Volleyball

[SoonerinNC]

The womans volleyball team has been on a downtrend in recent years. Fortunately, Joe C made a change in the head coach job and brought in Lindsey Gray-Walton who had been Assistant Coach of the Year at Kentucky.

The new coach brought in a solid freshman class and to fill the talent gap secured Keyton Kinley, as defensive specialist from Tennessee, Brianna Kadiku a middle blocker from Memphis, defensive specialist Haley Sanchez from Bakersfield College, and Kaylee McLaughlin a setter who had been the Pac 12 freshman of the year in 2017 at Oregon State.

Today they beat Kansas in Lawrence to end the conference season 9-7 while winning 4 of their last 5 games. They were 17-11 on the regular season and expect to go to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2014. They finished in a tie with Iowa State for third place in the conference.

The real test for Gray-Walton will be the quality of the freshman class for next year. And if there are any more quality transfers interested in OU. Good example of what can be done by going after transfers who fit the team. This is becomming important due to the increasing number of college athletes who transfer. Patty Gasso also seems to have received that message.

Congratulations to the womens volleyball team.

 

[Oliver Hardy]

Play poker occasionally with the former coach. Good player, but very unfriendly ass at the table.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SoonerSpock]

Perhaps his focus on winning at the poker table is what prohibited him from having focus on winning on the volleyball court. He was 4-16 his last year and 11-15 after getting his program established for seasons. He did not make the NCAA's his last 3 years as coach. It was definitely time for him to go.

 

[Speedy17]

There were some staff changes that collapsed Restrapo's career. The team collapsed when the assistants left.

Lindsey Gray-Walton is probably the most prepared to become a great head coach of virtually all of the Sooner Women's coaches when they started at OU sans maybe K. J. Kindler. She had extensive experience as an assistant at some great programs - Kentucky being the latest.

 

[SoonerSpock]

There were some staff changes that collapsed Restrapo's career. The team collapsed when the assistants left.

Lindsey Gray-Walton is probably the most prepared to become a great head coach of virtually all of the Sooner Women's coaches when they started at OU sans maybe K. J. Kindler. She had extensive experience as an assistant at some great programs - Kentucky being the latest.

A great coach always has his list or quality replacements for a needed assistant. Failure to do so insures your future failure.

 

[vbdad]

Santiago was a jerk to the whole volleyball community. He didn't recruit the top kids in Oklahoma but would take kids that weren't recruited by anybody else. Ward being the exception and she was only offered as a walkon until her dad said no way when she had much better offers.
I'm sure this class will be better but really in volleyball the commits come from before their junior year so next year is the big one for her.

I know she had trouble convincing some players to leave after last year because they just weren't good enough to play.

 

[tycat947]

Don't forget Lindsey has her husband on staff too!!! ICYMI!

 

[tooney]

Always great news when our sports programs improve.......if you don't play to win, why play???

 

[Speedy17]

Don't forget Lindsey has her husband on staff too!!! ICYMI!

Yes, as a volunteer assistant. He was the HC at Transylvania in Kentucky in D2.