Friday, September 19
Houston, Texas
6:30 PM
Rice University
4-6,0-0American
3
vs
0
Cornell
4-5,0-0Ivy League
1
2
3
F
Cornell
16
19
18
0
Rice
25
25
25
3
Rice secures sweep over Cornell
9/19/2025 9:15:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
HOUSTON — The Rice Volleyball team grabbed their second sweep of the tournament against Cornell on Friday at Tudor Fieldhouse.
The Owls (4-6) hit .266 as a team while holding the Big Red (4-5) to a .165 hitting percentage. Freshman Aaliyah Smith led Rice with a career-high 13 kills and a .545 hitting percentage. Lademi Ogunlana added a season-high 11 kills and hit .450.
Taylor Preston also finished with 11. Sophomore setter Savannah Skopal paced the offense with 29 assists. Senior Gaby Mansfield led the team with 14 digs.
Postgame Reaction – Head Coach Genny Volpe
"I'm really proud of the team for another sweep. It's always good to get a sweep. Cornell is a strong team and I think they are going to do well this year. They have good size and stressed us early with their block. I am proud of how the team continued to stay true to the game plan. They worked through some problems with a lot of poise and composure."
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
Cornell jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the opening set, but Rice quickly found its rhythm. Ogunlana put the Owls on the board with a kill, the first of four for her in the set. Aaliyah Smith led the team with six kills in the frame, helping to fuel the offense. The two teams traded points early, but Rice eventually took control. The Owls closed the set on a dominant 10-1 run to secure a 25-16 victory, holding the Big Red to minimal offense down the stretch.
Second Set
Much like the first, the second set began with Cornell grabbing a quick 3-0 advantage. This time, Taylor Johnson responded for Rice with the team's first kill of the frame. The Owls found more offensive consistency in the second, stringing together a pair of 3-0 runs to gradually take control. Rice hit .306 in the set, with Ogunlana continuing her strong performance, recording four kills on seven swings for a .429 hitting percentage. The Owls took the set 25-19 to go up 2-0.
Third Set
Rice found itself trailing early in the third before launching a 5-0 run, capped by a solo block from Arissa Smith that shifted momentum back to the Owls. Rice stayed hot offensively, hitting .368 in the final frame. A later 4-0 surge gave the Owls a comfortable lead, and they closed out the match with a 25-18 win to complete the sweep over Cornell.
UP NEXT
The Owls will face #9 TCU for the final day of the Rice Invitational II. First serve is set for 4:00 p.m. and the match will be streamed at ESPN+.
The Owls (4-6) hit .266 as a team while holding the Big Red (4-5) to a .165 hitting percentage. Freshman Aaliyah Smith led Rice with a career-high 13 kills and a .545 hitting percentage. Lademi Ogunlana added a season-high 11 kills and hit .450.
Taylor Preston also finished with 11. Sophomore setter Savannah Skopal paced the offense with 29 assists. Senior Gaby Mansfield led the team with 14 digs.
Postgame Reaction – Head Coach Genny Volpe
"I'm really proud of the team for another sweep. It's always good to get a sweep. Cornell is a strong team and I think they are going to do well this year. They have good size and stressed us early with their block. I am proud of how the team continued to stay true to the game plan. They worked through some problems with a lot of poise and composure."
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
Cornell jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the opening set, but Rice quickly found its rhythm. Ogunlana put the Owls on the board with a kill, the first of four for her in the set. Aaliyah Smith led the team with six kills in the frame, helping to fuel the offense. The two teams traded points early, but Rice eventually took control. The Owls closed the set on a dominant 10-1 run to secure a 25-16 victory, holding the Big Red to minimal offense down the stretch.
Second Set
Much like the first, the second set began with Cornell grabbing a quick 3-0 advantage. This time, Taylor Johnson responded for Rice with the team's first kill of the frame. The Owls found more offensive consistency in the second, stringing together a pair of 3-0 runs to gradually take control. Rice hit .306 in the set, with Ogunlana continuing her strong performance, recording four kills on seven swings for a .429 hitting percentage. The Owls took the set 25-19 to go up 2-0.
Third Set
Rice found itself trailing early in the third before launching a 5-0 run, capped by a solo block from Arissa Smith that shifted momentum back to the Owls. Rice stayed hot offensively, hitting .368 in the final frame. A later 4-0 surge gave the Owls a comfortable lead, and they closed out the match with a 25-18 win to complete the sweep over Cornell.
UP NEXT
The Owls will face #9 TCU for the final day of the Rice Invitational II. First serve is set for 4:00 p.m. and the match will be streamed at ESPN+.
Team Stats
CU
Rice
Kills
28
43
Errors
13
14
Attempts
91
109
Hitting %
.165
.266
Points
34.0
56.0
Assists
27
39
Aces
1
9
Blocks
5
4
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
13
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
L/DS
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
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