Rice University Athletics
Sunday, October 4
Boca Raton, FL
12 PM
Rice University
8-8,2-2American
3
at
1
FAU
9-6,2-2American
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rice | 26 | 16 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
| Fla. Atlantic | 24 | 25 | 18 | 18 | 1 |
Rice Volleyball Caps Weekend with Win
10/4/2026 3:17:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Boca Raton, Fla. — Rice volleyball closed out its weekend with a 3-1 win over Florida Atlantic on Sunday at Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena.
The Owls (8-8, 2-2 American) took the first set 26-24 before dropping the second set 25-16. Rice responded by taking the final two sets, 25-18, 25-18. The Owls hit .235 on the day and totaled nine blocks.
Sydnee Peterson led the Owls with 17 kills while hitting .325. She also recorded her seventh double-double of the season with 12 digs. Freshman AJ Seay added 14 kills.
Savannah Skopal paced the offense with 41 assists, while Declan Eastman recorded a career-high 12 digs and Jordan Hummel added 10. Arissa Smith led the Owls at the net with six blocks.
Postgame Reaction Head Coach Genny Volpe
"Really proud of our team for rebounding from Friday against a very good FAU team. We competed hard from the start to the finish which was a big goal of ours today."
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
The opening set went the distance after a tightly contested start. Florida Atlantic was the first team to pull away, taking a 13-10 lead before Rice responded with a 6-0 run capped by a solo block from Arissa Smith to take a 16-13 lead. FAU battled back to tie the set at 18, but Rice was the first to reach 20. The teams traded points down the stretch before a kill from Peterson secured the 26-24 set win.
Second Set
FAU jumped out to a 3-0 lead, but Rice responded with a 3-0 run of its own to tie the set at three. The teams continued to trade points before FAU became the first team to reach 15 with a 15-13 lead. Rice called timeout trailing 20-15 but was unable to slow down FAU, dropping the set 25-16. Rice hit .172 in the set, while FAU hit .364.
Third Set
Rice opened the third set with a 3-0 run and quickly took control. The Owls led 15-9 at the media timeout as Arissa Smith continued to make an impact with three kills in the set. Rice maintained its momentum to take the third set 25-18. The Owls hit .312 in the set and totaled 16 kills.
Fourth Set
FAU opened the fourth set with a 3-0 lead, but Rice quickly responded with a 5-0 run sparked by a kill from Peterson. FAU tied the set at five before Rice later used a 3-0 run to force an FAU timeout with the Owls leading 12-9. Rice continued to pull away, using another 3-0 run to take a 21-16 lead and force another FAU timeout. AJ Seay finished the match with a kill, giving Rice the 25-18 set win and the 3-1 victory.
UP NEXT
Rice returns home to host Wichita State on Friday and Memphis on Sunday. Both matches are set to stream on ESPN+.
The Owls (8-8, 2-2 American) took the first set 26-24 before dropping the second set 25-16. Rice responded by taking the final two sets, 25-18, 25-18. The Owls hit .235 on the day and totaled nine blocks.
Sydnee Peterson led the Owls with 17 kills while hitting .325. She also recorded her seventh double-double of the season with 12 digs. Freshman AJ Seay added 14 kills.
Savannah Skopal paced the offense with 41 assists, while Declan Eastman recorded a career-high 12 digs and Jordan Hummel added 10. Arissa Smith led the Owls at the net with six blocks.
Postgame Reaction Head Coach Genny Volpe
"Really proud of our team for rebounding from Friday against a very good FAU team. We competed hard from the start to the finish which was a big goal of ours today."
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
The opening set went the distance after a tightly contested start. Florida Atlantic was the first team to pull away, taking a 13-10 lead before Rice responded with a 6-0 run capped by a solo block from Arissa Smith to take a 16-13 lead. FAU battled back to tie the set at 18, but Rice was the first to reach 20. The teams traded points down the stretch before a kill from Peterson secured the 26-24 set win.
Second Set
FAU jumped out to a 3-0 lead, but Rice responded with a 3-0 run of its own to tie the set at three. The teams continued to trade points before FAU became the first team to reach 15 with a 15-13 lead. Rice called timeout trailing 20-15 but was unable to slow down FAU, dropping the set 25-16. Rice hit .172 in the set, while FAU hit .364.
Third Set
Rice opened the third set with a 3-0 run and quickly took control. The Owls led 15-9 at the media timeout as Arissa Smith continued to make an impact with three kills in the set. Rice maintained its momentum to take the third set 25-18. The Owls hit .312 in the set and totaled 16 kills.
Fourth Set
FAU opened the fourth set with a 3-0 lead, but Rice quickly responded with a 5-0 run sparked by a kill from Peterson. FAU tied the set at five before Rice later used a 3-0 run to force an FAU timeout with the Owls leading 12-9. Rice continued to pull away, using another 3-0 run to take a 21-16 lead and force another FAU timeout. AJ Seay finished the match with a kill, giving Rice the 25-18 set win and the 3-1 victory.
UP NEXT
Rice returns home to host Wichita State on Friday and Memphis on Sunday. Both matches are set to stream on ESPN+.
Players Mentioned
L/DS
/ Women's Volleyball
L/DS
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's VolleyballTeam Stats
Rice
FAU
Kills
54
55
Errors
22
22
Attempts
136
147
Hitting %
.235
.224
Points
68.0
71.0
Assists
53
49
Aces
5
3
Blocks
9
13
Game Leaders
Kills
17
Aces
1
Blocks
2
Kills
14
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
6
Kills
5
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Saturday, December 04
Thursday, December 02