Wednesday, September 22
Houston, TX
6:00 P.M. CT
Rice University
vs
No. 1 Texas
Photo by: Maria Lysaker
Owls Set to Host No. 1 Texas on Wednesday
9/21/2021 11:06:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Second-ever meeting vs. top nationally ranked team
Match 10 | vs. No. 1 Texas Longhorns | Wednesday, Sept. 22, 6 p.m.
Location: Houston, Texas (Tudor Fieldhouse)
Video Stream: ESPN+ (Matt Pedersen and Shelby Coppedge)
Live Stats: Sidearm
Series: Texas leads, 36-2 (Last Meeting: Rice Won (3-2), 3/23/21)
**Fans will be required to wear masks and practice physical distancing while observing Wednesday's match.
All tickets available for sale are sold out for tomorrow's match. Student section seating is still available and open for students to attend the match.
SETTING THE SCENE
For a third straight season the Owls (5-4) will take on the Texas Longhorns (8-0) when they host the No. 1 team in the country this Wednesday evening. Rice has defeated Texas in each of the last two meetings, beating the No. 3 Longhorns in five sets (25-22, 25-18, 13-25, 14-25, 15-13) at Tudor Fieldhouse on Sept. 18, 2019 and then defeating then No. 2 Texas this spring (3/23) once again in five sets (10-25, 25-16, 25-23, 14-25, 15-13) in Austin.
The Owls had lost the prior 36 meetings with the Longhorns before defeating them in each of the last two seasons. Rice's win in Austin this spring snapped Texas' 33-match home winning streak in regular season contests.
This will mark just the second time Rice has played the No. 1 ranked team in the country, having lost in five sets (30-23, 30-32, 26-30, 30-28, 15-11) to then No. 1 Minnesota on Sept. 17, 2004 at the Hurricane Frances Invitational in Baton Rouge, LA. That was Coach Volpe's first season at the helm for the Owls.
NOTES
Location: Houston, Texas (Tudor Fieldhouse)
Video Stream: ESPN+ (Matt Pedersen and Shelby Coppedge)
Live Stats: Sidearm
Series: Texas leads, 36-2 (Last Meeting: Rice Won (3-2), 3/23/21)
**Fans will be required to wear masks and practice physical distancing while observing Wednesday's match.
All tickets available for sale are sold out for tomorrow's match. Student section seating is still available and open for students to attend the match.
SETTING THE SCENE
For a third straight season the Owls (5-4) will take on the Texas Longhorns (8-0) when they host the No. 1 team in the country this Wednesday evening. Rice has defeated Texas in each of the last two meetings, beating the No. 3 Longhorns in five sets (25-22, 25-18, 13-25, 14-25, 15-13) at Tudor Fieldhouse on Sept. 18, 2019 and then defeating then No. 2 Texas this spring (3/23) once again in five sets (10-25, 25-16, 25-23, 14-25, 15-13) in Austin.
The Owls had lost the prior 36 meetings with the Longhorns before defeating them in each of the last two seasons. Rice's win in Austin this spring snapped Texas' 33-match home winning streak in regular season contests.
This will mark just the second time Rice has played the No. 1 ranked team in the country, having lost in five sets (30-23, 30-32, 26-30, 30-28, 15-11) to then No. 1 Minnesota on Sept. 17, 2004 at the Hurricane Frances Invitational in Baton Rouge, LA. That was Coach Volpe's first season at the helm for the Owls.
NOTES
- Rice has played a daunting non-conference schedule this fall and are slated to face four teams currently ranked in the AVCA Preseason Top-15: current No. 4 Pittsburgh (lost 3-2), current No. 13 Oregon (lost 3-1), No. 12 Baylor (lost 3-0), and now No. 1 Texas this week at Tudor Fieldhouse. In addition, the Owls have already faced South Carolina (lost 3-1), who spent time in the Top-25 and are currently receiving votes.
- The Owls are receiving votes for a fourth straight week in the latest AVCA Coaches' Poll.
- After starting the season 0-3 the Owls have won 5 of their last 6 matches and are 15-3 in their 18 sets played.
- Senior outside hitter Nicole Lennon ranks second among active NCAA Division I players in career kills with 1,871, trailing only Baylor's Yossiana Pressley (2,079). Lennon is also approaching the Rice school record for career kills, which is held by Rebeca Pazo (1,969 kills), who played from 2001-04. This season Lennon ranks 25th in the NCAA in kills per set (4.37) and is 11th in attacks per set (12.67).
- Junior setter Carly Graham is second among C-USA players in assists per set (10.52) and leads the Owls with five double-doubles. She's a big reason why the Owls ranks 13th in the NCAA in kills per set (14.16) and 15th in assists per set (12.94).
- Junior middle blocker Anota Adekunle is once again having an efficient offensive season and ranks 37th in the NCAA in hitting percentage (.405). Adekunle is Rice's all-time leader in hitting percentage (.407), a mark that ranks fourth in the country among active NCAA Division I players. Adekunle also leads the Owls in total blocks (30) and blocks per set (1.07).
- Freshman libero/DS Nia McCardell ranks fourth among C-USA players in digs per set (4.50).
-RiceOwls.com-
Players Mentioned
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