Owls to Host No. 13 Oregon, SMU at Adidas Invitational I

Calendar

Women's Volleyball

vs #9 TCU

Sep 20

4 PM

Houston, Texas

Women's Volleyball

vs Temple

Sep 26

6 PM

Houston, Texas

Women's Volleyball

vs Tulsa

Sep 28

2 PM

Houston, Texas

Women's Volleyball

at UAB

Oct 3

7 PM

Birmingham, Ala.

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

Match 3 | vs. No. 13 Oregon Ducks | Thursday, Sept. 2, 6 p.m. (CT)
Location: Houston, Texas (Tudor Fieldhouse)
Buy Tickets: RiceOwls.com
Video Stream: CUSAtv
Live Stats: S idearm
Series: Oregon leads, 2-0 (Last Meeting: Lost (3-2), 9/7/96)

Match 4 | vs. SMU Mustangs | Saturday, Sept. 4, 1 p.m.
Location: Houston, Texas (Tudor Fieldhouse)
Buy Tickets: RiceOwls.com
Video Stream: CUSAtv
Live Stats: S idearm
Series: Rice leads, 24-13 (Last Meeting: Lost (3-0), 1/30/21)

**Fans will be required to wear masks and practice physical distancing while observing this week's matches.No concessions will be available for all three matches.

SETTING THE SCENE
The Owls, who are receiving votes in the AVCA Top-25, return to Houston for their home-opening Adidas Invitational I tournament, welcoming in No. 13 Oregon and SMU. Rice will face No. 13 Oregon on Thursday (6 p.m.) and former Southwest Conference foe SMU on Saturday (1 p.m.). Oregon and SMU will also face each other Friday at 2 p.m.

Rice is coming off an 0-2 start at the South Carolina Classic, narrowly falling to now No. 7 Pittsburgh in five grueling sets before dropping a four-set match to host South Carolina.

NOTES

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 within league play in program history.
Rice senior outside hitter Nicole Lennon was once again named the C-USA Preseason Player of the Year, marking the second time in her illustrious career. Lennon, who also became the first Owl to receive AVCA Third Team All-American honors last season, earned the C-USA Postseason Player of the Year award last year. Lennon ranked second in C-USA last season in points per set (5.03), total kills (329), total points (387.5), kills per set (4.27), attacks per set (10.97), and total attacks (845).
In addition to Lennon, junior setter Carly Graham and junior middle blocker Anota Adekunle were both selected to the C-USA Preseason Team. Graham earned her first C-USA Preseason Team nod after a season in which she received C-USA Setter of the Year honors. A VolleyballMag.com Honorable Mention All-American last year, Graham orchestrated a Rice offense that ranked 19th in the NCAA in hitting percentage (.268) and earned C-USA First Team and AVCA Southwest Region accolades in her first full season as the Owls primary setter. Adekunle returns for a fourth season as a stabilizing force in the middle for the Owls. She earned VolleyballMag.com Honorable Mention All-American honors last spring following a season in which she ranked fourth in the NCAA Division I in hitting percentage (.463). Adekunle was named to the AVCA All-Region Team and the C-USA First Team after a season in which she hit .300 or better in 14 of 17 matches played.
The Owls have a loaded non-conference schedule in 2021 and are slated to face four teams currently ranked in the AVCA Top-25.
Rice returns 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 (329) and winning percentage (.637). She notched her ninth, 20-plus win season for the Owls last year while collecting her 300th career win. Volpe graduated from Texas A&M and was a four-year letterwinner as a setter and outside hitter from 1990-93.

-RiceOwls.com-

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Recent Results