Rice University
Tulsa
Rice Goes Distance At Tulsa
11/10/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 10, 2006
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TULSA, Okla. -- Rice pushed league-leading Tulsa to the edge but couldn't pull the upset in a 30-14, 24-30, 23-30, 30-16, 15-8 loss in Conference USA volleyball action on Friday at Tulsa, Okla.
The win decision secured at least a share of the regular season crown for the Golden Hurricane. For the Owls, the match marked the 14th time this season that Rice has gone five games.
Sophomore Jessica Holderness, who has battled injuries all season, paced Rice with 15 kills while hitting .444. Sophomore Karyn Morgan added 11 kills, and senior Tessa Kuykendall and freshman Natalie Bogan chipped in 10 each. Defensively, Kuykendall led the way with eight blocks, including five in game three. Junior Yvette Kirk had 18 digs and Holderness added 17.
After a sluggish start in game one, the Owls came back solid in the second frame. Neither team could gain the upper hand with the largest lead a five-point Tulsa advantage at 21-16 after 11 ties. The teams traded points, then Rice launched a 9-0 run to take a 27-22 lead and snare the momentum. The squads traded points again before Holderness scored a kill and Bogan closed out the game with a block.
The Owls and the Hurricane battled through three early ties to open the third stanza before Tulsa had an 8-1 run to build a 13-6 advantage. But Rice didn't surrender and, with her team down 17-11, Kuykendall sparked the Owls' comeback with a kill and a block with Holderness. The Owls began chipping away at the margin, then turned the corner with a 7-0 run to go up 22-20. The Hurricane tied it again at 22, but Rice wouldn't be denied and closed out with an 8-1 run. Four of the Owls' last eight points came off blocks.
Tulsa rallied back in game four, jumping out to a 6-1 lead and never looked back, tying the match score and forcing game five.
The Hurricane held on to the momentum in the final frame, and after two early ties, pulled away for the win.
Rice (12-17, 5-10 C-USA) closes out the regular season on Sunday at SMU. The Owls then return to Houston and the UH campus for the C-USA championship Nov. 16-19 at Hofheinz Pavilion.
