NOTES - Volleyball Ready to Host FAU - Rice University Athletics

UP NEXT
Rice returns home to Tudor Fieldhouse for a single match this weekend as they host Florida Atlantic (11-9, 3-4 AAC) on Friday, Oct. 13, at 6 p.m. (CT).

TALLYING THE VOTES
Rice received votes in the latest AVCA/Taraflex Top 25 Poll, the Owls' seventh straight week receiving votes in the coaches poll. The Owls received nine votes in the latest Top 25.

DIG DEEP
As a team, the Owls currently lead the nation in digs per set with 19.14. They are also third in opponent hitting percentage at .139 and 23rd in blocks per set at 2.64.

Senior libero Nia McCardell leads the American and is 12th in the country in digs per set (5.22). Senior outside hitter Danyle Courtley is fourth in the AAC in both kills per set (3.59) and points per set (3.95). Junior middle blocker Kaitlyn Knobbe now ranks fifth in the AAC with 1.14 blocks per set.

CONFERENCE ACCOLADES
Senior libero Nia McCardell and graduate student right side hitter Emilia Weske were each named to the AAC Honor Roll last week. Weske tallied 34 total kills on the weekend with a .282 hitting percentage. The native of Potsdam, Germany, also finished the weekend with 19 digs, four assists and one ace. Weske started the week with nine kills, three assists and an ace in Rice's 3-1 win over Memphis. In the Owls' 3-1 victory at Charlotte, Weske set a new career-high with 25 kills, hitting .365 on 52 attempts. Weske also recorded her third double-double this season in the contest, registering 11 digs alongside two block assists.

McCardell again led the Owls in digs for the week, as the product of Missouri City, Texas, recorded 37 total digs across the two matches. McCardell also made 35 receival attempts with only one error, recording a .971 receiving percentage. McCardell recorded 14 assists and three aces for the weekend. Against the Tigers, McCardell finished with 19 digs, four assists and one ace, also registering a perfect 1.000 receival percentage for the match. She followed up the performance by recording her first career double-double against the 49ers. McCardell finished the match with 18 digs and 10 assists. The senior also recorded back-to-back aces in the deciding fourth set to help the Owls extend their winning streak to nine matches.

HANDLING THE PEER PRESSURE
Dating back to 2016 the Owls are 112-21 (.842) in conference play, which includes a 57-2 (.966) record over the last five seasons. Rice has won eight consecutive regular season conference matches and 45 of their last 46.

LEGEND AT THE HELM
Head Coach Genny Volpe is in her 20th season with the Owls and is the school's all-time leader in total wins (387) and winning percentage (.656).

ICYMI
Rice posted a pair of 3-1 wins last week on the road at Memphis and Charlotte. The Owls began the week at Memphis, winning in four sets (25-18, 20-25, 25-9, 25-14) at the Larry O. Finch Center in Memphis, Tennessee. The Owls hit .257 with 39 kills while holding the Tigers to .060 hitting. Senior outside hitter Sahara Maruska powered the Owl offense, tallying 14 kills on a .333 hitting percentage to go along with three total blocks and six digs. Graduate senior Emilia Weske added nine kills and eight digs and junior middle blocker Kaitlyn Knobbe recorded seven kills and five blocks, tying for the team lead in blocks alongside graduate senior middle blocker Satasha Kostelecky. Senior defensive specialist Nia McCardell again anchored Rice's defense with 19 digs, while sophomore defensive specialist Gaby Mansfield added 13 digs.

Two days later, Rice won, 3-1 (25-19, 25-20, 19-25, 25-17) at Charlotte to extend their winning streak to nine matches. The Owls hit .205 for the match with 57 kills, their most in a four-set match this season. Rice also notched six solo blocks, tied for their highest this season, and recorded 12 total blocks on the afternoon. The Owls had 79 digs, their highest mark in a four-set match this season. The 49ers, meanwhile, hit .149 with 48 kills in the match. Weske led the Owls with a career-high 25 kills, hitting .365 on 52 attempts. Maruska recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 11 kills and 17 digs. Senior outside hitter Danyle Courtley also hit double figures in kills with 13, adding one solo block and three block assists. Junior middle blocker Kelsey Knobbe led the Owls with eight blocks featuring two solo blocks and six block assists. McCardell and sophomore Darby Harris each recorded double-doubles in digs and assists with McCardell recording 18 digs and 10 assists, while Harris finished with 21 digs and 39 assists.

MEASURING UP
The Owls are 15-14 against Power 5 schools dating back to 2019 and have recorded five Top-25 victories during that stretch.

When the Owls defeated then-No. 22 USC on Aug. 26, it was their 10th win against a ranked opponent, with nine of them coming with Head Coach Genny Volpe at the helm. This season, Rice has also faced No. 5 Stanford, No. 6 Texas and No. 16 Baylor.

THEIR REPUTATION PRECEDES THEM
Graduate student Emilia Weske (right side) and seniors Danyle Courtley (outside hitter), Nia McCardell (libero) and Sahara Maruska (outside hitter) were all named to the American Preseason Team. The four members were the most of any school in the AAC and the most Owls on a preseason all-conference team since also placing four on the 2016 Preseason All-Conference USA team.

The Owls were picked to finish second in the West Division of the American Athletic Conference Preseason Poll behind SMU, receiving six first place votes.

DANCING FEVER
Rice has appeared in the NCAA Tournament in five consecutive seasons. Last season the Owls defeated Colorado in the opening round of the tournament to advance to the Round of 32 for the third time in the last four 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 five seasons, joining Texas and Baylor. Additionally, Rice is one of just 18 programs across Division I to reach the NCAA Tournament in each of the last five seasons.

BEEN HERE BEFORE
Rice returned nine letterwinners and four starters from last season's NCAA Tournament team.

OWLS IN THE RICE INVITATIONAL
The Owls swept the Rice Invitational, defeating both Houston Christian and Atlantic Sun preseason favorite Florida Gulf Coast in straight sets. Rice has won 10 consecutive matches in the Invite dating back to 2021 and 23 of 24 dating back to 2017.

DOUBLE DOWN
Five Owls have recorded double-doubles in their career. Setter Darby Harris has recorded eight double-doubles in her career, all coming this year. Outside hitter Sahara Maruska has 14 double-doubles in her career, including four this season. Right side hitter Emilia Weske has two double-doubles this year and six in her career, having also recorded four at USC. Setter Izzy Rawlings has posted the first two double-doubles of her career this year. Outside hitter Danyle Courtley has one, notching her only double-double in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last year against No. 17 Baylor.

HOME SWEET HOME
Since 2018, the Owls have protected their home court, holding a 61-8 (.884) mark. In fact, since 2014, they are 105-20 (.840). Rice has been even better on their home court against conference opponents, having won its last 22 matches dating back to the 2020-21 spring season. Since the 2015 season, Rice is 52-2 (.963) in conference home matches.

FOREIGN TOUR
In June Rice completed an 11-day tour through Brazil, Rice's first foreign tour since visiting Italy in 2019. The Owls played five matches against national and professional teams while visiting Sao Paulo, Rio de Janiero, Saquarema and Arraial do Cabo.

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