
Cooper has career-night against Sooners with 25 slams
November 09, 2022 | Women's Volleyball
NORMAN, Okla. – Senior Reagan Cooper had a career-high 25 kills and junior Reese Rhodes posted a career-best 60 assists, but the Texas Tech Red Raiders fell to the Oklahoma Sooners in five sets, 18-25, 21-25, 25-19, 30-28, 13-15, at McCasland Field House on Wednesday night.
Cooper was on fire at the net as she collected 25 kills on a career-high 56 attacks for a .321 hitting clip. She also added an ace, three digs and one block. Rhodes tallied a career-high 60 assists while recording 10 digs in the match to collect her 10th double-double of the season. She also totaled three blocks in the match.
Kenna Sauer added another double-double for the Red Raiders (14-11, 3-9 Big 12) with 19 kills and 16 digs for her team-leading 14th of the year. She picked up four blocks against the Sooners as well. Brooke Kanas was great on the offensive and defensive side as she totaled 16 slams on 33 attacks (.364) and a career-high tying eight blocks.
Defensively, KJ Adams was all over the court as she posted a season-best 29 digs, which is one away from her career high. Maddie Correa was the fourth Red Raider to post double-digit digs in the match after totaling 11 of her own. As a team, Tech totaled 75 kills on a .254 hitting clip, 70 assists, 82 digs and 12.0 blocks.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set One
The beginning of the set was back-and-forth as both teams traded points heading to the media timeout. With OU leading 5-4, Tech got it tied back up and then took the lead on back-to-back kills from Kanas. The Red Raiders and Sooners would tie at 7-all until Cooper put down two-straight slams. Even at 10-10, OU would go on a 5-0 run to lead 15-10 heading into the media timeout. The Red Raiders would win two-consecutive points coming out of the timeout when the Sooners had a serving error and KJ Adams laid down an ace. But, Oklahoma got the points back after winning three of the next four to have an 18-13 advantage. Tech clawed back, eventually getting within four, but OU would win the set by a 25-18 score.
Set Two
Just like the last set, this one started extremely close as both teams tied eight times before the media timeout. The Sooners went out to an early 3-1 lead but the Red Raiders used an OU error and a Sauer slam to tie things up. Oklahoma had a 13-11 advantage that Texas Tech would overtake after two-straight attack errors on OU and a Cooper kill. The Red Raiders would lead 15-14 heading into the media timeout when Jones slammed one down. OU responded, however, and would win five of the next seven points to force a Tech timeout and lead 19-17. The Red Raiders were able to get kills from Kanas and Cooper, but OU finished off the set, 25-21.
Set Three
Oklahoma went out to a 2-0 lead to begin the set, but the Red Raiders got the points back with Kanas and Cooper tallied kills. After tying at 7-all, Tech was able to take a 9-7 lead on an OU error and another kill from Cooper. OU got a point back, but the Red Raiders answered with a 5-0 run to force a Sooner timeout and take a 13-8 lead. The Sooners were able to cut into Tech's advantage after scoring six of the next nine points, 16-14. But, the Red Raiders answered by winning four of the next five points on three kills from Cooper and an attack error on OU to take a 20-15 lead. Texas Tech would then close it out on a couple kills from Cooper and Sauer each, 25-19.
Set Four
The Red Raiders took a 2-0 lead on kills from Kanas and Cooper, before going up again 6-5 on an OU error. Texas Tech was able to lead 12-9 thanks to a 3-0 run highlighted by slams from Sauer and Rhodes. But, the Sooners responded with a 3-0 run of their own to tie things at 12-12. Tech got two points from a Cooper and Sauer slam to lead going into the media timeout, 15-14, but OU answered with two-consecutive points for the 16-15 advantage. The teams traded points until they were tied at 24-24. Then, the Red Raiders rallied and fought hard as the Sooners tried to close it out, but Tech would win the set and force a fifth when Cooper put down her 24th kill.
Set Five
Texas Tech started the fifth set with a 1-0 lead thanks to an OU service error. But, the Sooners answered by winning seven of the next eight points to take 7-2 lead. Sauer was able to stop the run when she slammed down a kill. The Red Raiders battled with the Sooners, going on a 6-2 run to get within a point of Oklahoma, 11-10. Oklahoma would answer back and hold the lead as they won the match with a 15-13 fifth-set score.
NOTABLES
- Senior Reagan Cooper led the team with a career-high of 25 kills.
- Cooper's 25 kills are the most for a Red Raider in a single-game this season.
- KJ Adams posted a season-high of 29 digs, which is also the most by a Red Raider in a game this year.
- Kenna Sauer collected her team-leading 14th doubles-double of the year with 19 kills and 16 digs.
- With her three blocks against the Sooners, Karrington Jones now has 329 career blocks and ranks ninth in program history.
- Brooke Kanas recorded a career-high tying eight blocks in the match and also added a season-high of 16 kills.
- Reese Rhodes tallied a career-high of 60 assists and totaled her 10th double-double by adding 10 digs.
Up Next
The Red Raiders head to Ames, Iowa for a match against Iowa State on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 2 p.m.