Tuesday, March 19
Houston, Texas
3:00 PM
Rice University
vs
Johns Hopkins
Owls Welcome Blue Jays to Celebrate the Life of Ralph O'Connor
3/18/2019 6:58:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Dual match at 3 p.m. Reception to follow
The Rice women's tennis team will host a special day of tennis at the George R. Brown Tennis Center on Tuesday as they join with the team from Johns Hopkins University to celebrate the life of the late Ralph S. O'Connor.
The two schools who were closest to O'Connor's heart as both an alumnus (JHU) and life-long supporter (Rice) will meet for the first time in a dual match at 3 p.m. and then join with members of both schools administration and others for a reception that will begin at approximately 5 p.m.
Rice (8-6), currently ranked 41st in the country, is coming off a 6-1 win over Dartmouth on Sunday. The Owls have won five of the last six Conference USA titles and have qualified for the last seven NCAA championships. The Blue Jays have just begun their spring campaign and are currently 1-2. They have won 12 consecutive Centennial Conference championships. Last season, they finished 15-8 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III Championship.
The two teams will wear special "ROC" patches during Tuesday's match and this weekend, the Rice men's team will do the same this weekend during its 61st annual spring invitational which has been renamed the Ralph O'Connor Rice Invitational. Rice head coach Elizabeth Schmidt is looking forward to a memorable day.
"I spent a lot of our time with the team after the match (vs. Dartmouth) on Sunday talking about Ralph. The upperclassmen are the only ones who really had a chance to know him well, but he meant so much to our program. He did so much for us and I truly believe we wouldn't be where we are today without his unwavering support, through thick and thin.
"Obviously there is this facility, but there was so much more," Schmidt continued. "There were his emails of encouragement. After a tough loss, he was always there to bring me back up. He was so humble and didn't want a lot of attention, but at the same time, he was always trying to get attention for the program. He was such a giving, selfless, caring person as well as a visionary who pushed those around him to be better.
"We were lucky to have him spend a pair of his life with us and we miss him tremendously. He and Becky were wonderful and kind supporters of our program for years. I am looking forward to celebrating his life on Tuesday and having the team spend time with Becky, as well as the Hopkins team. I know Ralph and Becky have meant so much to their program as well."
The two schools who were closest to O'Connor's heart as both an alumnus (JHU) and life-long supporter (Rice) will meet for the first time in a dual match at 3 p.m. and then join with members of both schools administration and others for a reception that will begin at approximately 5 p.m.
Rice (8-6), currently ranked 41st in the country, is coming off a 6-1 win over Dartmouth on Sunday. The Owls have won five of the last six Conference USA titles and have qualified for the last seven NCAA championships. The Blue Jays have just begun their spring campaign and are currently 1-2. They have won 12 consecutive Centennial Conference championships. Last season, they finished 15-8 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III Championship.
The two teams will wear special "ROC" patches during Tuesday's match and this weekend, the Rice men's team will do the same this weekend during its 61st annual spring invitational which has been renamed the Ralph O'Connor Rice Invitational. Rice head coach Elizabeth Schmidt is looking forward to a memorable day.
"I spent a lot of our time with the team after the match (vs. Dartmouth) on Sunday talking about Ralph. The upperclassmen are the only ones who really had a chance to know him well, but he meant so much to our program. He did so much for us and I truly believe we wouldn't be where we are today without his unwavering support, through thick and thin.
"Obviously there is this facility, but there was so much more," Schmidt continued. "There were his emails of encouragement. After a tough loss, he was always there to bring me back up. He was so humble and didn't want a lot of attention, but at the same time, he was always trying to get attention for the program. He was such a giving, selfless, caring person as well as a visionary who pushed those around him to be better.
"We were lucky to have him spend a pair of his life with us and we miss him tremendously. He and Becky were wonderful and kind supporters of our program for years. I am looking forward to celebrating his life on Tuesday and having the team spend time with Becky, as well as the Hopkins team. I know Ralph and Becky have meant so much to their program as well."
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