Tuesday, September 11
Nacogdoches, TX
5:00 pm CT
Rice University
at
Stephen F. Austin
Photo by: Maria Lysaker
Preview: Owls Head to SFA on Tuesday
9/10/2018 10:19:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Match to be streamed on ESPN+
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Rice Owls volleyball team will travel to Stephen F. Austin on Tuesday for their non-conference road finale. The match will be streamed on ESPN+ with first serve scheduled for 5 p.m.
This will be the 22nd meeting between Rice (6-3) and SFA Ladyjacks (9-2) with the Owls holding a 12-9 all-time advantage. The Owls have won five straight meetings with the Ladyjacks, including a five-set thriller last season at Tudor Fieldhouse.
Tuesday's match will be streamed on ESPN+, which can be viewed via a paid subscription ($4.99 per month). The network is also offering a 7-day free trial. Stay updated with all things Rice volleyball by following the Owls on Twitter and Instagram at @RiceVolleyball, as well as online at www.RiceOwls.com.
TEAM NOTES
Stephen F. Austin (2018 Record: 9-2, Southland Conference | Series Record: Rice leads, 12-9)
The Ladyjacks will enter Tuesday on a six-match winning streak, losing just three sets over that run. SFA ranks 21st in the nation in digs per set (17.78) and 30th in attacks per set (37.6). Sophomore middle blocker Anyia Williams leads the Southland Conference in hitting percentage (.353) while freshman DS Sabrina Monaco is second in the league in digs per set (4.80).
UP NEXT
The Owls return to Tudor Fieldhouse to host the Rice Adidas Invitational II tournament this weekend at Tudor Fieldhouse. Rice will welcome in Ole Miss (Friday-6:30 p.m.), Austin Peay (Saturday-11 a.m.) and McNeese State (Saturday- 7 p.m.) in the final non-conference matches of the regular season. For ticket information and links, be sure to visit www.RiceOwls.com and @RiceVolleyball on Twitter.
-RiceOwls.com-
This will be the 22nd meeting between Rice (6-3) and SFA Ladyjacks (9-2) with the Owls holding a 12-9 all-time advantage. The Owls have won five straight meetings with the Ladyjacks, including a five-set thriller last season at Tudor Fieldhouse.
Tuesday's match will be streamed on ESPN+, which can be viewed via a paid subscription ($4.99 per month). The network is also offering a 7-day free trial. Stay updated with all things Rice volleyball by following the Owls on Twitter and Instagram at @RiceVolleyball, as well as online at www.RiceOwls.com.
TEAM NOTES
- Rice is coming off a tournament title at the Baylor Classic, defeating UTRGV (3-0) before falling to No. 15 Baylor (3-1). Nicole Lennon (MVP) and Tori Woogk (Best Attacker) were all named to the all-tournament team. It marked the third time this season that Lennon was named to an all-tournament and her second MVP accomplishment. It was also the second all-tournament team appearance for Woogk.
- Statistically, the Owls lead all of C-USA in digs per set (16.79) and opponents' hitting percentage (.150) and are second in total team digs (470).
- Junior middle blocker Grace Morgan, who was named the C-USA Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 3, leads all of C-USA in blocks per set (1.26) and is fourth in total blocks (43). In addition, she's fourth in the league in hitting percentage (.377) and is the only player in C-USA to rank in the top-five in blocks and hitting percentage.
- Lennon ranks 8th in C-USA in kills per set (3.54).
- Junior libero Lee Ann Cunningham ranks third in C-USA in digs per set (4.89). The Louisville, Ky. native ranks 7th in Rice history with 1,262 career digs.
- Rice returns seven starters and nine letterwinners from last year's team and will be incorporating five newcomers.
- The Owls were picked to finish second in the Conference USA Coaches' Preseason Poll, behind only reigning C-USA champion WKU.
- Lennon and Morgan were each named to the 2018 Preseason All-Conference USA Team. Morgan earned a spot on the C-USA First Team in 2017 while Lennon was a Second Team selection and was named the Co-Freshman of the Year.
- Rice head coach Genny Volpe is in her 15th season with the Owls and is the school's all-time leader in totals wins (268) and winning percentage (.606). She notched her seventh, 20-plus win season for the Owls in 2017.
- For the second time in as many years, Rice Volleyball's recruiting class received Highest Honorable Mention honors by the organization PrepVolleyball.com. The Owls were one of 25 recruiting classes that "just missed" the nation's top-30 classes. This year's class features middle blocker Anota Adekunle (Humble, Texas), setter Carly Graham (Conroe, Texas), libero Tia Grippo (Newport Beach, Calif.), and libero Isabel Wiatt (North Hollywood, California).
Stephen F. Austin (2018 Record: 9-2, Southland Conference | Series Record: Rice leads, 12-9)
The Ladyjacks will enter Tuesday on a six-match winning streak, losing just three sets over that run. SFA ranks 21st in the nation in digs per set (17.78) and 30th in attacks per set (37.6). Sophomore middle blocker Anyia Williams leads the Southland Conference in hitting percentage (.353) while freshman DS Sabrina Monaco is second in the league in digs per set (4.80).
UP NEXT
The Owls return to Tudor Fieldhouse to host the Rice Adidas Invitational II tournament this weekend at Tudor Fieldhouse. Rice will welcome in Ole Miss (Friday-6:30 p.m.), Austin Peay (Saturday-11 a.m.) and McNeese State (Saturday- 7 p.m.) in the final non-conference matches of the regular season. For ticket information and links, be sure to visit www.RiceOwls.com and @RiceVolleyball on Twitter.
-RiceOwls.com-
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
L
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
L/DS
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH/OPP
/ Women's VolleyballVB: Rice-Texas Postgame Presser
Saturday, December 04
VB: Rice-San Diego Postgame Presser
Thursday, December 02