Sunday, February 7
Houston, TX
1:00 P.M. CT
Rice University
2-3, 1-0
3
vs
0
Louisiana Tech
0-8, 0-1
1
2
3
F
LATECH
12
17
17
0
Rice
25
25
25
3
Owls Sweep La Tech in C-USA Opener
2/7/2021 3:50:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Lennon surpasses 1,500 career kills
HOUSTON – The Rice Owls volleyball team opened the Conference USA season by sweeping the Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters in straight sets (25-12, 25-17, 25-17) Sunday afternoon at Tudor Fieldhouse.
Rice (2-3, 1-0) hit a season-best .411 with 47 total kills while limiting Louisiana Tech (0-8, 0-1) to a hitting percentage of just .097. The Owls were led offensively by senior outside hitter Nicole Lennon (13 kills-.435) and junior middle blocker Anota Adekunle (11 kills-.846) with junior setter Carly Graham dishing out 33 assists (11 per set) and freshman Nia McCardell leading all players with 16 digs.
Lennon recorded her 1,500th career kill in set two, becoming just the fifth player in program history to reach the milestone.
Lennon (1,505 kills) will enter play on Monday just four kills shy of moving past Karolina Zelinka (1,508 kills) for fourth place on the Rice all-time kills list and 22 away from Kelly Smith (1,526 kills) for third place.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1
Rice hit a blistering .500 in the opening frame with Lennon and Adekunle recording four kills apiece. Middle blocker Satasha Kostelecky also added three kills on four attacks and the owls posted a sideout percentage of 76 percent. Graham orchestrated the offense by churning out 13 assists while Tech committed seven errors and hit -.040 in a 25-12 Rice victory.
Set 2
The Owls never trailed en route to a 25-17 victory to take a commanding 2-0 match lead. Lennon totaled six kills on eight attacks while Adekunle and Ellie Bichelmeyer added three terminators apiece with Graham (7 assists) and Izzy Rawlings (7 assists) setting up the offense.
Set 3
Bichelmeyer (5 kills) and Adekunle (4 kills) helped put the match away by combining for nine kills on 14 swings as Graham dished out 13 more assists in Rice's match-clinching 25-17 victory.
Up Next
The Owls face the Lady Techsters again tomorrow at 1 p.m. on CUSAtv.
Rice (2-3, 1-0) hit a season-best .411 with 47 total kills while limiting Louisiana Tech (0-8, 0-1) to a hitting percentage of just .097. The Owls were led offensively by senior outside hitter Nicole Lennon (13 kills-.435) and junior middle blocker Anota Adekunle (11 kills-.846) with junior setter Carly Graham dishing out 33 assists (11 per set) and freshman Nia McCardell leading all players with 16 digs.
Lennon recorded her 1,500th career kill in set two, becoming just the fifth player in program history to reach the milestone.
Lennon (1,505 kills) will enter play on Monday just four kills shy of moving past Karolina Zelinka (1,508 kills) for fourth place on the Rice all-time kills list and 22 away from Kelly Smith (1,526 kills) for third place.
Set 1
Rice hit a blistering .500 in the opening frame with Lennon and Adekunle recording four kills apiece. Middle blocker Satasha Kostelecky also added three kills on four attacks and the owls posted a sideout percentage of 76 percent. Graham orchestrated the offense by churning out 13 assists while Tech committed seven errors and hit -.040 in a 25-12 Rice victory.
Set 2
The Owls never trailed en route to a 25-17 victory to take a commanding 2-0 match lead. Lennon totaled six kills on eight attacks while Adekunle and Ellie Bichelmeyer added three terminators apiece with Graham (7 assists) and Izzy Rawlings (7 assists) setting up the offense.
Set 3
Bichelmeyer (5 kills) and Adekunle (4 kills) helped put the match away by combining for nine kills on 14 swings as Graham dished out 13 more assists in Rice's match-clinching 25-17 victory.
The Owls face the Lady Techsters again tomorrow at 1 p.m. on CUSAtv.
-RiceOwls.com-
Team Stats
LATECH
RICE
Kills
26
47
Errors
17
10
Attempts
93
90
Hitting %
.097
.411
Points
30.0
58.0
Assists
24
46
Aces
2
6
Blocks
2.0
5.0
Game Leaders
Kills
13
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
5
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
L
/ Women's Volleyball
S
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