Rice University
Houston Christian
PREVIEW: Volleyball's 2024 Campaign Begins at Rice Invitational I
8/29/2024 3:30:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
The Owls will take on in-state foes Houston Christian and Texas State
Location: Houston, Texas (Tudor Fieldhouse)
Video Stream: ESPN+
Live Stats: SIDEARM Stats
Series: Rice leads, 15-0
Last Meeting: Rice won, 3-0 (Sept. 8, 2023)
Match 2 | Rice Owls vs. (RV) Texas State Bobcats | Saturday, Aug. 31 | 3 p.m.
Location: Houston, Texas (Tudor Fieldhouse)
Video Stream: ESPN+
Live Stats: SIDEARM Stats
Series: Series tied, 17-17-1
Last Meeting: Rice won, 3-0 (Sept. 3, 2019)
MATCH NOTES
TOP OF THE PACK
Rice was voted as the favorite in the American Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll for the first time since joining the conference. The Owls warned eight of the 12 available first place votes (coaches could not vote for their own team).
WE'RE NUMBER ONE
Rice led the nation in digs per set with 18.56 in 2023. Houston Christian, Rice's first opponent of the season, was sixth in the nation in the same category with 17.75 digs per set. Texas State was ranked 51st in the category with 15.85 digs per set.
LOCK DOWN
Another statistical category the Owls dominated in last season was opponent hitting percentage, with the Owls only allowing its opponents to hit at a low .159. Rice led the American Athletic Conference with that mark, while ranking 13th in the nation.
BLUE STREAK
Rice had impressive streaks through the 2023 campaign, including a nine-game win streak that included its first seven games in AAC competition. Darby Harris finished the season with 16 double-doubles in 17 games, Danyle Courtley had double-digit kills in the final 13 games for the Owls, and Nia Cardell had double-digit digs in all but one match last season, including in the final 14 matches.
HOME SWEET HOME
Since 2018, the Owls have protected their home court, holding a 68-10 (.872) mark. In fact, since 2014, they are 112-22 (.836). Rice has been even better on their home court against conference opponents, having won 29 of its last 31 home conference matches dating back to the 2020-21 spring season. Since the 2015 season, Rice is 59-4 (.937) in conference home matches.
IN A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN
Since 2014, Rice has compiled a 117-28 (.807) record in conference play, including a 62-9 (.873) mark in the previous five seasons. In its last 59 conference matches, the Owls have only dropped eight matches.
SEEING DOUBLE
Junior setter Darby Harris led the AAC last season in double-doubles with 20. She ranked sixth nationally in that category.
CONFERENCE ACCOLADES
The Owls had a trio of players named to the AAC all-conference team. Graduate senior right side hitter Emilia Weske was a unanimous selection the first team. Senior outside hitter Danyle Courtley and senior libero Nia McCardell were each named All-AAC second team.
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 1,643. McCardell trails Lee Ann Cunningham (1,665), Daniela Arenas (2,162) and Tracey Lam (2,399). McCardell also ranks third in program history with 4.15 digs per set.
RECORD CHASERS
The Owls recorded several marks among the all-time best in program history in 2023. Rice's total of 108 solo blocks ranks second all-time in program history, trailing only the mark set by the 1989 squad of 114 solo blocks. The team also ranks eighth all-time at Rice with 2,097 digs on the season. The Owls also set the second-best mark in program history for home attendance, averaging 871 fans per contest at Tudor Fieldhouse.
