Rice University
Louisiana-Lafayette
Owls Drop Cajuns To Win Opener
8/26/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 26, 2005
LAFAYETTE, La. -- The Rice volleyball team opened the 2005 campaign with a 30-17, 30-22, 30-22 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette Friday night in Lafayette, La.
The two freshmen in the Owls' starting lineup made an immediate impact. After the Ragin' Cajuns opened with an ace, Jessica Holderness scored a big kill followed by a pair of aces from Karyn Morgan as Rice took the lead for good. The pair also served for 14 of Rice's points in the game. Holderness and senior Olaya Pazo paced the Owls in the opening frame for four kills each as Rice hit .333 and held ULL to -.107 hitting.
After three ties to open game two, junior Tessa Kuykendall gave Rice the lead on a kill and Pazo followed with an ace. The Owls slowly pulled ahead to lead by as many as 12 (21-9), before the Cajuns began to chip away at the advantage. ULL three times closed the Rice lead to seven, before Rice put it away. Pazo posted another four kills to lead.
The match got closer in the third game, with the Cajuns taking the upper hand in the early going. The Owls finally regained the lead for good at 7-6, but ULL never surrendered. The Cajuns closed to within a single point before Rice poured on a 12-5 run to secure the season-opening victory. After scoring the Owls' first point of the match, Holderness teamed with senior setter Kristina Hoban on the match-winning block. Kuykendall led Rice in the third frame with four kills and three blocks.
For the match, Pazo and Kuykendall led the offense with 11 and 10 kills, respectively. Pazo also added 11 digs and Kuykendall five blocks, while Holderness had 10 digs with her seven kills and four blocks. Hoban paced the Owls with 37 assists and 12 digs, while sophomore libero Yvette Kirk finished with 11 digs.
As a team, the Owls hit .276 for the match and recorded 11 blocks. They held the Cajuns to -.009 hitting over the three games.
The Owls make their first home appearance next weekend when they host McNeese State, Duke and Sacramento State in the Crowne Plaza Rice Invitational at Autry Court. Action begins at 10:30 am Friday as the Owls take on the Cowgirls and continues through Saturday night.
