Garcia, Lennon Awarded Top Honors at Night of the Owl
4/3/2022 7:00:00 PM | Football, General, Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Swimming & Diving, Women's Track & Field, Women's Volleyball
HOUSTON – Rice student-athletes celebrated a successful year Sunday evening at the annual Night of the Owl event, presented by SAAC and the "R" Association. Senior football player Elijah Garcia and senior volleyball player Nicole Lennon took home the Bob Quin and Joyce Pounds Hardy awards, respectively.
Garcia, a native of San Antonio, Texas, took full advantage of an opportunity to return to Rice for a Super Senior season, earning consensus all-conference accolades while leading the Owls with career-best marks in tackles (67), sacks (5), sack yards (44), tackles for loss yards (47), total pressures (33), QB hits (9), and defensive snaps (791). His 67 tackles were the most for Rice interior defender since Dwaine Turner (90) in 1986 and the most for any interior defender in Conference USA during the regular season. He closed his career by playing 49 consecutive games, the last 27 as a starter, while earning the George R. Martin Award as the Team Most Valuable Player.
Garcia, who graduated with a Master of Accounting degree in the fall, was a member of the C-USA Honor Roll four times (2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021).
Lennon, from Katy, Texas, graduates from Rice as one of the all-time greats and the program's all-time leader in career kills with 2,144. This past season she earned VolleyballMag.com Third Team All-American honors and was named to American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Southwest Region Team, as well as the Conference USA First Team, for a fourth consecutive season. She ranked 19th in the NCAA in kills per set (4.44) and was 27th in the country in points per set (4.39) while helping guide the Owls to a magical season, advancing to the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament and a second straight C-USA West division crown.
Off the court, Lennon was a Senior CLASS Award finalist for displaying excellence in the community, classroom, character, and competition. She also earned a spot on the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team for a second straight year, as well as the C-USA All-Academic Team for a third consecutive season.
Trey Schuman (football) and Ahalya Lettenberger (swimming) were honored with the Dr. Hubert E. Bray and Margie E. Sass Scholar Athlete of the Year awards, recognizing them as Rice's top student-athletes.
Lettenberger was also the recipient of the Leland Winston, MD Courage and Diligence Award, presented to the student-athlete who displayed exceptional courage and diligence in the face of a serious injury.
Carl Pierre (men's basketball) and Josie Taylor (women's track and field) were named the Male and Female Newcomers of the Year.
The Stancliff-Sass and Stancliff-Duckett "R" Association Scholarships went to Lennon (volleyball) and Jacob Doddridge (football) respectively. Doddridge also received the Clanton/Winston Medical School Scholarship.
Rice women's basketball coach Lindsay Edmonds was named Head Coach of the Year in her first season with the Owls, while volleyball associate head coach Zheng Xiang was named Assistant Coach of the Year.
The evening also included the "Best Moment" award, which went to Lettenberger for winning a silver medal in the 200m individual medley at the Paralympics in Tokyo.
Night of the Owl Award Recipients
Joyce Pounds Hardy Award – Nicole Lennon (volleyball)
Bob Quin Award – Elijah Garcia (football)
Best Moment Award – Ahalya Lettenberger earns silver medal at Paralympics
Stancliff-Duckett "R" Association Scholarship – Jacob Doddridge (football)
Stancliff-Sass "R" Association Scholarship – Nicole Lennon (volleyball)
Clanton/Winston Medical School Scholarship – Jacob Doddridge (football)
The Leland Winston, MD Courage & Diligence Award – Ahalya Lettenberger (swimming)
Head Coach of the Year – Lindsay Edmonds (women's basketball)
Assistant Coach of the Year – Zheng Xiang (volleyball)
Male Newcomer of the Year – Carl Pierre (men's basketball)
Female Newcomer of the Year – Josie Taylor (women's track and field)
Margie E. Sass (Female) Scholar Athlete – Ahalya Lettenberger (swimming)
Dr. Hubert E. Bray (Male) Scholar Athlete – Trey Schuman (football)
-RiceOwls.com-
Garcia, a native of San Antonio, Texas, took full advantage of an opportunity to return to Rice for a Super Senior season, earning consensus all-conference accolades while leading the Owls with career-best marks in tackles (67), sacks (5), sack yards (44), tackles for loss yards (47), total pressures (33), QB hits (9), and defensive snaps (791). His 67 tackles were the most for Rice interior defender since Dwaine Turner (90) in 1986 and the most for any interior defender in Conference USA during the regular season. He closed his career by playing 49 consecutive games, the last 27 as a starter, while earning the George R. Martin Award as the Team Most Valuable Player.
Garcia, who graduated with a Master of Accounting degree in the fall, was a member of the C-USA Honor Roll four times (2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021).
Lennon, from Katy, Texas, graduates from Rice as one of the all-time greats and the program's all-time leader in career kills with 2,144. This past season she earned VolleyballMag.com Third Team All-American honors and was named to American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Southwest Region Team, as well as the Conference USA First Team, for a fourth consecutive season. She ranked 19th in the NCAA in kills per set (4.44) and was 27th in the country in points per set (4.39) while helping guide the Owls to a magical season, advancing to the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament and a second straight C-USA West division crown.
Off the court, Lennon was a Senior CLASS Award finalist for displaying excellence in the community, classroom, character, and competition. She also earned a spot on the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team for a second straight year, as well as the C-USA All-Academic Team for a third consecutive season.
Trey Schuman (football) and Ahalya Lettenberger (swimming) were honored with the Dr. Hubert E. Bray and Margie E. Sass Scholar Athlete of the Year awards, recognizing them as Rice's top student-athletes.
Lettenberger was also the recipient of the Leland Winston, MD Courage and Diligence Award, presented to the student-athlete who displayed exceptional courage and diligence in the face of a serious injury.
Carl Pierre (men's basketball) and Josie Taylor (women's track and field) were named the Male and Female Newcomers of the Year.
The Stancliff-Sass and Stancliff-Duckett "R" Association Scholarships went to Lennon (volleyball) and Jacob Doddridge (football) respectively. Doddridge also received the Clanton/Winston Medical School Scholarship.
Rice women's basketball coach Lindsay Edmonds was named Head Coach of the Year in her first season with the Owls, while volleyball associate head coach Zheng Xiang was named Assistant Coach of the Year.
The evening also included the "Best Moment" award, which went to Lettenberger for winning a silver medal in the 200m individual medley at the Paralympics in Tokyo.
Night of the Owl Award Recipients
Joyce Pounds Hardy Award – Nicole Lennon (volleyball)
Bob Quin Award – Elijah Garcia (football)
Best Moment Award – Ahalya Lettenberger earns silver medal at Paralympics
Stancliff-Duckett "R" Association Scholarship – Jacob Doddridge (football)
Stancliff-Sass "R" Association Scholarship – Nicole Lennon (volleyball)
Clanton/Winston Medical School Scholarship – Jacob Doddridge (football)
The Leland Winston, MD Courage & Diligence Award – Ahalya Lettenberger (swimming)
Head Coach of the Year – Lindsay Edmonds (women's basketball)
Assistant Coach of the Year – Zheng Xiang (volleyball)
Male Newcomer of the Year – Carl Pierre (men's basketball)
Female Newcomer of the Year – Josie Taylor (women's track and field)
Margie E. Sass (Female) Scholar Athlete – Ahalya Lettenberger (swimming)
Dr. Hubert E. Bray (Male) Scholar Athlete – Trey Schuman (football)
-RiceOwls.com-
Players Mentioned
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