Rice University
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UTEP
Owls Defeat Miners 3-1
9/26/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 26, 2008
El Paso, Texas - The Rice Owls opened up Conference USA action in fine fashion with a 3-1 victory over UTEP Friday night at Memorial Coliseum. Set scores were 25-18, 25-21, 20-25, and 25-18. The Owls are now 9-2 and 1-0 in C-USA play, while UTEP falls to 4-10 and 0-1 in league action.
Rice has now defeated UTEP in seven straight matches.
Sets one and two were very tight through the middle portion of each set. The Owls were up 15-14 in set one before outscoring the Miners 10-4. In set two, it was tied 18-18 before the Owls went on a 7-3 run to close it out.
"It would have been nice to win in three, but UTEP made some adjustments in the third set for the win," said Rice head coach Genny Volpe. "UTEP had the momentum going into the fourth set, but once again we stayed composed and confident and took care of the ball and Jessica Holderness really stepped it up defensively and offensively."
UTEP jumped out to an early 6-3 lead in set three, but the Owls battled back and tied it at 9 apiece. The two teams battled back and forth until UTEP was able to forge a 21-18 lead and eventually win 25-20.
Natalie Bogan and Karyn Morgan led Rice with 13 kills apiece and Jessica Holderness posted 12 kills. The Owls outhit the Miners 64 to 45 and .357 to .221.
Rice setter Meredith Schamun, the nation's fifth-leading setter had 50 assists for a 12.5 assists per set average. Rice libero Tracey Lam had a match-high 21 digs.
"Tracey Lam did a great job defensively in following the game plan," said Volpe. "UTEP's Catherine Chavez is one of the league's leaders in kills per set and tonight she only had 11 kills and that was due to the Lam's defensive play."
Rice now plays at Tulane, 3-0 victors over Houston on Friday evening, this Sunday at 1 p.m.
