Owls Carry Win Streak To Middle Tennessee
10/9/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 9, 2014
Friday (Oct. 10) at Middle Tennessee: Video | Live Stats | Twitter Updates
Rice-Middle Tennessee Match NotesHOUSTON, Texas - Riding a three-game winning streak, the Rice Owls hit the road for just one match this weekend when they travel to Middle Tennessee to face the Blue Raiders on Friday at 7 p.m. (CT). The Owls have won nine consecutive sets and sit one game back of first place in the C-USA standings.
Friday Storylines
- Rice has faced Middle Tennessee only once before, a 3-0 loss (25-21, 25-14, 25-19) in last year's C-USA opener. In that match Daniela Arenas notched the 1,000th dig of her career.
- The Owls have won three consecutive matches and nine straight sets during that span.
- Rice is 3-3 on the road this season, which includes a 3-2 win at Marquette, who is receiving votes in the AVCA Top 25 rankings.
- In the first RPI rankings of the season the Owls come in at No. 61, behind only Western Kentucky (43) amongst all C-USA squads.
- Through five matches the Owls (4-1) currently sit in third place in the C-USA standings behind both Western Kentucky (5-0) and UTSA (5-0).
- The Owls are off to their best 19-match start (14-5) since the 2009-10 campaign. That season the Owls went 23-9 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
- Sara Blasier currently ranks 4th in the nation in total assists (771) and is first in C-USA. Blasier also ranks 33rd in the nation assists per set (10.9).
- Jillian Humphrey is now third place in Rice history in career blocks (459), block assists (375) and blocks per set (1.12).
- Blasier and Humphrey were named the C-USA Setter and Offensive Player of the Week, respectively, the league announced on Monday.
- Daniela Arenas ranks 20th in the nation in active career total digs with 1,531. Arenas moved past Yvette Kirk (1,405 digs) earlier this season for second place all-time in Rice history.
- The Owls now rank in the nation's top 50 in five major categories: team kills (7th-978), team assists (9th-914), kills per set (24th-13.97), assists per set (26th-13.0), and digs per set (38th-16.34). Rice also leads all of C-USA in kills per set.
- Rice won six consecutive matches (Sept. 6-19) for the first time since the 2009-10 season.
- Rice was picked to finish third in the C-USA by the league's coaches.
- Sara Blasier was selected Preseason All-C-USA.
Players Mentioned
L/DS
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