Sunday, September 28
Houston, Texas
2 PM
Rice University
5-8,1-1American
3
vs
2
Tulsa
11-3,1-1American
1
2
3
4
5
F
Tulsa
25
25
15
18
11
2
Rice
22
23
25
25
15
3
Owls Secure First Conference Win Over Tulsa
9/28/2025 6:08:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
HOUSTON — Rice secured its first conference win of the season with a 3-2 reverse sweep over Tulsa on Sunday at Tudor Fieldhouse.
Rice (5-8, 1-1 American) completed its first comeback from a 0-2 deficit since a 3-2 win over UTEP in 2022. The Owls surged in the third set and maintained momentum for the remainder of the match.
Kaia Mateo recorded the first double-double in her time at Rice, leading the team with 34 assists to go along with 10 digs and three blocks.
Taylor Preston paced the Owls with 25 kills, while Aaliyah Smith added 14. Darby Harris led the team with 21 digs, and Gaby Mansfield contributed 17.
Arissa Smith recorded five blocks, including two solo.
Postgame Reaction – Head Coach Genny Volpe
"I am proud of this team, and it's a great win. Tulsa is a really good team; they put a lot of pressure on you the entire game. We knew this was going to be a battle, and we were missing points here and there. There were some 50-50 balls that went Tulsa's direction. We knew we were in the match; we just needed to capitalize on opportunities to get the points that we did not get in the first sets. The way we came out in set three is what I am the most proud of. We had players that started slow but ended up finishing strong."
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
Rice opened the match with a 5-3 lead, but Tulsa responded to take control and never trailed again in the set. The Owls were held to a .177 hitting percentage, while the Golden Hurricanes hit .280. A late 3-0 run brought Rice within two, but the Owls dropped the first set, 25-22.
Second Set
Tulsa jumped ahead early in the second set before Rice tied it at 6-6 on a kill by Aaliyah Smith, who finished with four kills in the frame. The Owls briefly led 10-8, but Tulsa rallied to retake the lead and held off a late 3-0 Rice run. The Owls fell in the second set, 25-23.
Third Set
Momentum swung in Rice's favor in the third set, as the Owls went on an early 8-1 run to take a 10-5 lead. Arissa Smith recorded three kills during another 8-2 scoring stretch. Rice hit .429 in the set while holding Tulsa to .206. Kaia Mateo stepped in at setter and tallied 10 assists in the third set. The Owls cruised to a 25-15 win.
Fourth Set
Rice carried its momentum into the fourth, starting with a 4-0 run capped by a kill from Preston. The Owls posted a match-high .533 hitting percentage and totaled 18 kills in the set. Rice never trailed and took the set, 25-18, forcing the fifth set.
Fifth Set
The final set went back and forth until Rice pulled ahead for good after tying it at 9-9. The Owls closed it out with a 15-11 win, hitting .250 while holding Tulsa to a -.053 percentage to complete the comeback.
UP NEXT
Rice will have their first road conference game of the season against UAB on Friday. First serve is at 7 p.m. and will be on ESPN+.
Rice (5-8, 1-1 American) completed its first comeback from a 0-2 deficit since a 3-2 win over UTEP in 2022. The Owls surged in the third set and maintained momentum for the remainder of the match.
Kaia Mateo recorded the first double-double in her time at Rice, leading the team with 34 assists to go along with 10 digs and three blocks.
Taylor Preston paced the Owls with 25 kills, while Aaliyah Smith added 14. Darby Harris led the team with 21 digs, and Gaby Mansfield contributed 17.
Arissa Smith recorded five blocks, including two solo.
Postgame Reaction – Head Coach Genny Volpe
"I am proud of this team, and it's a great win. Tulsa is a really good team; they put a lot of pressure on you the entire game. We knew this was going to be a battle, and we were missing points here and there. There were some 50-50 balls that went Tulsa's direction. We knew we were in the match; we just needed to capitalize on opportunities to get the points that we did not get in the first sets. The way we came out in set three is what I am the most proud of. We had players that started slow but ended up finishing strong."
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
Rice opened the match with a 5-3 lead, but Tulsa responded to take control and never trailed again in the set. The Owls were held to a .177 hitting percentage, while the Golden Hurricanes hit .280. A late 3-0 run brought Rice within two, but the Owls dropped the first set, 25-22.
Second Set
Tulsa jumped ahead early in the second set before Rice tied it at 6-6 on a kill by Aaliyah Smith, who finished with four kills in the frame. The Owls briefly led 10-8, but Tulsa rallied to retake the lead and held off a late 3-0 Rice run. The Owls fell in the second set, 25-23.
Third Set
Momentum swung in Rice's favor in the third set, as the Owls went on an early 8-1 run to take a 10-5 lead. Arissa Smith recorded three kills during another 8-2 scoring stretch. Rice hit .429 in the set while holding Tulsa to .206. Kaia Mateo stepped in at setter and tallied 10 assists in the third set. The Owls cruised to a 25-15 win.
Fourth Set
Rice carried its momentum into the fourth, starting with a 4-0 run capped by a kill from Preston. The Owls posted a match-high .533 hitting percentage and totaled 18 kills in the set. Rice never trailed and took the set, 25-18, forcing the fifth set.
Fifth Set
The final set went back and forth until Rice pulled ahead for good after tying it at 9-9. The Owls closed it out with a 15-11 win, hitting .250 while holding Tulsa to a -.053 percentage to complete the comeback.
UP NEXT
Rice will have their first road conference game of the season against UAB on Friday. First serve is at 7 p.m. and will be on ESPN+.
Team Stats
Tulsa
Rice
Kills
63
71
Errors
20
16
Attempts
175
186
Hitting %
.246
.296
Points
71.0
89.0
Assists
55
65
Aces
3
5
Blocks
5
13
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
25
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
14
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
10
Aces
1
Blocks
7
Kills
8
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Players Mentioned
DS
/ Women's Volleyball
L/DS
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's VolleyballMB
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