Saturday, January 23
Houston, TX
2:00 P.M. CT
Rice University
1-0
3
vs
2
Houston
0-1
1
2
3
4
5
F
Houston
25
25
22
12
11
2
Rice
20
18
25
25
15
3
Photo by: Maria Lysaker
Photo by: Maria Lysaker
Photo by: Maria Lysaker
Photo by: Maria Lysaker
Photo by: Maria Lysaker
Photo by: Maria Lysaker
Photo by: Maria Lysaker
Photo by: Maria Lysaker
Photo by: Maria Lysaker
Photo by: Maria Lysaker
Photo by: Maria Lysaker
Photo by: Maria Lysaker
Photo by: Maria Lysaker
Photo by: Maria Lysaker
Photo by: Maria Lysaker
Owls Rally to Defeat UH in Season Opener
1/23/2021 6:27:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Rice erases 0-2 deficit for thrilling victory
HOUSTON – The Rice Owls volleyball team opened the season in thrilling fashion by defeating the crosstown Houston Cougars in five sets (20-25, 18-25, 25-22, 25-12, 15-11) Saturday afternoon at Tudor Fieldhouse.
Rice (1-0), who was playing their first home match in 471 days, erased a 2-0 deficit with three consecutive set victories, averaging a team hitting percentage of .397 over the back half of the match. Senior outside hitter Nicole Lennon led the Owls with a team-best 18 kills on 54 attacks and contributed eight digs and team-high seven blocks.
Junior setter Carly Graham recorded a double-double with 41 assists and a team-high 11 digs while sophomores Satasha Kostelecky, Maddie Fowler, Ellie Bichelmeyer and freshman Danyle Courtley contributed seven kills apiece.
The Owls outhit Houston (0-1) by a margin of .247-.174 and dominated the Cougars at the net with a blocking disparity of 14.0-4.0.
Genny Volpe Postgame Reaction
"Once we settled into the match our offense really started clicking. Our hitting efficiency went much higher sets 3-5. I'm really proud of the team for fighting their way back. We kept our composure and despite having a lot of new faces on the floor, we found a way to win. It was just great to be back in the gym and to be able to compete. The team loved every second of the competition."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1
Rice hit just .053 in the opening frame and the Cougars broke a 20-20 tie with a 5-0 run to win 25-20. Lennon paced the Owls with five kills in the set but UH recorded 15 total team kills compared to just seven by Rice.
Set 2
UH had their best offensive set of the match with a .353 clip in set two and held a lead as large as 19-9 before winning 25-18. The Cougars totaled 17 team kills in the frame on 34 attacks.
Set 3
The Owls found their footing coming out of intermission, excelling in spreading their attack around the UH defense for a .282 hitting percentage. UH was on the cusp of a sweep leading 22-20 but the Owls responded with five consecutive points thanks to a pair of kills from Kostelecky to extend the match to a fourth set.
Set 4
Rice dominated the set by hitting a sensational .556 with 15 kills on 27 attacks. Rice broke an early 5-5 tie with a 4-0 run and never looked back, outscoring the Cougars 20-7 the rest of the way. Lennon posted four more kills in the win while Courtley contributed three kills of her own.
Set 5
The Owls' defense managed to hold UH to just six kills and a .095 hitting percentage in the pivotal final set while four different Owls recorded kills in the match-clinching 15-11 victory. Rice outscored UH 7-3 down the stretch, including Lennon's 18th kill to win the match.
Up Next
The Owls will take on the Cougars yet again tomorrow, this time from the UH Athletics/Alumni Center. First serve is set for 2 p.m. and the match will be streamed on Facebook.
Rice (1-0), who was playing their first home match in 471 days, erased a 2-0 deficit with three consecutive set victories, averaging a team hitting percentage of .397 over the back half of the match. Senior outside hitter Nicole Lennon led the Owls with a team-best 18 kills on 54 attacks and contributed eight digs and team-high seven blocks.
Junior setter Carly Graham recorded a double-double with 41 assists and a team-high 11 digs while sophomores Satasha Kostelecky, Maddie Fowler, Ellie Bichelmeyer and freshman Danyle Courtley contributed seven kills apiece.
The Owls outhit Houston (0-1) by a margin of .247-.174 and dominated the Cougars at the net with a blocking disparity of 14.0-4.0.
"Once we settled into the match our offense really started clicking. Our hitting efficiency went much higher sets 3-5. I'm really proud of the team for fighting their way back. We kept our composure and despite having a lot of new faces on the floor, we found a way to win. It was just great to be back in the gym and to be able to compete. The team loved every second of the competition."
Set 1
Rice hit just .053 in the opening frame and the Cougars broke a 20-20 tie with a 5-0 run to win 25-20. Lennon paced the Owls with five kills in the set but UH recorded 15 total team kills compared to just seven by Rice.
Set 2
UH had their best offensive set of the match with a .353 clip in set two and held a lead as large as 19-9 before winning 25-18. The Cougars totaled 17 team kills in the frame on 34 attacks.
Set 3
The Owls found their footing coming out of intermission, excelling in spreading their attack around the UH defense for a .282 hitting percentage. UH was on the cusp of a sweep leading 22-20 but the Owls responded with five consecutive points thanks to a pair of kills from Kostelecky to extend the match to a fourth set.
Set 4
Rice dominated the set by hitting a sensational .556 with 15 kills on 27 attacks. Rice broke an early 5-5 tie with a 4-0 run and never looked back, outscoring the Cougars 20-7 the rest of the way. Lennon posted four more kills in the win while Courtley contributed three kills of her own.
Set 5
The Owls' defense managed to hold UH to just six kills and a .095 hitting percentage in the pivotal final set while four different Owls recorded kills in the match-clinching 15-11 victory. Rice outscored UH 7-3 down the stretch, including Lennon's 18th kill to win the match.
The Owls will take on the Cougars yet again tomorrow, this time from the UH Athletics/Alumni Center. First serve is set for 2 p.m. and the match will be streamed on Facebook.
-RiceOwls.com-
Team Stats
UH
RICE
Kills
64
54
Errors
34
17
Attempts
172
150
Hitting %
.174
.247
Points
72.0
70.0
Assists
59
49
Aces
4
2
Blocks
4.0
14.0
Game Leaders
Kills
18
Aces
0
Blocks
7
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
5
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH/RS
/ Women's VolleyballOPP/MB
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's VolleyballOH
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