Volleyball to Open Season at Rebel Invitational

Calendar

Women's Volleyball

at Memphis

Oct 5

1 PM

Memphis, Tenn.

Women's Volleyball

vs South Florida

Oct 10

6 PM

Houston, Texas

Women's Volleyball

at UTSA

Oct 12

1 PM

San Antonio, Texas

Women's Volleyball

at Tulane

Oct 15

6:30 PM

New Orleans, La.

Women's Volleyball

vs Wichita State

Oct 19

1 PM

Houston, Texas

Women's Volleyball

vs UTSA

Oct 24

6 PM

Houston, Texas

Women's Volleyball

vs Tulane

Oct 26

1 PM

Houston, Texas

Match 1 | at Ole Miss Rebels | Friday, Aug. 30, 6 p.m.
Location: Oxford, Miss. (Gillom Sports Center)
Video Stream: SEC Network+
Live Stats: S tatbroadcast
Series: Rice leads, 5-4 (Last Meeting: W 3-1, 9/14/18)

Match 2 | vs. UCF Knights | Saturday, Aug. 31, 10 a.m.
Location: Oxford, Miss. (Gillom Sports Center)
Video Stream: N/A
Live Stats: S tatbroadcast
Series: Rice leads, 8-4 (Last Meeting: W 3-0, 11/4/12)

HOUSTON - The defending C-USA champion Rice Owls open the 2019 season this weekend at the Rebel Invitational, facing both host Ole Miss (Friday-6 p.m.) and UCF (Saturday-10 a.m.). The Owls defeated Ole Miss 3-1 (21-25, 25-17, 25-21, 25-20) last season at Tudor Fieldhouse, which started a school record streak of 15 consecutive victories. Rice will then face a UCF team, who is receiving votes in the AVCA Top 25, for the first time in seven years.

NOTES

Coming off a season in which they swept the Conference USA regular season and tournament titles, the Owls are picked to defend their reign as champions according to the 2019 C-USA Preseason Poll. The Owls, who went 24-7 last season, received 11 of the 13 first-place votes from the C-USA coaches. In addition, the Owls are receiving votes in the AVCA Preseason Poll.
Rice placed three players on the 12-person Preseason All-Conference Team, as Nicole Lennon, Grace Morgan and Anota Adekunle each earned a spot.
In addition, Lennon was chosen as the Preseason Player of the Year after garnering the postseason honor last season. Lennon became the first player in program history to be named Player of the Year following a season in which she led the Owls with 482 kills (35th in NCAA). In addition to 19 double-doubles, Lennon ranked third in C-USA in total points (542.0) and earned AVCA Honorable Mention All-America honors. She enters the season with 907 career kills and ranks third in program history with 3.76 kills per set.
Morgan enters her senior season ranked first in Rice history with a career hitting percentage of .351 and is 10th in career block assists (283). The Crowley, La. native ranked second in C-USA last season in both hitting percentage (.369) and blocks per set (1.09).
Adekunle had a banner freshman season for the Owls, highlighted by being named the C-USA Tournament MVP. In addition, she earned a spot on the C-USA All-Conference Second Team and the All-Freshman Team. She ranked third in C-USA in blocks per set (1.08) and sixth in hitting percentage (.344).
Senior libero Lee Ann Cunningham enters the season ranked third in Rice history with 1,665 career digs and second in career digs per set (4.60).
Rice returns seven starters and nine letterwinners from last year's team and will be incorporating five newcomers.
Reigning C-USA Coach of the Year Genny Volpe is in her 16th season with the Owls and is the school's all-time leader in totals wins (286) and winning percentage (.616). She notched her eighth, 20-plus win season for the Owls in 2018.
In 2018 the Owls advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2009 and achieved their best C-USA record (12-2). Rice twice appeared in the AVCA Coaches Poll and placed five players on the 2018 All-C-USA teams, including three first-team members and the C-USA Player of the Year in Lennon. The Owls ranked top 10 in the nation in kills per set (7th-14.64), digs per set (8th-18.16), and assists per set (8th-13.74).
Rice is 19-20 all-time in season openers.
After this weekend the Owls will travel to San Marcos on Tuesday for a rematch of last year's NCAA Tournament First Round appearance against Texas State on ESPN+.

-RiceOwls.com-

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Recent Results