Friday, August 30
Houston, Texas
7 PM
Rice University
1-0,0-0AAC
3
vs
2
Houston Christian
0-2,0-0Southland
1
2
3
4
5
F
Houston Christian
17
26
18
25
9
2
Rice
25
24
25
18
15
3
Photo by: Maria Lysaker
Volleyball Opens Season With Five-Set Nailbiting Victory Over HCU
8/30/2024 10:25:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Owls remain undefeated all-time against HCU
HOUSTON - It took all five sets, but the Rice Owls prevailed and earned a season-opening 3-2 victory over the Houston Christian Huskies on Friday night at Tudor Fieldhouse.
Sophomore middle blocker Lademi Ogunlana had a big night for the Owls, boasting a team-best .520 hitting percentage and finished the night leading all players in the game with 10 blocks and 22.5 total points.
Ogunlana and Kaitlyn Knobbe ended the night with 15 kills, leading the Owls in that category. Samarah Hill led all players in the game with 46 attacks.
Fifth year libero Nia McCardell picked up right where she left off from last season's performance, collecting 35 digs in the contest, 16 more than the player with the next most digs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST SET
The Owls came out as the aggressors in the first set, building as much as a 23-12 lead over the Huskies during the course of the set. Knobbe led the team with a .600 hitting percentage, helping the Owls set the tone offensively. Cindy Tchouangwa ended the first set with three service aces and Ogunlana led the Owls with two blocks.
SECOND SET
The Huskies were able to find an answer and fought back with four different players putting up high hitting percentages to tie the match. Six attacking errors by the Owls and were able to keep the Owls response at bay, but the story of the second set was the 13 ties that occurred over the course of the set. Neither team was able to pull away but HCU did enough to take the late victory in set two.
THIRD SET
The Owls punched back, highlighted by Knobbe and Ogunlana's .700+ hitting percentages and three total team blocks in this set. Ogunlana's eight kills also kept the Huskies' counterattack quiet, setting Rice up with a 2-1 lead after three sets.
FOURTH SET
The Huskies did mount a response and tie the match up after four sets, taking advantage of three service errors and five players on their side hitting at over a .250+ clip. HCU in the fourth set put up its highest team hitting percentage of the night, hitting at a .318 clip and putting up 17 total kills.
FIFTH SET
Rice shut down the Huskies and kept the hitters quiet with a .095 hitting percentage, while the Owls hit at a .346 margin. Ogunlana and Foord came up big with two block assists each to stop the Huskies, and Tchouangwa's five kills were the difference in the final set, putting Rice on top for good for the season-opening victory.
UP NEXT
The Owls close out the Rice Invitational I at 3 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, taking on the Texas State Bobcats.
Sophomore middle blocker Lademi Ogunlana had a big night for the Owls, boasting a team-best .520 hitting percentage and finished the night leading all players in the game with 10 blocks and 22.5 total points.
Ogunlana and Kaitlyn Knobbe ended the night with 15 kills, leading the Owls in that category. Samarah Hill led all players in the game with 46 attacks.
Fifth year libero Nia McCardell picked up right where she left off from last season's performance, collecting 35 digs in the contest, 16 more than the player with the next most digs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST SET
The Owls came out as the aggressors in the first set, building as much as a 23-12 lead over the Huskies during the course of the set. Knobbe led the team with a .600 hitting percentage, helping the Owls set the tone offensively. Cindy Tchouangwa ended the first set with three service aces and Ogunlana led the Owls with two blocks.
SECOND SET
The Huskies were able to find an answer and fought back with four different players putting up high hitting percentages to tie the match. Six attacking errors by the Owls and were able to keep the Owls response at bay, but the story of the second set was the 13 ties that occurred over the course of the set. Neither team was able to pull away but HCU did enough to take the late victory in set two.
THIRD SET
The Owls punched back, highlighted by Knobbe and Ogunlana's .700+ hitting percentages and three total team blocks in this set. Ogunlana's eight kills also kept the Huskies' counterattack quiet, setting Rice up with a 2-1 lead after three sets.
FOURTH SET
The Huskies did mount a response and tie the match up after four sets, taking advantage of three service errors and five players on their side hitting at over a .250+ clip. HCU in the fourth set put up its highest team hitting percentage of the night, hitting at a .318 clip and putting up 17 total kills.
FIFTH SET
Rice shut down the Huskies and kept the hitters quiet with a .095 hitting percentage, while the Owls hit at a .346 margin. Ogunlana and Foord came up big with two block assists each to stop the Huskies, and Tchouangwa's five kills were the difference in the final set, putting Rice on top for good for the season-opening victory.
UP NEXT
The Owls close out the Rice Invitational I at 3 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, taking on the Texas State Bobcats.
Team Stats
HCU
Rice
Kills
59
67
Errors
25
21
Attempts
185
186
Hitting %
.184
.247
Points
68.0
87.0
Assists
53
63
Aces
2
7
Blocks
7
13
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
15
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
15
Aces
1
Blocks
10
Kills
14
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
11
Aces
3
Blocks
2
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's Volleyball
L/DS
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's VolleyballOH
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