Rice University Athletics
Volleyball: Weekly Notes; Owls vs. Sam Houston State/at Tulsa
10/19/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
On Thursday, Oct. 21, 1999, at Autry Court (5,000) at 7:40 pm the Owls will face the Sam Houston State Ladykats. Rice will travel to Tulsa, Okla. to take on the Tulsa Golden Hurricane on Saturday, Oct. 23, 1999, at the Donald W. Reynolds Center (8,310) at 7 pm. One non-conference match and one conference match.
Series
Sam houston State leads the series with Rice 14-11. The Owls fell to Tulsa earlier this season, leaving Rice on top of the series 7-1.
Rice's Probable Starting Lineup (1999 per game averages)
RICE OWLS 1999 RECORD (8-10, 0-1)
S 2 Soleil Thon 5-6, Sr.-3L, Sugar Land 9.2a, 2.5d OH 3 Klara Zelinka 6-0, Jr.-2L, Houston 3.1k, 3.3d OH 7 Alison Broadfoot 6-0, So.-1L, Clear Lake 1.6k, 1.8d MB 4 Briana Cook 6-1, Fr.-HS, Houston 1.1b, 1.6k MB 14 Courtney Smith 6-0, So.-1L, San Diego, Calif. 1.6d, 1.1k OH 15 Kelly Smith 5-11, Sr.-3L, Edmond, Okla. 4.4k, 3.0d
Rice Versus The Field
The Owls will take a break from conference action this week when they take on Sam Houston State at Autry Court Thursday at 7:40 pm. The Ladykats lead the series with the Owls, 14-11. Last season's match went the distance and the Owls came out on top in the 5-15,15-4, 8-15, 15-12, 15-9 decision. Rice will then travel to Tulsa, Okla., for its second match of the season with Tulsa. In their earlier meeting, the Golden Hurricane captured its first win against the Owls in eight tries, topping Rice 8-15, 7-15, 9-15.
A Look Back
The Owls continued to struggle, dropping two conference matches this weekend. Rice traveled to Fresno, Calif., to face Fresno State on Friday night, and then on to San Jose, Calif., where the Owls met San Jose State, Saturday night. Against the Bulldogs,Kelly Smith posted team-high marks with 14 kills and nine digs. Briana Cook hit .563 and added 10 kills. Soleil Thon captured her team-leading ninth double-double of the season, putting up 22 assists and 11 digs. Despite winning the third game 15-4, the Owls couldn't put together a comeback, and fell to the Bulldogs 4-15, 10-15, 15-4, 3-15. At San Jose State, Smith again led the way for the Owls, posting duplicate stats of 14 kills and nine digs. Klara Zelinka also knocked down 14 kills, and Cook controlled the defensive attack with a career-best nine blocks.
Sister Act
The Rice volleyball team features two sets of siblings. Already familiar to Owl fans, the junior-senior duo, Klara and Karolina Zelinka, are in their third and fourth season, respectively, at Rice. Karolina arrived at Rice in 1996. In her three seasons with the Owls, she has been a dominate force on the court and has climbed her way up the Rice record charts. She ended the 1998 season with 971 total attempts, 10th in the record book, and she had moved up to eighth on the career records list for kills with 1,010, before being sidelined with a shoulder injury. Younger Zelinka, Klara, followed her sister to Rice, suiting up for the Owls in 1997. She collected a season record, as well, in 1998, posting 91 block assists, ninth in the history book. Klara has stepped up this season, picking up where Karolina left off. She landed at second on the Rice single match all-time best list, swatting 80 attempts against Virginia. Klara has launched 211 kills and has been the Owls' dig leader for much of the season. Also donning a Rice uniform with the security of a sibling are freshman twins Mariel and Elizabeth Davenport Pollock. Although the redheaded duo resembles one another physically, the two are very different on the court. Unlike the Zelinkas who are both outside hitters, the twins don't play the same position. Elizabeth lines up at middle blocker while Mariel rotates in as a setter. Both have seen playing time this season and each has produced promising stats. Elizabeth notched eight kills and seven blocks against Texas-El Paso, and Mariel put up 29 assists and five blocks in the match with Central Florida.
Double Or Nothing
Soleil Thon posted her ninth double-double this season, collecting 22 assists and 11 digs at Fresno State. Thon now leads all Owls in matches with double-digit numbers in more than one category. Kelly Smith is close behind with eight and Klara Zelinka has seven. Leigh Leman was in the race with four before missing the past three weeks with an ankle injury, and Karolina Zelinka was on the charts with two before her playing time was interrupted by a hurt shoulder.
Owls On The Mend
Leigh Leman, who has been sidelined with an ankle injury, and Michelle Craven, who underwent knee surgery, will both return to practice this week. Depending on their progress, each may return to the court for the Owls as early as this weekend. Karolina Zelinka remains on the sidelines as she continues to rehabilitate her shoulder. Zelinka tore cartilage in her right shoulder early in the season and will be reevaluated in two weeks.
