Friday, November 19
Norfolk, Va.
11:00 A.M. CT
Rice University
vs
Charlotte (First Round)
Photo by: Maria Lysaker | Rice Athletics
Preview | No. 1 Seeded Owls Face 49ers in C-USA Championship
11/16/2021 5:46:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
2021 C USA Championship Notes (Rice)2021 C-USA Championship BracketLive Stats (all matches)Watch (ESPN+ Charlotte)Watch (ESPN+ Semifinals)Watch (ESPN+ Championship)C-USA Championship Central
Match begins at 11 a.m. (CT) on ESPN+
Match 23 | Rice Owls (17-5, 12-0) vs. Charlotte 49ers (12-12, 5-7)
Date: Friday, Nov. 19, 11 a.m. (CT)
Location: Norfolk, Va. (ODU Volleyball Center)
Video Stream: Friday (ESPN+) | Saturday (CUSAtv) | Sunday (ESPN+)
Live Stats: Sidearm (all tournament)
Series vs. Charlotte: Rice leads, 9-0 (Last Meeting: Rice won (3-0), 4/22/21)
NOTES
Date: Friday, Nov. 19, 11 a.m. (CT)
Location: Norfolk, Va. (ODU Volleyball Center)
Video Stream: Friday (ESPN+) | Saturday (CUSAtv) | Sunday (ESPN+)
Live Stats: Sidearm (all tournament)
Series vs. Charlotte: Rice leads, 9-0 (Last Meeting: Rice won (3-0), 4/22/21)
NOTES
- The Owls will be in search of an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament from Conference USA by winning the C-USA Championship this weekend in Norfolk, Va. The No. 1 overall seeded Owls will open against Charlotte Friday morning.
- Rice has twice (2009 and 2018) won the C-USA tournament and has appeared in the title match six times.
- After starting the season 0-3 against a rigorous non-conference schedule, the Owls went 17-2 and completed their second straight 12-0 Conference USA season to win their second consecutive C-USA West Division title.
- Rice played a daunting non-conference schedule this fall by facing three teams ranked in the AVCA Top-10 and four in the Top-25: No. 2 Texas, No. 3 Pittsburgh, No. 7 Baylor and No. 16 Oregon.
- The Owls are receiving votes for an 11th straight week this season in the latest AVCA Coaches' Poll.
- Rice ranks 25th in the most recent RPI rankings, tops among all C-USA programs.
- The Owls are the only team in NCAA Division I that rank in the Top-20 in both in hitting percentage (14th-.278) and digs per set (17th-17.17).
- Dating back to 2014 the Owls are 92-20 (.821) in Conference USA play, which includes a 47-3 (.940) record the last three seasons. Rice has won 26 consecutive C-USA regular season contests dating back to the 2019 season.
- Senior outside hitter Nicole Lennon ranks third among active NCAA Division I players in career kills with 2,063, trailing only Baylor's Yossiana Pressley (2,304) and Utah's Dani Drews (2,151). Lennon is the only active player in NCAA Division I with over 2,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs. This season she ranks 21st in the NCAA in kills per set (4.36) and 29th in points per set (4.84). She is currently one of 10 finalists for the national Senior CLASS Award.
- Junior setter Carly Graham ranks 14th in the NCAA in assists per set (11.41) and a big reason why the Owls ranks 7th in the NCAA in both kills per set (14.30) and assists per set (13.18). In addition, the Rice offense is 14th in the country in hitting percentage (.278).
- Junior middle blocker Anota Adekunle is once again having an efficient offensive season and ranks 16th in the NCAA in hitting percentage (.412). Adekunle is Rice's all-time leader in hitting percentage (.408), a mark that ranks fifth in the country among active NCAA Division I players. Adekunle also leads the Owls in total blocks (74) and blocks per set (1.03).
- The Owls were picked to repeat as C-USA West division champions in the Coaches' Preseason Poll, earning all seven first place votes. Last season Rice won all 12 matches during league play, earning the West division conference championship and completing the first undefeated campaign (12-0) within league play in program history.
- In addition to Lennon (Preseason Player of the Year), junior setter Carly Graham and junior middle blocker Adekunle were both selected to the C-USA Preseason Team.
- The Owls earned their sixth appearance in the NCAA Tournament last season and third straight overall after claiming their fourth at-large bid in program history. Unfortunately, the Owls were removed from the NCAA Tournament before their opening round match against North Carolina A&T due to COVID-19 policies.
- Rice returned 14 letterwinners and all six starters along with their libero from last season's championship team.
- Genny Volpe is in her 18th season with the Owls and is the school's all-time leader in totals wins (346) and winning percentage (.638). She notched her ninth, 20-plus win season for the Owls last year while collecting her 300th career win. The Owls won 20+ matches in six straight seasons prior to last spring's shortened schedule. Volpe graduated from Texas A&M and was a four-year letterwinner as a setter and outside hitter from 1990-93.
-RiceOwls.com-
Players Mentioned
MB
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