Rice University
Houston
Rice Beats Houston in Volleyball 3-1
10/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 21, 2008
The Rice Owls volleyball team continued its winning ways with a 3-1 victory over Houston at Fox Gymnasium. The Owls have now won six in a row for a 16-4 record and a 7-2 mark in Conference USA. Houston is now 13-9 and 5-4 in C-USA. Game scores were 25-16, 21-25, 25-23, 25-23.
"This was exactly the type of match that we expected," said Rice head coach Genny Volpe. "It was a real battle."
Rice jumped out to a 10-3 lead in set one after a Natalie Bogan tip kill. Karyn Morgan had 4 kills in Rice's first 10 points. It was 15-8 Rice following a tip kill by Caroline Gill. The Owls reached set point on a Bogan kill and a Morgan service ace gave Rice the set one victory.
Morgan, a senior, would finish the first set with 7 of Rice's 17 kills. Her senior teammate, Jessica Holderness, had 3 kills as Rice hit .405 to Houston's .162. Owl setter Meredith Schamun had 14 assists.
Houston clawed back into the match by winning set two 25-21. Rice had more kills than UH, 13 to 11, but the Owls only hit .105 with 9 errors. Houston fared a little better with a .139 attack percentage. The Cougars had 4 team blocks to Rice's 1 block.
Rice was up 14-13, but Houston proceeded to outscore the Owls 8 to 2 for a 21-16 margin.
"Set two was not the type of volleyball that we've been playing," commented Volpe.
But Volpe's charges turned it around for third set.
Rice was up 12-9 following a McCord kill. Houston battled back to tie it up at 14-14. The two squads would stay even through 23-23. Back-to-back blocks by Rice, first Gill and Holderness and then Gill and Morgan gave the Owls the two winning points. Holderness and McCord led Rice with 5 kills apiece as Rice hit .270 to Houston's .250.
"We focused on making full moves in the third set and by playing aggressive and staying confident," said Volpe. "UH defended us well, but we just had to play aggressive and not be tentative."
A Karyn Morgan kill gave Rice a commanding 19-12 lead in the fourth set, but Houston did not go away quietly. The Cougars went on an 8-4 run to close the deficit to 23-20.
A kill by McCord gave the Owls a 24-20 lead, but UH then scored the next three points. But, McCord squashed the Houston rally with a hammer shot to the hardwood to give Rice the victory.
Rice hit .310 in the fourth set with Holderness leading the way with a .667 attack percentage (4 kills in 6 attempts). Morgan added 5 kills, while Schamun assisted on 15 of Rice's 18 kills.
On the night, Houston's Justine Farmer led all attackers with 21 kills, but she was the only Cougar in double-figures.
Rice was led by Holderness's 16 kills, Morgan's 15 kills, Bogan's 13 kills, and McCord's 11 kills. Holderness led all hitters with a .394 hitting percentage.
Schamun had 51 assists for a 12.75 assist average and Tracey Lam led Rice with 18 digs.
The Owls now host Tulane on Friday at 7 p.m.
