SEWARD, Neb. - Oklahoma City volleyball gears up to begin its 2024 campaign this weekend with a trio of games in Nebraska in the Bulldog Bash starting with Friday's season-opener against Hastings at 4 p.m. before taking on two top 25 opponents on Saturday at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Friday, August 16
4 p.m. – Oklahoma City (0-0, 0-0 SAC) vs Hastings (Neb.) (0-0, 0-0 GPAC)
Location: Seward, Neb.| Friedrich Arena
TV | Live Stats
 
Saturday, August 17
10 a.m. – Oklahoma City (0-0, 0-0 SAC) vs #17 College of Saint Mary (Neb.) (0-0, 0-0 GPAC)
Location: Seward, Neb. | Friedrich Arena
TV | Live Stats

Saturday, August 17
3 p.m. –Oklahoma City (0-0, 0-0 SAC) at #4 Concorida University (Neb.) (0-0, 0-0 GPAC)
Location: Seward, Neb. | Friedrich Arena
TV | Radio | Live Stats

PLAYERS TO WATCH
Ruby Kelley made her way on to the Sooner Athletic Conference first team a season ago as the the Mustang native tallied a team-high 312 kills on a .217 hitting percentage with 3.22 kills per set. Kelley also led the squad with 41 service aces and came in second with 302 digs, Kelley reached her season-high in kills on two different occasions notching 18 kills against Wayland Baptist and John Brown back in early September. The junior secured 12 double-doubles and reached double-digit kill totals in 19 of the 27 matches played. 

Rylee Steward found her way back on the first-team for the second year in a row after earning first-team honors in her sophomore stint. The middle blocker became the teams top defender after leading the Stars with 104.0 blocks on 1.08 blocks per set. Steward also showed off her presence on the offensive side coming in second on the team with 207 kills. Steward currently sits four all-time n program history for blocks in a single season (125, 2022) and ranks first in total blocks in a game with 13 coming against Texas Wesleyan on Sept. 23, 2022. 

Setter Natalie Adams had one of the best freshman seasons in the history of Oklahoma City volleyball as Adams finished her rookie campaign as not only the team-leader in assists but led the entire Sooner Athletic Conference with 793 assists the most by a freshman at OCU since Hannah Mitcham set a total of 1200 assists back in 2012. The freshman reached 40 or more assists four times, 30 or more 11 times, and 20 or more assists 25 times. The San Antonio native also racked up six double-doubles seeing a season-high 17 digs come against Oklahoma Panhandle State on Oct. 6. Adams also became more active in the attacking game towards the end of the year seeing a season-high six kills come in the Sooner Athletic Conference quarterfinal win over John Brown. 

SCOUTING THE BRONCOS...
Hastings College comes into the season picked seventh in the GPAC after finishing the 2023 season 9-16 overall. Among the top returnees for the Broncos include senior outside hitter Majesta Valasek who led Hastings in kills last season with 338. Valasek racked up 4.07 kills per set on a 0.235 hitting percentage and was a second-team all-conference honoree. Miriam Miller joins Valasek as an all-conference returner making honorable mention in 2023. Miller, a defensive specialist led the Broncos with 518 digs on 5.23 digs per sets. 

SCOUTING THE FLAMES...
College of Saint Mary comes off a 22-9 season which came to an end in the national tournament as the Flames open the season ranked 17th overall while being picked fifth in the GPAC. Saint Mary saw two of its all-Americans depart from the including the its top setter and outside hitter who both hauled in multiple all-conference awards during their time with the Flames.  Saint Mary does in fact return the GPAC freshman of the year in Azaria Green who was also a first team selection along with Grace Werner who made second team.

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS...
Coming in as the fourth ranked team in the country Concordia is coming off a 25-4 season with a 14-2 conference play good enough to earn a share of the GPAC title. Concordia loses four all-Americans off last year's roster however they return one in Gabi Nordaker who also made it on the GPAC first team as the conference setter of the year. The Bulldogs will also bring back two more all-conference members in defensive specialist Becca Gebhardt and Cassidy Knust who both made GPAC honorable mention.

SERIES HISTORY
Oklahoma City will match up with Hastings for the first time since 2017 as the Stars hold a 4-3 record over the Broncos dating back to 2008.

The Stars will face College of Saint Mary for the second time ever and the first time since 2009 were OCU swept the Flames in three sets (25-8, 25-15, 25-15).

Oklahoma City sees Concordia for the second time in the series history with the first ever meeting between the two schools happening in 2021 where Oklahoma City suffered a sweep to the Bulldogs.

FOLLOW THE STARS
Find all news, scores, highlights and updates on ocusports.com, Twitter (@ocustars), Instagram (@ocustars), Facebook (Oklahoma City University Stars) and Youtube (@ocustars). Catch every OCU home game and select away games on the SAC Sports Network.