Volleyball Announces 2024 Fall Schedule
6/20/2024 9:50:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
HOUSTON, Texas — Rice volleyball announced its 2024 schedule on Thursday. The schedule features nine matches against teams who finished among the top 100 in RPI in the 2023 season and six matches against teams who competed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
The Owls will also play 10 matches against teams who appeared in the 2023 NIVC Tournament, resulting in a total of 16 matches against opponents who played in the postseason last year.
The season begins with the Rice Invitational I on August 30-31. Rice kicks off the season against Houston Christian on Friday, Aug. 30, before taking on Texas State on Saturday, Aug. 31. Rice will also host a trio of neutral matches between HCU, Texas State and Texas Southern as part of the weekend.
Rice then hosts Baylor, who finished the 2023 season ranked 23rd in the nation and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, at Tudor Fieldhouse on Tuesday, Sept. 3. The two sides have met five times in the past four seasons, including in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2022.
The homestand continues with the Rice Invitational II where the Owls will host South Alabama on Thursday, Sept. 5, before facing UNLV on Saturday, Sept. 7. Rice will also host a neutral match between South Alabama and UNLV on Friday, Sept. 6.
After starting the season with a five-match homestand, the Owls first venture to the road for a pair of neutral matches in Louisville, Kentucky. Rice will face off against Creighton on Saturday, Sept. 14. The Bluejays reached the Sweet Sixteen in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, the farthest run of any Rice opponent this season. The Owls conclude their weekend in Kentucky against Northern Iowa on Sunday, Sept. 15.
Rice will then return to the Lone Star State to take on UT Arlington in Forth Worth on Friday, Sept. 20, before facing their first true road match of the season at TCU on Saturday, Sept. 21. The Horned Frogs are the last of six 2023 NCAA Tournament teams on the docket, joining Texas State, Baylor, South Alabama, Creighton and Northern Iowa.
The conference slate will begin on the road for the Owls as Rice begins AAC play at Tulane on Friday, Sept. 27. The Owls' conference home opener will follow that weekend against UTSA on Sunday, Sept. 29, at Tudor Fieldhouse. The conference schedule continues the following week with a pair of road matches at Tulsa on Friday, Oct. 4, and at Wichita State on Sunday, Oct. 6.
Rice returns home to host North Texas on Friday, Oct. 11, and East Carolina on Sunday, Oct. 13, before heading to the Sunshine State to take on South Florida on Wednesday, Oct. 16, and Florida Atlantic on Friday, Oct. 18.
Following the team's bye, the Owls will face the first of their repeat conference foes on Friday, Oct. 25, playing host to Tulane. Rice will face each of Tulane, UTSA, Wichita State, and North Texas twice during the regular season while facing the remainder of the AAC once only.
Rice then faces a short road trip to take on Temple on Sunday, Oct. 27, before again returning to Houston to host Charlotte on Friday, Nov. 1. A road match at UTSA on Sunday, Nov. 3, concludes a five-match streak of alternating home-and-away contests for the Owls.
Rice's home schedule concludes with a three-match homestand beginning with Wichita State on Friday, Nov. 8. The Owls will then face UAB on Sunday, Nov. 10, and Memphis on Friday, Nov. 15, to finish out the team's home matches. The Owls' regular season finale will take place at North Texas on Sunday, Nov. 17.
The Owls will compete in the AAC Tournament for the first time in program history this season, set to be hosted by Wichita State on Friday through Sunday, Nov. 22-24. The top eight teams in the conference will compete in the single-elimination tournament. The NCAA Tournament will then begin on Thursday, Dec. 5.
The Owls finished the 2023 campaign at 18-11, their ninth consecutive season finishing with at least 18 wins. With a 12-6 record in their first season in the AAC, the Owls finished third in the West division of the conference.
2024 RICE VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE
*Home games in BOLD AND ALL CAPS
The Owls will also play 10 matches against teams who appeared in the 2023 NIVC Tournament, resulting in a total of 16 matches against opponents who played in the postseason last year.
The season begins with the Rice Invitational I on August 30-31. Rice kicks off the season against Houston Christian on Friday, Aug. 30, before taking on Texas State on Saturday, Aug. 31. Rice will also host a trio of neutral matches between HCU, Texas State and Texas Southern as part of the weekend.
Rice then hosts Baylor, who finished the 2023 season ranked 23rd in the nation and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, at Tudor Fieldhouse on Tuesday, Sept. 3. The two sides have met five times in the past four seasons, including in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2022.
The homestand continues with the Rice Invitational II where the Owls will host South Alabama on Thursday, Sept. 5, before facing UNLV on Saturday, Sept. 7. Rice will also host a neutral match between South Alabama and UNLV on Friday, Sept. 6.
After starting the season with a five-match homestand, the Owls first venture to the road for a pair of neutral matches in Louisville, Kentucky. Rice will face off against Creighton on Saturday, Sept. 14. The Bluejays reached the Sweet Sixteen in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, the farthest run of any Rice opponent this season. The Owls conclude their weekend in Kentucky against Northern Iowa on Sunday, Sept. 15.
Rice will then return to the Lone Star State to take on UT Arlington in Forth Worth on Friday, Sept. 20, before facing their first true road match of the season at TCU on Saturday, Sept. 21. The Horned Frogs are the last of six 2023 NCAA Tournament teams on the docket, joining Texas State, Baylor, South Alabama, Creighton and Northern Iowa.
The conference slate will begin on the road for the Owls as Rice begins AAC play at Tulane on Friday, Sept. 27. The Owls' conference home opener will follow that weekend against UTSA on Sunday, Sept. 29, at Tudor Fieldhouse. The conference schedule continues the following week with a pair of road matches at Tulsa on Friday, Oct. 4, and at Wichita State on Sunday, Oct. 6.
Rice returns home to host North Texas on Friday, Oct. 11, and East Carolina on Sunday, Oct. 13, before heading to the Sunshine State to take on South Florida on Wednesday, Oct. 16, and Florida Atlantic on Friday, Oct. 18.
Following the team's bye, the Owls will face the first of their repeat conference foes on Friday, Oct. 25, playing host to Tulane. Rice will face each of Tulane, UTSA, Wichita State, and North Texas twice during the regular season while facing the remainder of the AAC once only.
Rice then faces a short road trip to take on Temple on Sunday, Oct. 27, before again returning to Houston to host Charlotte on Friday, Nov. 1. A road match at UTSA on Sunday, Nov. 3, concludes a five-match streak of alternating home-and-away contests for the Owls.
Rice's home schedule concludes with a three-match homestand beginning with Wichita State on Friday, Nov. 8. The Owls will then face UAB on Sunday, Nov. 10, and Memphis on Friday, Nov. 15, to finish out the team's home matches. The Owls' regular season finale will take place at North Texas on Sunday, Nov. 17.
The Owls will compete in the AAC Tournament for the first time in program history this season, set to be hosted by Wichita State on Friday through Sunday, Nov. 22-24. The top eight teams in the conference will compete in the single-elimination tournament. The NCAA Tournament will then begin on Thursday, Dec. 5.
The Owls finished the 2023 campaign at 18-11, their ninth consecutive season finishing with at least 18 wins. With a 12-6 record in their first season in the AAC, the Owls finished third in the West division of the conference.
2024 RICE VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE
| Friday, Aug. 30 | HCU | TUDOR FIELDHOUSE |
| Saturday, Aug. 31 | TEXAS STATE | TUDOR FIELDHOUSE |
| Tuesday, Sept. 3 | BAYLOR | TUDOR FIELDHOUSE |
| Thursday, Sept. 5 | SOUTH ALABAMA | TUDOR FIELDHOUSE |
| Saturday, Sept. 7 | UNLV | TUDOR FIELDHOUSE |
| Saturday, Sept. 14 | vs. Creighton | Louisville, Kentucky |
| Sunday, Sept. 15 | vs. Northern Iowa | Louisville, Kentucky |
| Friday, Sept. 20 | vs. UT Arlington | Fort Worth, Texas |
| Saturday, Sept. 21 | at TCU | Fort Worth, Texas |
| Friday, Sept. 27 | at Tulane | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Sunday, Sept. 29 | UTSA | TUDOR FIELDHOUSE |
| Friday, Oct. 4 | at Tulsa | Tulsa, Oklahoma |
| Sunday, Oct. 6 | at Wichita State | Wichita, Kansas |
| Friday, Oct. 11 | NORTH TEXAS | TUDOR FIELDHOUSE |
| Sunday, Oct. 13 | EAST CAROLINA | TUDOR FIELDHOUSE |
| Wednesday, Oct. 16 | at South Florida | Tampa, Florida |
| Friday, Oct. 18 | at FAU | Boca Raton, Florida |
| Friday, Oct. 25 | TULANE | TUDOR FIELDHOUSE |
| Sunday, Oct. 27 | at Temple | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Friday, Nov. 1 | CHARLOTTE | TUDOR FIELDHOUSE |
| Sunday, Nov. 3 | at UTSA | San Antonio, Texas |
| Friday, Nov. 8 | WICHITA STATE | TUDOR FIELDHOUSE |
| Sunday, Nov. 10 | UAB | TUDOR FIELDHOUSE |
| Friday, Nov. 15 | MEMPHIS | TUDOR FIELDHOUSE |
| Sunday, Nov. 17 | at North Texas | Denton, Texas |
| Fri-Sun, Nov. 22-24 | AAC Championship | Wichita, Kansas |
| Dec. 5 | NCAA Tournament Begins | TBA |
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