Friday, October 5
Murfreesboro, TN
7:00 pm CT
Rice University
13-4, 4-0
3
at
0
Middle Tennessee
5-12, 0-4
1
2
3
F
Rice
25
25
25
3
Middle Tennessee
18
13
16
0
Photo by: Maria Lysaker/Rice Athletics
Owls Win Seventh Straight, Sweep MT
10/5/2018 8:55:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Rice improves to 4-0 in Conference USA
MURFEESBORO, TN – The Rice Owls volleyball team took care of business with a sweep (25-18, 25-13, 25-16) of Middle Tennessee Friday evening, recording their seventh straight win in the process.
Rice (13-4, 4-0) hit a season-high .484 as a team with six Owls hitting .400 or better. Sophomore outside hitter Nicole Lennon, the reigning C-USA Offensive Player of the Week, continued her hot streak with a match-high 14 kills on 20 attacks for a career-best hitting clip of .650.
Sophomore outside hitter Kassidy Muse (8 kills-.667), junior outside hitter Tori Woogk (7 kills-.353), junior middle blocker Grace Morgan (6 kills-.545), and freshman middle blocker Anota Adekunle (5 kills-.556) also played key roles offensively for the Owls.
Junior setter Adria Martinez (26 assists) and freshman setter Carly Graham (16 assists) combined for 48 assists and the Owls had just one attack error.
RICE HEAD COACH GENNY VOLPE
"Offensively this was a very clean match for us. Middle Tennessee came out really strong offensively and made us work hard for each kill. But I'm happy with our focus and being able to do it in a sweep."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1
The Blue Raiders gave the Owls a fight in the opening frame, grabbing a lead as large as 11-9 before the Rice offense took over. The Owls outscored MT 16-7 the rest of the way behind three kills from Woogk and a pair of aces from Morgan. Rice managed to win despite MT hitting .389 by hit .447 themselves in the 25-18 opening set victory.
Set 2
Rice never trailed in a dominant 25-13 set two victory. The Owls converted 17-of-30 attacks (.533) and Lennon notched eight of her 14 kills. Rice jumped out of the gates to an 8-2 advantage over the Blue Raiders and never looked back.
Set 3
The Owls put the match away with a 25-16 victory in set three, doing so with another efficient offensive performance. Rice hit .480 as a team and led nearly the whole way. Lennon added three more kills and an ace in the frame while Adekunle also posted three kills.
MATCH NOTES
• The Owls seven-match win streak is the team's longest since their eight straight wins last year, which stretched from Sept. 24-Oct. 22.
• Rice recorded their sixth sweep of the season.
• Junior libero Lee Ann Cunningham moved into third place on the Rice all-time digs list with 1,399 career digs, surpassing Leigh Leman (4th-1,394).
• Lennon has now hit .400 or better in five of her last six matches.
• Rice has failed to .300 or just once in their last six matches.
• The Owls improved to 2-3 on the season.
UP NEXT
The Owls wrap up the road trip on Sunday when they take on Southern Miss from Hattiesburg, Miss. at 1 p.m. (CT). Rice returns home on Oct. 12 when they host Marshall at 6 p.m. For ticket information and links, be sure to visit www.RiceOwls.com and @RiceVolleyball on Twitter.
-RiceOwls.com-
Rice (13-4, 4-0) hit a season-high .484 as a team with six Owls hitting .400 or better. Sophomore outside hitter Nicole Lennon, the reigning C-USA Offensive Player of the Week, continued her hot streak with a match-high 14 kills on 20 attacks for a career-best hitting clip of .650.
Sophomore outside hitter Kassidy Muse (8 kills-.667), junior outside hitter Tori Woogk (7 kills-.353), junior middle blocker Grace Morgan (6 kills-.545), and freshman middle blocker Anota Adekunle (5 kills-.556) also played key roles offensively for the Owls.
Junior setter Adria Martinez (26 assists) and freshman setter Carly Graham (16 assists) combined for 48 assists and the Owls had just one attack error.
"Offensively this was a very clean match for us. Middle Tennessee came out really strong offensively and made us work hard for each kill. But I'm happy with our focus and being able to do it in a sweep."
Set 1
The Blue Raiders gave the Owls a fight in the opening frame, grabbing a lead as large as 11-9 before the Rice offense took over. The Owls outscored MT 16-7 the rest of the way behind three kills from Woogk and a pair of aces from Morgan. Rice managed to win despite MT hitting .389 by hit .447 themselves in the 25-18 opening set victory.
Set 2
Rice never trailed in a dominant 25-13 set two victory. The Owls converted 17-of-30 attacks (.533) and Lennon notched eight of her 14 kills. Rice jumped out of the gates to an 8-2 advantage over the Blue Raiders and never looked back.
Set 3
The Owls put the match away with a 25-16 victory in set three, doing so with another efficient offensive performance. Rice hit .480 as a team and led nearly the whole way. Lennon added three more kills and an ace in the frame while Adekunle also posted three kills.
• The Owls seven-match win streak is the team's longest since their eight straight wins last year, which stretched from Sept. 24-Oct. 22.
• Rice recorded their sixth sweep of the season.
• Junior libero Lee Ann Cunningham moved into third place on the Rice all-time digs list with 1,399 career digs, surpassing Leigh Leman (4th-1,394).
• Lennon has now hit .400 or better in five of her last six matches.
• Rice has failed to .300 or just once in their last six matches.
• The Owls improved to 2-3 on the season.
The Owls wrap up the road trip on Sunday when they take on Southern Miss from Hattiesburg, Miss. at 1 p.m. (CT). Rice returns home on Oct. 12 when they host Marshall at 6 p.m. For ticket information and links, be sure to visit www.RiceOwls.com and @RiceVolleyball on Twitter.
-RiceOwls.com-
Team Stats
RICE
MT
Kills
49
33
Errors
4
14
Attempts
93
92
Hitting %
.484
.207
Points
58.0
36.0
Assists
48
31
Aces
4
2
Blocks
5.0
1.0
Game Leaders
Kills
14
Aces
1
Blocks
1
Kills
8
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
6
Aces
2
Blocks
1
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
L
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's VolleyballOPP
/ Women's VolleyballOH/OPP
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