahoma continues its six-match road stretch Friday, Oct. 30, at Arkansas on SEC Network.
