Preview | Owls Head West for Oregon Invitational

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Women's Volleyball

vs #8 Seed UTSA

Nov 21

11 AM

Match 4 | vs. UC Davis Aggies | Friday, Sept. 2, 6 p.m. (CT)
Location: Eugene, OR (Matthew Knight Arena)
Video Stream: None
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
Series: First Meeting

Match 5 | at No. 18 Oregon Ducks | Saturday, Sept. 3, 8 p.m.
Location: Eugene, OR (Matthew Knight Arena)
Video Stream: UO Live Stream
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
Series: Oregon leads, 3-0; Last Meeting: Oregon won 3-1 (9/2/21)

SETTING THE SCENE
The Owls (3-0) head to Eugene, Oregon this weekend to partake in the Oregon Invitational. Rice will face both UC Davis (3-0) and No. 18 Oregon (2-0) in consecutive days.

Rice's match with UC Davis will be the first ever between the two schools while the Owls will be looking to avenge a 3-1 home loss to Oregon last season.

The Aggies defeated UT-Arlington, North Dakota, and Montana at a tournament last weekend in Missoula, MT and are led offensively by redshirt junior outside hitter Demari Webb (42 kills).

The Ducks have won their first two matches of the season, narrowly escaping Long Beach State with a five-set victory in the season opener. Oregon is hitting .302 as a team thus far and are led by the reigning Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week, senior outside hitter Brooke Nuneviller.

NOTES

Rice has started a season 3-0 for the eighth time in program history.
The Owls continue to receiving votes (58) in the most recent AVCA Coaches Poll.
Following a weekend in which the Rice Owls volleyball team started the season 3-0, junior libero Nia McCardell was recognized as the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week per league announcement on Monday. McCardell, a native of Missouri City, Texas (Ridge Point HS), anchored the back line of the Rice defense by accumulating 46 digs across 11 sets as the Owls defeated Houston, Samford, and host LSU to win the Tiger Classic crown. The junior averaged 4.18 digs per set and post double-figure digs in each of the three victories.
Rice was picked to finish second in the Conference USA Preseason Poll behind WKU, receiving two first place votes.
Fifth year seniors Carly Graham (setter) and Anota Adekunle (middle blocker), along with senior right side Ellie Bichelmeyer were all named to the C-USA Preseason Team on Wednesday.
Rice has appeared in the NCAA Tournament four consecutive seasons, the last three of which have come via an at-large bid. Last season the Owls swept San Diego in the opening round of the tournament to advance to the Round of 32 for the second time in the last three seasons.
The Owls are one of only three programs in the state of Texas to qualify for the NCAA Tournament in each of the last four seasons, joining Texas and Baylor. Additionally, Rice is one of just 21 programs across Division I to reach the NCAA Tournament in each of the last four seasons.
Rice finished last season with an RPI ranking of 23.
Dating back to 2014 the Owls are 92-20 (.821) in Conference USA play, which includes a 47-3 (.940) record the last three seasons. Rice has won 26 consecutive C-USA regular season contests dating back to the 2019 season.
Senior setter Carly Graham ranked 14th in the NCAA in assists per set (11.10) last season and was a big reason why the Owls ranked 5th in the NCAA in both kills per set (14.38). In addition, the Rice offense was 9th in the country in hitting percentage (.287).
Adekunle is Rice's all-time leader in hitting percentage (.406), a mark that ranks fifth in the country among active NCAA Division I players. She's now just 21 kills away from 1,000 for her career.
Rice returns eight letterwinners and four starters from last season's NCAA Tournament team.
Head Coach Genny Volpe is in her 19th season with the Owls and is the school's all-time leader in total wins (352) and winning percentage (.644).

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