Preview: Volleyball to Host FAU, No. 22 WKU in C-USA Showdowns

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Women's Volleyball

at Wichita State

Nov 14

6 PM

Wichita, Kan.

Women's Volleyball

at North Texas

Nov 16

1 PM

Denton, Texas

Women's Volleyball

vs American Volleyball Championship

Nov 21

TBD

Match 23 | (No. 17) Rice Owls (21-1, 10-0) vs. Florida Atlantic Owls (13-8, 7-3) | Friday, Nov. 8 (6 p.m. CT)
Location: Tudor Fieldhouse
Buy Tickets: RiceOwls.com
Video Stream: CUSAtv ($)
Live Stats: S idearm
Series: Rice leads, 6-2 (Last Meeting: L, 3-2 11/8/18)

Match 24 | Rice Owls vs. No. 22 WKU Lady Toppers (24-1, 10-0) | Sunday, Nov. 10 (1 p.m. CT)
Location: Tudor Fieldhouse
Buy Tickets: RiceOwls.com
Video Stream: CUSAtv ($)
Live Stats: S idearm
Series: WKU leads, 5-3 (Last Meeting: W, 3-1 9/30/18)

Nicole Lennon is leading @RiceVolleyball, which has its first ever top-25 matchup in program history this week, and talked to https://t.co/F6Dl4yC0rm's @michellachester about how the Owls have broken through this season.#NCAAVB pic.twitter.com/d7SbDBJqIi
— NCAA Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) November 6, 2019

HOUSTON - The No. 17 Rice Owls volleyball team returns to Tudor Fieldhouse this weekend for their highly anticipated final two home matches of the regular season.

On Friday, Rice will host Florida Atlantic at 6 p.m. in a battle of the Owls. FAU enters the match in fourth place in the conference standings and have won five of their last six matches. Rice dropped a five-set match to FAU last season in Boca Raton but still leads the all-time series, 6-2.

Then on Sunday, the Owls will welcome in No. 22 WKU in what will be the first Top-25 matchup between two teams in Tudor Fieldhouse's history (either volleyball or basketball). Rice and WKU are currently tied at 10-0 in the C-USA standings with four matches remaining. The Lady Toppers lead the all-time series over the Owls, 5-3, but Rice defeated WKU last season on Sept. 30 when they snapped their streak of 57 consecutive conference home wins.

Prior to the match, the Owls will honor the careers of seniors Yonca Bartu, Tabitha Brown, Lee Ann Cunningham, Adria Martinez, Grace Morgan and Tori Woogk with a special prematch ceremony.

NOTES

The Owls are currently ranked No. 17 in both the latest RPI and AVCA Top-25 rankings.
Rice currently has eight wins over Top-100 RPI teams and has an opportunity for two more this weekend with Florida Atlantic (89) and WKU (27).
Rice currently holds the nation's third-longest active home win streak (20) in the nation.
The Owls also have the third-longest active road win streak at nine straight.
Senior libero Lee Ann Cunningham became just the second player in program history to surpass 2,000 career digs last weekend. The Louisville, Ky. native ranks eighth among active NCAA Division I players in career digs (2,014).
Rice currently ranks Top-20 in the NCAA in kills per set (3rd-14.93), assists per set (3rd-13.68), winning percentage (6th-.955), opponents hitting percentage (9th-.146), digs per set (11th-17.93), and hitting percentage (14th-.275).
Junior outside hitter Nicole Lennon ranks 6th in the NCAA in kills per set (5.03), 9th in points per set (5.37) and 19th in attacks per set (11.86). This past week Lennon secured her seventh C-USA Offensive Player of the Week award.
Sophomore middle blocker Anota Adekunle ranks 5th in the NCAA in hitting percentage (.435) while senior middle blocker Grace Morgan is 6th in C-USA (.333).

-RiceOwls.com-

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