Owls Open Home Slate with Win Over Tarleton State

Wednesday, September 2

Houston, Texas

6 PM

Rice University

4-0,0-0American

Tarleton State

1-3,0-0UAC

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Tarleton St.	25	22	17	14	1
Rice	21	25	25	25	3

Owls Open Home Slate with Win Over Tarleton State

9/2/2026 10:33:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

By: Kendyll Morris (km215@rice.edu)

HOUSTON — Rice volleyball rallied from an opening-set loss to defeat Tarleton State 3-1 Wednesday night, earning its first win at Tudor Fieldhouse of the 2026 season.

The Owls (4-0) dropped the opening set 25-21 before responding with three consecutive set wins, taking the match 21-25, 25-22, 25-17, 25-14. Rice hit .269 for the match and held the Texans to a .184 hitting percentage.

Sydnee Peterson led the Owls with 17 kills, while Arissa Smith added 11. Ashlyn Seay and Stephanie Gutierrez each finished with 10 kills. Gutierrez also led Rice at the net with a career-high seven blocks.

Kaia Mateo directed the Rice offense with 26 assists while also leading the team with 17 digs to record her third double-double of the young season. Seay collected her first double-double of her career with 10 kills and 15 digs.

Postgame Reaction – Head Coach Genny Volpe
"Although we got the win tonight, I did not think our performance was representative of the team that we are. We did not execute well for most of the match both offensively and defensively and performed well below our standards. I am very confident, however, that the team and the coaches are on the same page in this respect and this will get cleaned up. A bright spot tonight was the play of Arissa Smith and Stephanie Gutierrez. Both middles were a constant for us and held it together the entire match. I look forward to seeing how we bounce back on Friday against McNeese State!"

HOW IT HAPPENED

First Set
Rice got off to a slow start, falling behind 7-3 and forcing an early timeout. Tarleton State maintained its advantage throughout the frame as the Owls were held to a .158 hitting percentage. Rice made a late push, but the Texans held on to take the opening set 25-21.

Second Set
The Owls answered quickly in the second set, taking the first two points before Tarleton State responded with a 5-0 run. Rice battled back, with a kill from Ellie Schneider tying the set at 10. The teams traded points throughout the middle of the frame before the Owls pulled away late to take the set 25-22. Smith led Rice with five kills and three blocks in the frame.

Third Set
Rice found its rhythm in the third set, using a more consistent offensive attack to take control. A kill from Gutierrez gave the Owls a 15-12 advantage before Rice continued to build its lead. The Owls hit .306 in the frame and held the Texans to a .183 hitting percentage en route to a 25-17 set victory.

Fourth Set
The Owls carried their momentum into the fourth set, opening with a 9-1 run to take control early. The Owls continued to pull away, with a kill from Amalia Simmons putting Rice ahead 20-9. Rice closed out the match with a 25-14 victory, hitting a match-best .343 while holding Tarleton State to a .054 hitting percentage. Peterson led the Owls with five kills and four blocks in the frame.

UP NEXT
The Owls will open Rice Invitational I on Friday when they face McNeese State at 6 p.m. The match will stream on ESPN+.