Owls Host TCU on Friday in Tudor Fieldhouse
11/26/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 26, 2008
The Rice Owls volleyball team (22-7) plays its last regular season match of the year this Friday, November 28 against the Horned Frogs of TCU (20-10). Match time is set for 7 p.m. at Tudor Fieldhouse.
This is the last home match for three Rice seniors. Jessica Holderness, Karyn Morgan, and Ekaette Shammah will be playing their last home match and first match in the renovated Tudor Fieldhouse. The volleyball team endured two seasons without playing in its customary environs and without a locker room.
At the C-USA Championship
The Owls defeated UTEP 3-0 in the quarter-final round of the C-USA championship last Friday in Memphis, Tenn. UAB then bounced Rice 3-1 in the semi-final.
Tulane won the championship with a 3-2 victory over UAB. Rice libéro Tracey Lam was named to the all-tournament team. Lam had 23 digs vs. UTEP in three sets and 22 vs. UAB (four sets).
VB RPI
The Rice Owls currently sport an NCAA RPI ranking of 25 out of 323 schools that sponsor NCAA Division I volleyball. Ahead of the Owls in C-USA is Tulane (12th), while UAB is 30th.
Head Coach
Rice head coach Genny Volpe sports a school and overall coaching mark of 89-60 (5 years). She led the Owls to their first-ever NCAA appearance in 2004. Volpe was recently named co-coach of the year for Conference USA.
All-Conference USA
Earning first team All-C-USA honors were Natalie Bogan, Karyn Morgan, and Meredith Schamun. Jessica Holderness and Tracey Lam were selected to the All-C-USA second team and Ashleigh McCord was named to the C-USA all-freshman squad. Furthermore, Lam was named as the league's Libéro of the Year.
C-USA Wins
Rice's 12 Conference USA wins are the most since joining the league in 2005. The Owls posted 8 wins in 2005, 5 in 2006, and 7 victories in 2007.
National Ranks
Rice setter Meredith Schamun ranks first in C-USA and 13th nationally in assists per set in this week's NCAA rankings. The sophomore from Murrieta, Calif., averages a C-USA-best 11.53 per set.
Sophomore libéro Tracey Lam ranks 18th in the nation in digs per set, accounting for a C-USA-best 5.10 per outing with 535 digs.
As a team, Rice ranks seventh in the NCAA in assists (13.60), 10th in kills (14.50), 10th in digs (17.43) and 36th in hitting efficiency (.251).
Balanced Attack
The Owls have two athletes that have accumulated over 300 kills this season. Rice senior co-captains Karyn Morgan and Jessica Holderness have tallied 346 and 301 kills respectively. Junior Natalie Bogan has 286 kills (2.80) and freshman Ashleigh McCord has made her presence felt with 276 kills (2.71).
Streakin'
Tracey Lam has now reached double-digit digs in each of her last 38 matches.
Milestones Rice University volleyball player Karyn Mogan (Bellaire, Texas) has joined the school's exclusive 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs club. Morgan, a senior, becomes the sixth member of the group. Other Owls that have accomplished that feat as well are Rebeca Pazo (2001-04, 1,969 kills, 1,314 digs), Sammy Waldron (1992-95, 1,830 kills, 1,068 digs), Karolina Zelinka (1996-00, 1,508 kills, 1,217 digs), Karyn Morgan (2005-08, 1,337 kills, 1,210 digs), Leigh Leman (1998-02, 1,233 kills, 1,394 digs), Diane Kuhlman (1986-89, 1,086 kills, 1,130 digs).
Morgan's 1,394 kills ranks fifth all-time at Rice, while her 1,180 digs is sixth-best.
Other milestones for Rice volleyball include senior Jessica Holderness with 954 career kills and 961 career digs and sophomore Tracey Lam with career 1,034 digs to rank 10th. Junior Natalie Bogan has 930 career kills. Lam's 535 digs ranks second-best in a season at Rice.
Sophomore setter Meredith Schamun has totaled 2,517 assists in only two seasons to rank sixth in school history.
NCAA Championship At-Large Bid?
The 2008 NCAA Volleyball Championship selection show is Sunday, Nov. 30. ESPNU will televise the 64-team field and first-round pairings beginning at 9 p.m. (Central).
