Thursday, April 1
Hattiesburg, MS
5 P.M. CT
Rice University
vs
Middle Tennessee (Quarterfinals)
Photo by: Maria Lysaker
Owls Open C-USA Championship as a No. 1 Seed
3/31/2021 10:37:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Watch Quarterfinals (ESPN+)Watch Semifinals (ESPN+)Watch Championship (ESPN+)C-USA Championship BracketC-USA Championship Central
To face Middle Tennessee in quarterfinals
Match 19 | (No. 24) Rice (14-4, 12-0) vs. Middle Tennessee (5-10, 4-8)
Date: April 1, 5 p.m.
Location: Hattiesburg, Mississippi (USM Wellness Center)
Quarterfinals Video Stream: ESPN+
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
Series: Rice leads, 7-2 (Last Meeting: W, 3-0, 10/13/19)
- 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 Hattiesburg, Miss. The No. 24 ranked Owls will open the C-USA Championship as a No. 1 seed and will face No. 4 Middle Tennessee for the first time this season.
- As of Mar. 28, the Owls (14-4) ranked 22nd in Division I in adjusted RPI. The Owls are also ranked No. 24 in the latest (3/29) American Volleyball Coaches Association Top-25 Poll, receiving 117 total votes. The Owls have now appeared in the AVCA Top-25 Poll 13 times over the last two seasons.
- Excluding the first four matches of the year when they were missing junior All-American middle blocker Anota Adekunle, the Owls have gone 13-1 with their lone loss coming to No. 6 Baylor in five sets in the second-to-last match of the season and highlighted by a victory over No. 2 Texas in the regular season finale. The victory over the Longhorns was Rice's second in the last two seasons and snapped Texas' 33-match home winning streak in regular season contests. Texas was undefeated (20-0) entering the match and had won 22 of their last 23 sets prior to that match.
- The Owls won all 12 matches during the Conference USA season, completing the first undefeated campaign within league play in program history to win the C-USA West Division title. During that stretch the Owls won 36 of the 41 sets they played. Rice is 65-13 (.833) against C-USA opponents dating back to the 2016 season.
- Senior outside hitter Nicole Lennon ranks second in NCAA Division I among active players in both career kills (1,692) and career attacks (4,473). On Wednesday she was named the C-USA Player of the Year for the second time in her career. This season, Lennon ranks 23rd in the NCAA in points per set (4.97).
- Adekunle ranks third in the country in career hitting percentage (.404) among active players and is sixth this season (.461).
- Graham earned C-USA Setter of the Year honors, becoming just the third Owl to accomplish the feat. The junior ranks second in C-USA in assists per set (10.10).
- In total, Rice had five players (Lennon, Graham, Adekunle, Ellie Bichelmeyer, Danyle Courtley) earn C-USA Postseason Awards on Wednesday.
- Genny Volpe is in her 17th season with the Owls and is the school's all-time leader in totals wins (327) and winning percentage (.637).
-RiceOwls.com-
Players Mentioned
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