Rice University Athletics
Rice University
UAB (C-USA)
Owls Fall To UAB 3-2
10/20/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 20, 2005
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HOUSTON - The Rice volleyball team lost to a determined UAB squad 30-27, 23-30, 30-27, 25-30, 15-11 on Thursday afternoon in Conference USA action at Autry Court.
The Blazers jumped out to a 3-1 lead in game one, and after the Owls knotted the score at three each, UAB pulled away to lead by 11. With the scoreboard showing 22-11 in favor of the Blazers, Rice junior Tessa Kuykendall connected on a set from senior Kristina Hoban, then sophomore Rachel Lopez notched an ace to spark an 8-0 run. UAB was able to fend off the Owls' rally, though, and win the frame.
Rice stormed out of the gates in game two, scoring the first four points with two coming off aces from freshman Karyn Morgan. The Owls never trailed in the frame behind the solid hitting of their middles, Kuykendall and freshman Jessica Holderness. Kuykendall hit .714 in the game with five kills on seven swings, while Holderness posted six kills on nine attacks to hit .667.
The Owls struck first again in game two with a kill from senior Olaya Pazo and an ace from sophomore Yvette Kirk. The Blazers, though, rebounded to score the next four to take the lead. UAB twice led by as many as 10, before Hoban led a 4-0 run with a pair of aces. With Rice trailing 29-23, Kuykendall posted back-to-back kills to start a 5-0 rally, but once again UAB held on for the win.
After five ties in the early going in game four, a kill from Pazo and an ace from Morgan gave the Owls the lead for good at 11-9. The Blazers stayed close, but a 6-0 Rice run behind the solid serving of Lopez allowed the Owls to take a commanding lead as they went on to take the frame and force game five.
UAB scored the first two points of the game, but Rice answered right back for the first of three ties. With the score knotted at 4-4, the Blazers mounted a 5-0 run to grab the momentum. The Owls fought back with a 4-0 run, but couldn't make it all the way back as UAB took the game and the match.
Kuykendall led Rice with 15 kills, while Morgan, Pazo and Holderness each had 14. Morgan and Pazo also posted double-digit digs, finishing with 17 and 12, respectively. Kirk added 11 digs in the defensive effort.
The Blazers Aleksandra Vujovic led all hitters with 23 kills, and Ivana Bozic was right behind her with 21.
With the loss, the Owls fall to 13-5 on the year and 4-3 in C-USA, while UAB improves to 13-4 and 4-3. Rice next hosts East Carolina on Friday at 7 pm, before league-leading Marshall comes calling on Sunday at 1 pm.
