2. WES MOODY
405.808.8808
wesmoody@ou.edu
CONTENTS
RESUME………………………………………………………………………………………………..3
SAMPLE
FEATURE
STORIES
Student
athlete
spotlight
appearing
on
Big12sports.com……………………………………………4
MLB
Draft
feature
appearing
on
Soonersports.com……………………………………………………7
Coaching
highlight:
Matt
Potter,
OU
Soccer………………………………………………………………12
Game
program
feature:
Senior
Cornerback
Aaron
Colvin………………………………………….17
SAMPLE
GAME
STORIES
OU
Volleyball
vs.
Nebraska-‐Omaha……………………………………………………………………………20
OU
Volleyball
vs.
LIU
Brooklyn…………………………………………………………………………………..22
CREATIVE
SAMPLES
Sample
section
from
OU
Volleyball
game
notes…………………………………………………………25
Sample
photography:
Sooner
baseball
Halloween
ALS
fundraiser
game…………………….26
2
3. WES MOODY
405.808.8808
wesmoody@ou.edu
Objective
To contribute excellent communication, organization and creative skills in a sports information position with an
Intercollegiate Athletics Department. To help further the success and public support of the University’s athletic
programs.
Experience
OU
Athletics
Communication
Intern
May
2013-‐
Present
Used
InDesign
and
Photoshop
to
help
produce
game
notes,
media
guides,
flip
cards
and
other
gameday
materials.
Used
Neulion
to
post
and
edit
web
content
for
Soonersports.com.
Used
StatCrew
to
input
and
call
stats
for
volleyball,
men’s
and
women’s
basketball,
baseball,
softball,
soccer
and
men’s
and
women’s
tennis.
Wrote
feature
stories
appearing
on
Soonersports.com
and
Big12sports.com
Big
12
Campus
Correspondent
August
2013
-‐
Present
Wrote
multiple
features
to
appear
on
big12sports.com.
Feature
stories
focused
on
off-‐field
perspectives
on
student
athletes
designed
to
put
the
conference,
the
member
institution
and
the
student
athlete
in
a
positive
light.
Optometric
Technician,
Norman
Vision
Source
August
2009
–
May
2013
Ensured
patient
satisfaction
in
extremely
busy
optometry
office,
seeing
nearly
1000
patients
per
week.
Delivered
superior
customer
service
to
facilitate
exemplary
patient
experience.
Demonstrated
leadership
and
dependability
while
advancing
to
head
technician
for
~12
people.
Education
University
of
Oklahoma,
Norman,
Okla.
Bachelor
of
arts
in
Journalism,
Major:
Sports
PR
Major
GPA:
3.59
Expected
graduation:
Dec.
2014
Relevant
Coursework:
Sports
PR,
Ethical
Issues
in
Intercollegiate
Athletics,
Intercollegiate
Athletic
Administration,
Sports
Journalism,
Women
in
Sports,
PR
Writing,
PR
Publications,
Applied
Sports
Psychology.
Financed
education
through
full-time
employment
Skills
- Exceptional oral and written communication skills
- Strong organization skills, ability to plan, manage, and execute complex tasks and projects
- Ability to positively engage and relate to clients to create mutually beneficial relationships
- Passion for intercollegiate athletics and elite knowledge of sports
- Exemplary work ethic, self-motivated, excel in fast-paced, high-energy environment
3
4. WES MOODY
405.808.8808
wesmoody@ou.edu
The following appeared on big12sports.com
Oklahoma Student Athlete Spotlight: Courtney Forte
By Wes Moody
Big 12 Campus Correspondent
Freshman soccer player Courtney
Forte is what you might call a Big 12
legacy.
The Sooner defender grew up in an
athletically minded household. Her
father Phil played football at Kansas in
the 80s and her mother Julie played
softball and ran track in high school.
Her brother Phillip currently plays
basketball at Oklahoma State.
That’s probably why Forte grew up playing any sport she could.
“Growing up we played every sport pretty much,” Courtney said. “I played
every one possible.”
That usually meant tagging along to her brother Phillip’s games and
practices.
“We just always threw her in there with the boys,” her father Phil said.
“When Phillip had soccer practice I’d say Courtney you come along and
you just practice with the boys.”
Whether it was basketball, soccer or anything else, the two siblings were
always competing.
“Yes, we competed at everything,” Courtney said. “Even if it was like, little
flag football we were competing. Ping-Pong, everything.”
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5. WES MOODY
405.808.8808
wesmoody@ou.edu
That competitive atmosphere could be one reason Forte developed into
such a successful athlete.
“All the girls that have an older brother, we’ve all seen that they’re the
tough ones,” her father Phil said. “Big brothers, they don’t view her as a
girl, they just view her as a little sister and hey, nothing’s going to be easy
here.”
Her father always thinks of one particular example of Courtney’s
competitive drive. In middle school, her brother Phillip had won the athlete
of the year award. To be eligible for the honor you had to play four sports
and Courtney had played just basketball and soccer.
“I said Courtney you may not want to do the others it’s no big deal,” her
father Phil said. “But oh no, she was determined. Phillip won the award
and so she was determined to win the award, and she did.”
“She was actually co-athlete of the year one year and she was upset
because Phillip was never “co” athlete.”
Even though they had grown up KU fans, Phillip, now a sophomore, joined
Travis Ford’s Cowboys in Stillwater and Courtney eventually fell in love
with Oklahoma.
“I think OU fits me,” Courtney said. “My brother committed to OSU and I
was getting recruited by OU and it just seemed right once I was here. I am
really close with my brother so going somewhere pretty close was nice.”
Even though she is only a freshman, Forte is already a Sooner through
and through.
Despite playing at rival schools, the two siblings don’t let Bedlam come
between them.
“We kiddingly joke around, OU and OSU, who’s better but it’s just for fun,”
Courtney said “I talk to him a lot and we still catch up and everything. I
don’t get to talk to him a lot because he is starting his season but I’ll go to
his basketball games when I can and he comes to what he can.”
Their close relationship doesn’t mean Forte isn’t getting into the bedlam
spirit. Like any good Sooner fan, Forte knows that crimson and orange
don’t mix. That can be tough for a parent who has to have both colors in
their closet.
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6. WES MOODY
405.808.8808
wesmoody@ou.edu
“My dad came up here yesterday and he was wearing an OU shirt with
orange shoes,” Courtney said. “I was like, you can’t do that.”
“In a joking way, yes it comes up,” Phil said. “Whether Oklahoma is playing
a football game or what have you, it comes up. I know they tease each
other about that all the time.”
Fortunately for the Forte’s, soccer and basketball don’t overlap very much.
That means the family is able to support both Phil and Courtney. That
support means a great deal to Courtney.
“Our seasons aren’t at exactly the same time,” Courtney said. “Ours is on
the outs and his is just starting up so it’s good that they can go to both.”
For this Big 12 family, the bedlam experience has been a blessing.
“As a parent I’ve been blessed. Not a lot of people get to watch one kid not
to mention two,” Phil said. “To me, I went to Kansas, and both Oklahoma
and Oklahoma State were in the Big Eight at that time so it’s near and I’ve
been very blessed to watch all of this.”
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7. WES MOODY
405.808.8808
wesmoody@ou.edu
The following appeared on Soonersports.com
Two More Sooners Living the Dream
NORMAN, Okla. -- Kids the world over dream of
playing professional baseball. They step into
backyard batter’s boxes and act out ninth inning
homeruns to the echoes of their own play-byplay. They throw fastballs into fences, striking
out their favorite players and throwing perfect
games. The dream of professional baseball
comes early, and for a lucky few it becomes
reality.
That dream became a reality for Sooners Jon
Gray and Jake Fisher.
Gray was selected third overall in the MLB FirstYear Player Draft by the Colorado Rockies.
Fisher was selected in the 22nd round with the
664th overall pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
For both, it was the realization of a lifelong dream.
“It’s something I’ve worked for my whole life, and when I finally got my
name called it was an unreal feeling,” Fisher said. “It was pretty exciting. I
was happy.”
The weekend of the draft, the Sooners were locked in an NCAA Super
Regional battle with LSU in Baton Rouge. Gray, who was drafted in the
first round on Thursday night, was surrounded by family and teammates
when his name was called.
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8. WES MOODY
405.808.8808
wesmoody@ou.edu
“The whole team went to this sports restaurant to go eat,” Gray said. “We
were all watching it on TV and they had the SoonerVision crew there trying
to film me and my reaction and everything like that so it was pretty cool.
Luckily my family had come down for that series so they got to be there
with me when I got drafted. They were right there next to me when my
name got called. It was pretty much perfect for me. I wouldn’t want anyone
else there. It’s all about family.”
Fisher’s turn came on Saturday night while waiting to leave the team hotel
for the second game with LSU.
“We were at the hotel waiting around to go to the game that night,” Fisher
said. “My name got called right before we left to go to the game and I was
pumped.”
Family was the first thing on Fisher’s mind as well.
“I talked to my grandpa and my Dad and then my brother,” Fisher said. “I
had a lot of friends texting me and congratulating me and all my
teammates that were in the hotel came over and congratulated me.”
Both players fielded calls from the organizations that drafted them and
within a few days of the Sooners’ last game, they were on their way to the
rookie league.
Gray went to the Grand Junction Rockies, in the Pioneer League, and after
about a month with club, moved to high-A Modesto. Fisher spent the
season with the Ogden Raptors, also in the Pioneer League. For Fisher
the transition to professional baseball was eased by the preparation he
received while at Oklahoma.
“It was different,” Fisher said. “It was all new to us, it was all new players
that were on that short season team for the most part and a lot of the guys
played college baseball. They were pretty good, obviously they got drafted
for a reason but the Big 12 is very competitive. Playing Big 12 ball made it
a little easier to play pro ball.”
For Gray, making the adjustment also came with some benefits.
“There was a little bit of help because I was throwing to wood bats; so you
aren’t going to give up any dinkers over the infield or anything like that,”
Gray said. “If you actually get it in on somebody’s hands it will usually
8
9. WES MOODY
405.808.8808
wesmoody@ou.edu
break their bat or they’ll hit a ground ball. So that was little bit easier but
the talent was a little bit better in pro ball.”
Life on the road is a major adjustment for most minor leaguers, and long
bus rides are just part of the deal. That is particularly true in the Pioneer
League where trips to Montana meant 10 hours for Fisher and 15 for Gray.
“We get treated pretty well at OU with the stuff you get and the luxury of
being here and being D-1. You get kind of spoiled with that,” Fisher said.
“You get to rookie ball and it’s long bus trips and the buses aren’t as nice
as the ones you get chartered on here and you’re not flying anywhere. It’s
always going to be long bus rides. It’s a grind but I like it.”
“That was a lot different,” Gray said. “Traveling especially. We took 15 hour
bus rides to Montana so we never would have done that at Oklahoma, so
that was a lot different.”
Gray credits his time at Oklahoma as a major reason he ascended so high
in the draft. Gray was picked in the 13th round out of high school by the
Kansas City Royals but decided to go to junior college and try to improve
his draft stock. After two years at Eastern Oklahoma State College, Gray
was selected in the 10th round by the New York Yankees. He also had the
opportunity to play for Sunny Golloway and the Sooners. Gray was faced
with a difficult choice.
“That was a hard decision for me.” Gray said. “I could either go to
Oklahoma or I could go and play pro ball. I thought it would be better if I
went and knocked out my school and in those two years in a great
program with great coaches I thought there would be a better chance of
going higher. I decided that would be better for me to do that. It ended up
working for me pretty well.”
The time spent at OU helped Gray improve in all areas of his game. By the
time the 2013 season was nearing its end, Gray was touted as perhaps the
best prospect in the country.
“The most important things were probably being a more consistent player
and developing my skills. I always had a good fastball and a decent slider
but they had some really good coaches there to work with me.[The
coaches] told me the first time he saw me throw that I had a good shot at
going in the first round. Everything from my mechanics to my confidence
[improved], it was mental and physical, both sides.”
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10. WES MOODY
405.808.8808
wesmoody@ou.edu
While Gray improved both his mental and physical skills, it was the
physical skills that launched him up draft boards.
“I’d say the physical shape I got into helped me put on three or four miles
per hour on the fastball. I started to hit triple digits so I was like wow, I
really have a good shot at going pretty high,” Gray said. “I knew I had a
chance but I didn’t want to mess it up so I just wanted to make myself
better and better. I didn’t really see myself getting all the way to the third
pick but I got there.”
Fisher also found the OU coaching staff to be a tremendous asset on his
journey to the draft.
“I was under some great coaches,” Fisher said. “I feel like I learned a lot
and received a lot of great advice throughout my career here that has
helped me throughout pro ball.”
Being a high pick like Gray comes with a great deal of added attention and
pressure to perform and to do it quickly.
When the Rockies brought Gray to Denver to sign his contract, the
Chandler, Okla. native was able to tour the facilities at Coors Field, meet
the coaches and front office staff and even got to meet current Rockies
stars Troy Tulowitzski and Dexter Fowler.
The levelheaded ace quickly learned not to let the expectations and the
attention affect his performance or his attitude.
“They expected me to do well so when I had a couple bad outings I would
feel kind of like a joke but I finally found my groove and I started to do well
from there on out,” Gray said. “They kind of understand what type of guy I
am. I’m pretty down to earth. I’m not going to walk around like a big league
player or anything like that. So I was just out there trying to get better like
everyone else.”
Both of these Oklahoma hurlers are back in Norman for the offseason,
working out, taking classes to finish their degrees and waiting for the
spring when pitchers and catchers report to spring training. The move from
college to the minors means that practice will need to include some batting
practice. Most minor league leagues do not use the DH.
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11. WES MOODY
405.808.8808
wesmoody@ou.edu
“Ya, I’m pretty pumped about that,” Fisher said. “I’m actually going to go hit
this offseason with my roommate Matt Oberste here in a little bit and start
swinging it.”
Their time in Norman has allowed these former Sooners to get to know
new Sooner coach Pete Hughes.
“Coach Hughes said I could use any of the facilities and said ‘this is your
home’,” Gray said. “He was pretty cool about it. He said you’re welcome to
come back and use anything.”
“Talking to some of the players here it seems like everything is going pretty
well and they like the new coach and it seems like everything he’s done is
pretty effective. He’s a super nice guy and they have a really good staff. I’d
expect a pretty good year out of them.”
While unsure of his exact destination, Fisher thinks he may start the 2014
season with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes of the California League
while Gray is looking forward to the possibility of playing for the double-A
Tulsa Drillers of the Texas League.
The chance to play in Oklahoma is something Gray would relish.
“That would be really cool,” Gray said. “Nothing better than having your
family there to support you.”
Regardless of the destination, the dream of playing professional baseball
and the chance to get to the majors is fulfillment of countless childhood
dreams. From sandlot to Coors Field, from backyard to Dodger Stadium,
two more Sooners are living the dream.
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12. WES MOODY
405.808.8808
wesmoody@ou.edu
The following has been approved and will appear on Soonersports.com
this fall
Potter Captures Career Win 100
Potter’s culture of balance yields soccer success
NORMAN, Okla. -- With the Sooners’ ________ win
over _____ on _______, head coach Matt Potter
reached career win 100.
Potter recorded 88 wins while at Washington State
from 2003 to 2011. Potter’s teams at Washington
State reached the NCAA Tournament three times,
reaching the second round in both 2009 and
2011.Potter took over for the Sooners in 2012 and has
a _____ record at Oklahoma. The 2013 season marks the 11th of his
Division I coaching career.
“I think the first thought is you’d be proud,” Potter said. “More important to
me is that I’ve been surrounded by some great staffs, great people, great
administrations and obviously great players to reach a milestone like that.”
Sooner goalkeeper coach Graeme Abel has worked with Potter for several
years, including two seasons at Washington State.
“I think for Matt it is having this standard of excellence and not budging
from it,” Abel said. “It’s an incredible achievement, especially for a guy who
does things the right way ethically, morally and stays within the rules both
from a recruiting standpoint and day in and day out how he runs his
program.”
12
13. WES MOODY
405.808.8808
wesmoody@ou.edu
That standard of excellence reaches beyond the pitch. Potter’s well
rounded approach to coaching focuses on more than just soccer. Potter is
developing student athletes both athletically and personally. That culture is
a big reason he was so successful at Washington State and he is
continuing to build that culture at Oklahoma.
“We have a philosophy and a vision of helping each student athlete leave a
more complete person,” Potter said. “So there is a soccer aspect to it,
there is an academic aspect to it and there is a community aspect to it.”
“I want to be known for facilitating growth. I want to be known for having a
culture in which you are allowed to sometimes fail but ultimately succeed
always.”
Abel was part of that atmosphere in Pullman and now is helping Potter
instill that culture in the Sooner program.
“I think he has a genuine care for the kids,” Abel said. “Not only in terms of
what they do on the soccer field but what they do in the classroom and
what they do in their life. He’s built his program around soccer, academics
and life and the balance between them.”
The balance Potter creates between soccer and academics is evident in
his teams’ success in the classroom. His teams at Washington State
earned the Team Academic Award from the National Soccer Coaches
Association of America seven times. To be eligible for the award, a team
must carry a composite GPA of at least 3.0. In his first season at
Oklahoma, eight Sooners earned Academic All-Big 12 first team honors
and four more earned second team distinction.
Of course, Potter also develops talent on the field. At Washington State, 30
players were named all-conference selections under his tutelage. In his
first year at OU, senior forward Renea Cuellar earned first team All-Big 12
honors, Big 12 All-Newcomer honors and was named the Big 12 Offensive
Player of the Year. Cuellar was the first Sooner in program history to be
named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.
“To me it’s a huge part of who we are,” Potter said. “In a sense it’s almost
greedy. If we can be the best at everything let’s go get it all.”
Potter sees a great deal of crossover between academic success and
success on the field.
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14. WES MOODY
405.808.8808
wesmoody@ou.edu
“I think there are a lot of traits both academically and in our sport that cross
over,” Potter said. “Self-motivation, time management, all those things,
competitiveness and being passionate about what you do. Those are all
important characteristics that are going to carry you forward in life. If
somebody is aspiring to that academically it is mirrors the athletic part.”
Abel credits a culture of accountability for Potter’s teams’ academic
success.
“It’s a culture where when people perform in the classroom, in the
community and on the soccer field that they are rewarded with the praise
and the accolades,” Abel said. “I think when we were at Washington State,
you look at his period of time, we finished second only to Cal in terms of
academic awards in the Pac12. He was achieving big things just by
building a culture of accountability”
Current Washington State goalkeeper Gurveen Clair was recruited by
Potter at Washington State. She experienced Potter’s academic emphasis
first hand.
“We had the study hours,” Clair said. “He just kept hammering us about
academics. Making sure we knew how important academics were. As
much as soccer, he emphasized that putting in work off the field was just
as important as putting in work on the field.”
Perhaps more than anything, it is the culture Potter creates for his teams
that leads to success.
“In terms of our culture you want to be self-motivated, energetic,
empowering,” Potter said. “As a culture you want to make it so people are
proud to be part of it. Make it so they want to shout it around the house to
everyone else that they are part of it, and when they are long gone they
still talk about it in a positive way.”
For Potter, that culture creates a mentality that he credits as the biggest
key to a winning team.
“I think for winning teams if your mindset is right then everything will fall
into place because if you’re pursuing success and enjoying what you’re
doing, which is a positive mindset, then only good things can happen and
when bad things happen you only see the opportunity to learn and you
don’t see the burden and you don’t make excuses.”
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15. WES MOODY
405.808.8808
wesmoody@ou.edu
Potter is also well liked among his staff for his trusting and empowering
management style. Abel has thrived in that atmosphere.
“His management skills in terms of people and his staff, he lets us do our
jobs,” Abel said. “He doesn’t micromanage. He gives us the responsibility
and he asks us to do any job and as if our name is on it and if we were the
head coach, how we would want that job to be represented and how we
would want that job to viewed outside the athletic department.”
“He’s certainly been a huge influence in my coaching career and he has
taken me from one level and probably elevated me two or three levels in
my coaching career.”
Potter’s care and focus on his student athletes are a legacy for those who
have worked with him.
“The biggest thing I’ve taken from Matt is the standard of care he has for
all his kids,” Abel said. “The care of the student athletes and the fact that
he builds a genuine relationship with them. There’s a saying that they don’t
care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
Despite having a great deal of success at Washington State, Potter saw an
opportunity in Oklahoma that was too good to pass up.
“Washington State was obviously a great place for me career wise and
personally,” Potter said. “To come to a place like Oklahoma, it was about
can I fulfill some potential and follow the traditions that were set here of
winning programs and winning the right way. Doing something that
continued to inspire me, where I have to be at my best to continue to
improve.”
Abel, who came to Oklahoma with Potter, saw an opportunity to be a part
of a championship heritage and to build teams that would add to that
legacy.
“I think when you have the opportunity to come to an Oklahoma where the
facilities and the resources really are second to none, I think it was an
opportunity to take his career to another level,” Abel said. “I think it’s a
chance to be top 10 in the country and really start to compete on that
national stage.”
Potter’s winning ways are a perfect match for Oklahoma. The Mere,
England native has fully embraced the OU championship tradition.
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16. WES MOODY
405.808.8808
wesmoody@ou.edu
“In terms of a program it’s obvious that you are surrounded by programs
that are used to winning Big 12 championship and aspiring to win national
championships and we’re no different,” Potter said. “So a long term goal
that hopefully happens in the more short term would be to compete for the
Big 12 championship and aspire to win a national championship.”
As Potter and the Sooners work to add championships to the Oklahoma
tradition, the wins will keep coming for Potter.
100 and counting.
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17. WES MOODY
405.808.8808
wesmoody@ou.edu
The following appeared in the game program for the Oklahoma vs. West
Virginia home football game on 9/6/13.
Aaron Colvin: Diamond From the Rough
There is little doubt that senior standout and
First Team All Big-12 cornerback Aaron
Colvin feels the pressure of anchoring the
2013 Sooner defense. He feels it, and he
welcomes it.
“It’s a little bit more pressure,” Colvin said.
“But pressure makes diamonds they say.”
Colvin hasn’t always been in the spotlight.
Listed as a 3-star recruit by most recruiting
services coming out of high school, Colvin
was anxious to get to college and prove
himself.
“I wasn’t really a 5-star or a 4-star or stuff like that, so when I first got here I
didn’t get too much attention,” Colvin said. “So I knew I had to work a little
harder to impress the coaches and the guys around me to gain respect. So
I did have a chip on my shoulder, I felt like a lot of guys were sleeping on
me.”
It was Colvin’s work ethic and blue-collar attitude that made him such a
great match for Oklahoma.
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18. WES MOODY
405.808.8808
wesmoody@ou.edu
“OU was just real,” Colvin said. “They were 100 percent about everything,
and I felt like the things they were saying weren’t dishonest. I felt like I had
to come in and work wherever I went and they just kind of told me that. So
I felt like they were real and genuine.”
Oklahoma gave him a chance to earn a spot and that is exactly what he
did. Colvin became a contributor for the Sooners as soon as he set foot on
campus as a true freshman, playing in all 14 games in 2010. The next year
Colvin showed his athleticism and versatility when he started at strong
safety and led the team in tackles. His junior year, Colvin moved back to
his natural position at cornerback where he recorded four interceptions and
starred in the Sooner secondary.
This season Colvin knows that he has earned his spot and must shift his
focus to leading the Sooner defense.
“I have to be a leader, I have to step up. When I first got here I was just
worried about improving myself but now I have to worry about other guys,
get the whole team right, get the defense right.”
Generally more reserved, Colvin lead by example in the past. Taking the
role of vocal leader has been an adjustment for the soft-spoken senior.
“I’ve always been a lead by example type of guy,” Colvin said. “Now I’ve
had to step up and talk more, I’ve had to sit down and teach more. I’ve had
to do a lot more things using verbal communication instead of leading by
example.”
Head coach Bob Stoops has noticed the change in his most experienced
defender. He spoke about Colvin at OU Media Day.
“Aaron is a great leader. He’s a great player and the other players
recognize that. He’s very competitive and how he plays and he is one of
our best leaders. He’s done a good job here in just a few days”
In his last season at OU, Colvin has big expectations for himself.
“I want to shut down any receiver I play,” Colvin said. “I don’t want them to
catch any balls on me. I feel like it gives the coaches a lot more options,
18
19. WES MOODY
405.808.8808
wesmoody@ou.edu
because they can trust me out there on an island. He can just put me out
there and expect me to play on the best receiver on the other team.”
With so much attention on him in the preseason, it would be easy for
Colvin to look ahead to a future in the NFL and lose focus on this season.
The hard working senior is too grounded to let that happen.
“I can’t worry about that, I have to focus on this season,” Colvin said. “I’m
trying to win games first, if I lock down any guy I play, the NFL thing, it’s
going to work out perfectly fine for me.”
Fans who admire Colvin’s attitude and work ethic will not be surprised to
learn that Colvin thinks of his parents, Lisa and Bryant Colvin, as his
biggest mentors.
“My parents, those are definitely my biggest mentors, even though they
haven’t played here or been to college, they help me out every day,
growing as a player and a person.”
Returning only four starters, the Sooner defense will rely on Colvin’s
experience and leadership to help build and shape a group of talented
young players into a championship caliber unit.
“I have to be a leader, I have to be lock down. It starts with me and I know
that.”
19
20. WES MOODY
405.808.8808
wesmoody@ou.edu
The following appeared on soonerports.com
SOONERS
SWEEP
UNO
TO
OPEN
NIKE
INVITE
September
19,
2013
NORMAN, OKLA. -- The
Oklahoma Sooners defeated
Nebraska-Omaha, 3-0,
Thursday night in the first game of the 2013 NIKE Invitational. The win pushed
the Sooners’ record to 11-1 for the season, extending the best start in program
history.
The Sooners cruised to a win in set one, 25-16. Senior Keila Rodriguez led the
Sooners with four kills and four digs. The second set was tied 8-8 before
Oklahoma took control on a Sallie McLaurin block and never looked back, taking
the frame 25-20. The Mavericks jumped ahead in the third set to take a 7-5 lead
before the Sooners went on a 6-0 run to push the score to 11-7 on the back of
Rodriguez’s strong serve. The Sooners went on to take the third set, 25-19, and
sweep the match.
Senior Sallie McLaurin credited strong team defense and a huge effort from
Rodriguez for the win.
20
21. WES MOODY
405.808.8808
wesmoody@ou.edu
“Definitely our solid team,” McLaurin said of the biggest factors in the win. “I think
our defense definitely, and Keila Rodriguez. She just is an amazing player and
was hitting out of her mind and was just digging every ball. The energy she
brought to the team definitely helped us win.”
Rodriguez finished the match with seven kills to tie for the team lead, while
adding nine digs and three blocks.
Sooner liberos Kaitlyn Drawe and Taylor Migliazzo recorded 12 and 11 digs,
respectively, in a match characterized by strong defense. Oklahoma held the
Mavericks to a -.073 hitting percentage and forced 30 errors.
McLaurin was honored for her 1,000 kill in a ceremony before the game.
“It was awesome,” she said. “It was really cool because my family was here from
South Carolina so it was awesome that they got to see that.”
The Sooners take on Miami at 7:00pm at the McCasland Field House Friday
night. Oklahoma is 2-2 all-time against the Hurricanes with its last win coming at
home in 2010.
21
22. WES MOODY
405.808.8808
wesmoody@ou.edu
The following appeared on soonersports.com
SOONERS
DROP
GAME
TWO
OF
NIKE
INVITE
September
20,
2013
NORMAN, Okla. - The Sooners
dropped their second game of the
season Friday night in a 3-0 loss to the Miami Hurricanes at the NIKE Invitational.
Miami took set one 25-18 on the back of 19 kills and eight digs from junior
outside-hitter Savanah Leaf. The Sooners struggled offensively in the first set,
hitting .132 and committing eight errors.
Oklahoma stepped up defensively in the second set and held the Hurricanes to a
.184 hitting percentage but fell 25-22. The Sooners got off to a quick start in the
third, taking a 3-0 lead. Miami then went on a 6-0 run to take the lead 6-3 and
never looked back, winning the set 25-16 and sweeping the match.
The Sooners fall to 11-2 on the season and 2-3 all-time against the Hurricanes.
Coach Restrepo credits Miami’s well rounded performance for their win.
22
23. WES MOODY
405.808.8808
wesmoody@ou.edu
“That’s a very solid team,” Restrepo said. “They pass extremely well, they pass
very tough and they block very well. They deflect a lot of balls. You name it, they
did it well.”
Oklahoma was led defensively by sophomore libero Taylor Migliazzo and senior
outside-hitter Keila Rodriguez with 15 and 13 digs respectively.
Senior Sallie McLaurin led the Sooners with nine kills and sophomore Kierra
Holst added eight. Sophomore setter Julia Doyle recorded 23 assists.
Rodriguez knows the Sooners can play better.
“We didn’t do our best,” Rodriguez said. “We didn’t have our momentum and
when we had it we lost it and we just didn’t find a way to bring it back.”
The Sooners struggled to find a rhythm offensively, hitting just .139 for the game
and totaling 19 errors. The shaky offensive performance often interrupted runs
that could have put Oklahoma over the top.
Defensively Oklahoma allowed Miami to total 48 kills and hit .291 for the night.
McLaurin looks for the Sooners to show more mental toughness the next time
out.
“We can learn to be mentally there,” McLaurin said. “I think we weren’t even
present on the court. We didn’t really play well at all.”
23
25. WES MOODY
405.808.8808
wesmoody@ou.edu
Sample game notes front page. OU vs. West Virginia 11/27/13
Week 14 | West Virginia | November 27 | WVU Coliseum (14,000) | Morgantown, W.Va.
Brendan Flynn, Assistant Communications Director
180 West Brooks, Suite 2525 | Norman, OK 73019
SWEET
2013 SCHEDULE AND RESULTS
..........
.......................WVU Coliseum | Morgantown, W.Va.
........................................
.............................................
...........................................
At Neutral Sites .....................................
.....................
OU’s Series Streak .......................................................... Win 4
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
3
ARKANSAS
W, 3-0
SOONERS
First Serve...
MOUNTAINEERS
Game Coverage
Wednesday’s Recap...
Television:
West Virginia at 5:30 pm.
19
20
21
25
NEBRASKA-OMAHA^
MIAMI^
LIU BROOKLYN^
TEXAS TECH*
OCTOBER
5
NO. 25 IOWA STATE*
12
KANSAS STATE*
W, 3-0
L, 0-3
W, 3-1
W, 3-1
W, 3-2
W, 3-1
W
Talent:
About the Sooners...
Twitter:
Sallie McLaurin
Live Stats:
omore libero Taylor Migliazzo is averaging
Eden Williams
Keila Rodriguez
Last Time They Met...
26 WEST VIRGINIA*
NOVEMBER
2
NO. 1 TEXAS*
L, 1-3
Scouting the Mountaineers... West Virginia
13
16
TCU*
BAYLOR*
W, 3-0
W, 3-0
Jordan Anderson
27
30
at West Virginia*
KANSAS*
Head Coach
W, 3-0
5:30 pm
7:00 PM
Santiago Restrepo
Madison Ward
average. Brittany Sample
All-Time vs. WVU...
Anna Panagiotakopoulos
BOLD CAPS
PROBABLE STARTERS
OFF THE BENCH
Oklahoma Sooners
@OU_Volleyball
SP MP-MS K
K/S E TA PCT
A
A/S
PCT
SA SA/S SE DIG D/S
BS BA TB
B/S BHE
SP MP-MS K
K/S E TA PCT
A
A/S
PCT
SA SA/S SE DIG D/S
BS BA TB
B/S BHE
SoonerSportscom
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