Saturday, September 20
Houston, Texas
4 PM
Rice University
4-7,0-0American
1
vs
3
TCU
10-2,0-0Big 12
1
2
3
4
F
TCU
25
16
25
25
3
Rice
21
25
23
15
1
Photo by: Maria Lysaker | Rice Athletics
Rice falls to No. 9 TCU
9/20/2025 7:47:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
HOUSTON — The Rice volleyball team fell 3-1 to No. 9 TCU to close out the Rice Invitational II on Saturday at Tudor Fieldhouse.
After TCU took the first set, the Owls (4-7) tied the match with a win in the second. The third set went back-and-forth with TCU winning a nail biter, and the Horned Frogs (10-2) took the fourth to seal the victory by scores of 25-21, 16-25, 25-23, 25-15.
Rice was held to a .188 hitting percentage, while TCU hit .209. Senior Taylor Preston led the Owls with 13 kills, and freshman Aaliyah Smith added 12. Sophomore Savannah Skopal recorded 34 assists.
Senior Gaby Mansfield paced the defense with a team-high 12 digs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
TCU jumped out to an early 5-2 lead before Rice responded with a 3-0 run to tie it at 5-5. The Horned Frogs then surged ahead 12-7, prompting a timeout by the Owls. The teams traded points the rest of the way, but TCU held on to take the first set, 25-21. Rice hit .189 in the opening frame.
Second Set
Rice came out strong in the second set, building a commanding 11-4 lead. After trading points, the Owls closed the set on a 7-1 run, capped by a block from Arissa Smith. Taylor Preston finished off the set with a kill to give the Owls a 25-16 set win. Rice hit .483 in the set while holding TCU to just .091. The Owls also recorded five team blocks through two sets.
Third Set
Much like the first set, TCU opened with a 3-0 lead. Rice tied it again at 5-5, but the Horned Frogs responded with a 7-1 run to go up 15-10. The Owls mounted a comeback with a 6-0 run to tie it at 22, but TCU held on for a 25-23 win. Rice hit .125 in the third set.
Fourth Set
TCU once again opened with a 3-0 run and never looked back. A kill by Lademi Ogunlana brought Rice within one, but the Horned Frogs pulled away for a 25-15 win to close out the match. Rice was unable to find momentum and hit .000 in the final set, while TCU hit an impressive .519.
Rice Invitational II All-Tournament Team
Evan Hendrix, TCU (MVP)
Sarah Silvester, TCU
Alice Volpe, TCU
Gaby Mansfield, Rice
Lademi Ogunlana, Rice
Sarita Pomar, Cornell
Brooklyn Jaeger, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
UP NEXT
The Owls will open conference play on Friday when they will host Temple. First serve is set for 6:00 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
After TCU took the first set, the Owls (4-7) tied the match with a win in the second. The third set went back-and-forth with TCU winning a nail biter, and the Horned Frogs (10-2) took the fourth to seal the victory by scores of 25-21, 16-25, 25-23, 25-15.
Rice was held to a .188 hitting percentage, while TCU hit .209. Senior Taylor Preston led the Owls with 13 kills, and freshman Aaliyah Smith added 12. Sophomore Savannah Skopal recorded 34 assists.
Senior Gaby Mansfield paced the defense with a team-high 12 digs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
TCU jumped out to an early 5-2 lead before Rice responded with a 3-0 run to tie it at 5-5. The Horned Frogs then surged ahead 12-7, prompting a timeout by the Owls. The teams traded points the rest of the way, but TCU held on to take the first set, 25-21. Rice hit .189 in the opening frame.
Second Set
Rice came out strong in the second set, building a commanding 11-4 lead. After trading points, the Owls closed the set on a 7-1 run, capped by a block from Arissa Smith. Taylor Preston finished off the set with a kill to give the Owls a 25-16 set win. Rice hit .483 in the set while holding TCU to just .091. The Owls also recorded five team blocks through two sets.
Third Set
Much like the first set, TCU opened with a 3-0 lead. Rice tied it again at 5-5, but the Horned Frogs responded with a 7-1 run to go up 15-10. The Owls mounted a comeback with a 6-0 run to tie it at 22, but TCU held on for a 25-23 win. Rice hit .125 in the third set.
Fourth Set
TCU once again opened with a 3-0 run and never looked back. A kill by Lademi Ogunlana brought Rice within one, but the Horned Frogs pulled away for a 25-15 win to close out the match. Rice was unable to find momentum and hit .000 in the final set, while TCU hit an impressive .519.
Evan Hendrix, TCU (MVP)
Sarah Silvester, TCU
Alice Volpe, TCU
Gaby Mansfield, Rice
Lademi Ogunlana, Rice
Sarita Pomar, Cornell
Brooklyn Jaeger, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
UP NEXT
The Owls will open conference play on Friday when they will host Temple. First serve is set for 6:00 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Team Stats
TCU
Rice
Kills
53
46
Errors
15
21
Attempts
131
133
Hitting %
.290
.188
Points
71.0
58.0
Assists
49
41
Aces
6
4
Blocks
12
8
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
13
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
12
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Players Mentioned
L/DS
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's VolleyballVB: Rice-Texas Postgame Presser
Saturday, December 04
VB: Rice-San Diego Postgame Presser
Thursday, December 02