NOTES - Volleyball Sets for Home Finales Versus Wichita State

UP NEXT
Rice (17-9, 11-5 AAC) returns home to the Tudor Fieldhouse to host Wichita State (19-7, 13-3 AAC) on Friday, Nov. 17, at 6 p.m. (CT), and Saturday, Nov. 18, at 2 p.m. (CT). Both matches will be streamed on ESPN+.

THE NUMBERS TELL THE STORY
As a team, the Owls currently lead the nation in digs per set with 18.45. They are also 13th in the nation in opponent hitting percentage (.156) and 18th in total attacks per set (37.35). Senior libero Nia McCardell leads the American and is 2132nd in the country in digs per set (4.83). Senior outside hitter Danyle Courtley is fourth in the AAC in kills per set (3.64) and sixth in points per set (3.92). During conference play, graduate senior right side hitter Emilia Weske ranks fourth in the conference in both points per set (4.63) and kills per set (3.98). Sophomore setter Darby Harris ranks sixth in the AAC during conference play with 9.20 assists per set.

MAJOR MILESTONE
With her first dig in Rice's first matchup against Tulane, senior libero Nia McCardell recorded her 1,500th dig in her four-year career as an Owl. McCardell is only the fifth Owl ever to reach the 1,500-dig plateau and currently sits in fourth place on the all-time career digs list at Rice with 1,561. McCardell trails Lee Ann Cunningham (1,665), Daniela Arenas (2,162) and Tracey Lam (2,399).

RECORD CHASERS
The Owls are chasing several team season records down the stretch. Rice's current total of 100 solo blocks ranks second all-time in program history. The Owls trail only the mark set by the 1989 of 114 solo blocks. Additionally, with 1,827 digs so far this season, the Owls are bearing down on the top-10 season totals for digs in program history. The 2017 team holds the 10th spot on the all-time list for the Owls with 2,052 digs, while the 2006 squad holds the all-time record with 2,353 digs.

HOT STREAKS
Senior outside hitter Danyle Courtley has eclipsed 10 kills in 10 consecutive matches, hitrting .230 with 161 kills over that span for an average of 3.66 kills per set. In the past four matches, graduate senior right side hitter Emilia Weske has led the Owls with 72 kills, including a career-high 28 kills in Rice's first match at North Texas. Weske is hitting .231 and averaging 4.00 kills per set in the past four contests.

SPREAD IT AROUND
Five different Owls have led the team in kills this season on at least one occasion. Senior outside hitter Danyle Courtley leads the team with 12 matches as Rice's leading killer. Graduate senior right side hitter Emilia Weske ranks second with eight times leading the team in kills, with senior outside hitter Sahara Maruska close behind with four matches leading the team. Junior right side hitter Lola Foord and freshman outside hitter Cindy Tchouangwa have each led the Owls in kills one time this season.

BLASTS FROM THE PAST
Rice and Wichita State met in the opening round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament, the Owls' second-ever appearance in the Big Dance. The Shockers won the postseason matchup, 3-1 (25-19,16-25,21-25,21-25), before falling to third-seeded Texas in the following round.

ICYMI
Rice dropped a pair of five-set heartbreakers at North Texas last weekend. Graduate senior right side hitter Emilia Weske led the Owls on the weekend, totaling 43 kills, including a career-high 28 in the first contest of the weekend. Weske hit .268 across the two matches and recorded a team-best six aces alongside seven blocks and 15 digs. Senior outside hitter Danyle Courtley tallied 33 kills on a .222 hitting percentage. Junior middle blocker Kaitlyn Knobbe led the team with nine total blocks, also hitting .500 on 22 attempts for 13 kills. Sophomore setter Darby Harris posted another pair of double-doubles, now totalling 17 on the year, and posted a total of 82 assists and 25 digs on the weekend. Senior libero Nia McCardell led the Owls with 33 digs. As a team, Rice hit .197 across the two matches with 109 kills on 102 assists. The Owls registered 16 total blocks, 122 digs and 14 service aces in the two matches at North Texas.

CAREER MARKS
Several Owls recorded career-best performances last week against the Mean Green. Graduate senior right side hitter Emilia Weske set new career-highs of 28 kills and 34.0 total points. Junior middle blocker Kaitlyn Knobbe also tied her career-best one assist in the contest. In game two, freshman middle blocker tied her career high with two kills. Senior outside hitter Danyle Courtley tied her previous best with four blocks and freshman defensive specialist Campbell Love tied her career high of one service ace.

DOUBLE DOWN
Six Owls have recorded double-doubles in their career. Sophomore setter Darby Harris leads Rice this season with 17 double-doubles, comprising her career total. Harris has recorded a double-double in 14 of her past 17 matches. Senior outside hitter Sahara Maruska holds the lead in career double-doubles among current Owls, registering 19 in her career, including nine this season. Graduate senior right side hitter Emilia Weske has registered seven double-doubles in her time at Rice in addition to four double-doubles while at USC. Senior setter Izzy Rawlings recorded her first two double-doubles in her career earlier this season (FGCU, Long Island) and senior defensive specialist Nia McCardell also recorded her first career double-double against Charlotte. Senior outside hitter Danyle Courtley notched her second career double-double earlier this season against SMU.

HANDLING THE PEER PRESSURE
Dating back to 2014 the Owls are 116-26 (.817) in conference play, which includes a 61-7 (.897) record over the last five seasons. Rice has won 50 of their last 56 matches in conference play.

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.

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 top-25 ranked teams in Stanford, Texas and Baylor.

HOME SWEET HOME
Since 2018, the Owls have protected their home court, holding a 67-9 (.882) mark. In fact, since 2014, they are 111-21 (.835). Rice has been even better on their home court against conference opponents, having won 28 of its last 29 home conference matches dating back to the 2020-21 spring season. Since the 2015 season, Rice is 58-3 (.951) in conference home matches.

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

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.

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.

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