Sunday, October 26
Houston, Texas
1 PM
Rice University
13-8,9-1American
3
vs
1
Tulane
9-12,1-9American
1
2
3
4
F
Tulane
25
11
12
16
1
Rice
22
25
25
25
3
Rice Stays Hot With Win Over Tulane
10/26/2025 5:05:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
HOUSTON – Rice completed a sweep of its conference series with Tulane, winning 3-1 Sunday at Tudor Fieldhouse.
Rice (13-8, 9-1 American) extended its win streak to nine matches while holding Tulane (9-12, 1-9) to a .112 hitting percentage.
Taylor Preston led the Owls with 22 kills, while Kellen Dorotik posted a career-high 16 kills and a .517 hitting percentage. Kaia Mateo recorded 45 assists and notched her fifth double-double of the season with 18 digs.
Gaby Mansfield was strong in the back row with a season-high 23 digs. Arissa Smith added four blocks to round out the defensive effort.
Postgame Reaction – Head Coach Genny Volpe
"I am really proud of the team for coming back after the slow start. I thought that Tulane played hard and they are a tough team to play with gritty defense. It really challenged us to continue to work and score. It took us a while to get our rhythm offensively and but we ended up hitting over .300 as a team. I am really happy with the overall performance."
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
The opening set was tightly contested, with Rice unable to hold onto a run. Long rallies kept the score close, but the Owls dropped the set 25-22 where they hit .123.
Second Set
The Owls responded strong, jumping out to a 4-1 lead before going on a 9-0 run, their longest of the season, to take a 14-3 advantage. Rice maintained control the rest of the way to win 25-11, holding Tulane to a -.029 hitting percentage while hitting .370.
Third Set
Rice carried the momentum into the third set, dominating in a 25-12 win. The Owls hit .471 compared to Tulane's .067. Preston led the charge with seven kills in the frame.
Fourth Set
Rice closed out the night with its first four-set win of the season. The Owls recorded 20 kills in the set, including nine from Preston, and opened with a 5-0 run that set the tone for three more scoring bursts. They took the set 25-16, hitting .378 in the final frame.
UP NEXT
Rice will head to North Carolina where they will face East Carolina and Charlotte. Both matches will be streamed on ESPN+.
Rice (13-8, 9-1 American) extended its win streak to nine matches while holding Tulane (9-12, 1-9) to a .112 hitting percentage.
Taylor Preston led the Owls with 22 kills, while Kellen Dorotik posted a career-high 16 kills and a .517 hitting percentage. Kaia Mateo recorded 45 assists and notched her fifth double-double of the season with 18 digs.
Gaby Mansfield was strong in the back row with a season-high 23 digs. Arissa Smith added four blocks to round out the defensive effort.
"I am really proud of the team for coming back after the slow start. I thought that Tulane played hard and they are a tough team to play with gritty defense. It really challenged us to continue to work and score. It took us a while to get our rhythm offensively and but we ended up hitting over .300 as a team. I am really happy with the overall performance."
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
The opening set was tightly contested, with Rice unable to hold onto a run. Long rallies kept the score close, but the Owls dropped the set 25-22 where they hit .123.
Second Set
The Owls responded strong, jumping out to a 4-1 lead before going on a 9-0 run, their longest of the season, to take a 14-3 advantage. Rice maintained control the rest of the way to win 25-11, holding Tulane to a -.029 hitting percentage while hitting .370.
Third Set
Rice carried the momentum into the third set, dominating in a 25-12 win. The Owls hit .471 compared to Tulane's .067. Preston led the charge with seven kills in the frame.
Fourth Set
Rice closed out the night with its first four-set win of the season. The Owls recorded 20 kills in the set, including nine from Preston, and opened with a 5-0 run that set the tone for three more scoring bursts. They took the set 25-16, hitting .378 in the final frame.
UP NEXT
Rice will head to North Carolina where they will face East Carolina and Charlotte. Both matches will be streamed on ESPN+.
Team Stats
Tulane
Rice
Kills
46
62
Errors
26
12
Attempts
178
163
Hitting %
.112
.307
Points
51.0
72.0
Assists
41
56
Aces
1
2
Blocks
4
8
Game Leaders
Kills
22
Aces
2
Blocks
1
Kills
16
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
L/DS
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's VolleyballMB
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