Rice University
UAB
UAB Defeats Rice 3-1 in C-USA Semi-final
11/22/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 22, 2008
Memphis, Tenn. --The Rice volleyball team was eliminated from the Conference USA volleyball championship after losing 3-1 to UAB at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse in Memphis, Tenn. Game scores were 25-21, 22-25, 20-25, and 19-25. The Owls are now 22-7, while UAB improves to 25-5. The Blazers will meet Tulane, which bounced Houston in the other semi-final, in the C-USA final on Sunday at 2 p.m.
Rice started set one strong with a 8-3 early leand and after a Jessica Holderness kill it was 13-7. UAB closed in to 14-11, but following a Rice timeout the Owls went on a 6-3 run to forge a 20-14 lead. A kill by Karyn Morgan gave the Owls a 1-0 match lead with a 25-21 set one win.
Natalie Bogan, Karyn Morgan, and Caroline Gill led a balanced Rice attack with 4 kills apiece as the Owls hit .255 to UAB's .196. Rice setter Meredith Schamun tallied 16 assists.
UAB won set two 25-22 after being behind 14-12 rattled off seven points for a 19-14 lead which it did not relinquish. The Owls got to within one twice, first at 21-20 and then it was 23-22 before UAB won the set.
The Owls hit .204 with 14 kills, but the Blazers tallied 15 kills despite hitting .164.
Rice took an early 7-3 lead as UAB committed 3 service errors in the first 10 points of the match. Two more service errors by the Blazers enable the Owls to take a 16-8 lead. Rice had a commanding 17-10 lead before UAB went on an unheard of 15-3 run to steal set three away from the Owls 25-20.
The Blazers hit .308 with 15 kills, while Rice managed only 9 kills and a .111 hitting percentage.
UAB carried its momentum from set three into set four by starting out with a 11-6 lead. Rice battled back to tie it up at 14 on a service ace by Bogan. But, the Blazers went on another run this time 6-0 to take a 20-14 lead before winning 25-19.
The Blazers outhit the Owls 16 kills to 11 and sported a .217 hitting percentage to Rice's .055.
Karyn Morgan led Rice with with 13 kills, while Ashleigh McCord added 10 kills. As a team Rice tallied 52 kills and a .157 hitting percentage.
The Blazers placed four in double-digits in kills with Lilly Domingos leading with 15 kills, while Andrea Lalic posted 13, Ivana Bozic 12, and Casey Dent added 11 kills. Domingos also hit a match-high .467.
Rice now readies for its last home match of the season vs. TCU on Friday, Nov. 28 at 7 p.m.
