Women's Volleyball
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Phone:
- 348-8884
Entering 2025, her 22nd year as head coach at Rice, Genny Volpe has established the Owl volleyball program as a power in the Southwest. Under Volpe's watch, the Owls have been to eight NCAA tournaments (2004, 2008, 2009, 2018, 2019, spring 2021, fall 2021, 2022), the only eight appearances in Rice's history.
Volpe was inducted into the Rice Athletics Hall of Fame on October 27, 2023. The sixth head coach in Rice volleyball history, Volpe holds the program record for both career wins (413-218 overall) and highest career winning percentage (.654). The 2020-21 AVCA Southwest Region Coach of the Year and also a two-time C-USA Coach of the Year (2008 and 2018), Volpe has led the Owls to five conference championships under her watch (Conference USA: 2009, 2018, 2020-21, 2021, 2022).
Under Volpe, the Owls have finished in the top four of their conference 16 times, including one first-place (2018) and six second-place finishes (2004, 2011, 2012, 2019, 2022 and 2024).
In addition, Volpe serves as the American Conference representative on the AVCA Division I Head Coaches Committee.
While at the helm for the Owls, Volpe has coached 16 All-Americans, and 74 all-conference selections. Under Volpe, Rice players have received a conference Player of the Week award 128 times.
Success for Volpe's athletes is not limited to the volleyball floor, as 48 Owls have been tabbed as conference All-Academic Team selections (23 C-USA, 25 American). In addition, Leah Mikesky was named an CoSIDA Academic First-Team All-American in 2016, as was Nicole Lennon in 2020-21.
2024 saw Volpe earn her 400th victory as a head coach as the Owls earned a 3-2 victory over the Tulane Green Wave to open American Athletic Conference play on September 27th. Rice also went undefeated at home against conference foes for the fourth time in the previous five years under her leadership. Rice's 13 victories in conference play tied the most in school history, the Owls previously reaching the mark in 2019 and 2022.
In 2023, Volpe led Rice to an 18-11 record with a 12-7 mark in their first year of play in the AAC. The Owls led the nation in digs per set, averaging 18.56 digs per frame. The Owls also set the second-best mark in program history for home attendance, averaging 871 fans per contest at Tudor Fieldhouse. The Owls finished with at least 18 wins for the ninth consecutive season (excluding the 2021 spring season shortened by COVID in which the team went 16-5), and finished at least .500 or better in conference play for the 16th straight season.
Volpe guided the Owls to the program’s third Conference USA Tournament championship and eighth NCAA Tournament appearance in the 2022 season, and the team’s fourth straight on the grand stage. The Owls went 27-4 (.871), tying the most wins under Volpe, and the highest winning percentage in school history. They reached the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament for the third time in the last three seasons, defeating Colorado in the first round.
It marked the Owls fifth straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament, which puts them in elite company. Rice joined Texas and Baylor as the only programs in the state of Texas to qualify for the NCAA Tournament in each of the previous four seasons and were one of just 18 programs across NCAA Division I to qualify for the NCAA Tournament in each of the last five seasons.
In the fall of 2021, Rice went 20-7 and defeated San Diego in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament and won the Conference USA West Division crown for a second straight season with a 12-0 mark.
Volpe earned her first AVCA Southwest Coach of the Year honor in the spring of 2021 after helping lead the Owls to a 16-5 overall record, including a 12-0 mark in C-USA play. It marked the first time Rice went undefeated throughout a conference season as the Owls captured the West Division title.
The Owls closed the regular season by defeating the No. 2 ranked Texas Longhorns in five sets in Austin, marking Rice's second win over the Longhorns in two seasons. The Owls earned their third consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament, making it for the second straight year as an at-large. Rice finished the season ranked Top-25 in both the AVCA Poll and the national RPI.
Under Volpe's guidance the Owls had a magical 2019 campaign, recording the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament victory and the second-most wins (27) in school history. Rice finished the season ranked in the AVCA Top-25 (24th) for first time in program history and climbed as high as No. 17 during the season. The Owls also finished the season with a No. 19 rankings in the NCAA RPI, the highest finish in school history. The Owls had two players (Nicole Lennon and Anota Adekunle) earn AVCA All-American Honorable Mention honors. Rice also had a school record-tying four players named to AVCA Southwest All-Region Team and three Owls named to C-USA All-Academic Team.
In addition, the Owls placed a league-high six players on C-USA All-Conference teams. Perhaps the highlight of the season was the team's victory over No. 3 Texas for the first time in program history. Along the way Rice set a school record with 20 sweeps. Volpe also surpassed 300 career wins during the season.
In 2018 Volpe led the Owls to a 24-7 record and a sweep of the Conference USA regular season and tournaments crowns. The Owls achieved their best C-USA record (12-2) and recorded the longest winning streak (15 straight) in program history. Rice twice appeared in the AVCA Coaches Poll and placed five players on the 2018 All-C-USA teams, including three first-team members and the C-USA Player of the Year in Nicole Lennon. The Owls ranked top 10 in the nation in kills per set (7th-14.64), digs per set (8th-18.16), and assists per set (8th-13.74).
Also the 2008 C-USA Coach of the Year, Volpe has coached teams that earned at-large berths to the NCAA Tournament in 2004 and 2008, and teams that won an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by winning the 2009 and 2018 C-USA Tournament Championships.
In 2017 the Owls reeled off 21 wins and a trip into the postseason for the National Invitational Championship. The Owls had five players earn all-conference honors, which included Nicole Lennon earning Co-C-USA Freshman of the Year accolades.
The Owls advanced all the way to the C-USA Championship match of the C-USA Tournament in 2016 following Volpe's sixth 20-win season.
In 2015, the Owls defeated two Top-25 programs in No. 23 Colorado and No. 22 WKU en route to a 21-10 record, which marked the fifth 20-win season under Volpe.
A standout setter at Texas A&M, Volpe has seen three of her setters at Rice lead the league in assists per set, and has had helped three of her players earn C-USA Setter of the Year honors, Meredith Schamun in 2009 and Megan Murphy in 2012 and Carly Graham, who won the award three straight years (2020-22).
In 2014, Volpe led the Owls to 23 wins, the fifth-most in school history. Rice advanced to the C-USA Championship game and along the way collected 16 shutouts while earning five C-USA All-Conference selections.
Rice went 19-12 in 2012, and were led by four All-C-USA selections, including Rice's first three-time All-American, Nancy Cole, and C-USA Setter of the Year, Megan Murphy. Rice posted a 12-4 Conference USA mark in 2012, including a 7-1 record at home.
The 2011 edition saw Rice with an 18-13 overall mark and a 13-7 second-place record in Conference USA. The Owls also produced AVCA All-America Honorable Mentions Cole and redshirt-sophomore Murphy. Cole was a first-team All-C-USA honoree, while Murphy was a second-team pick. Freshman Jillian Humphrey was selected to the All-C-USA Freshman squad.
 |
Volpe By The Numbers:
413 Career Wins
128
Player of the Week Selections
74
All-Conference Selections
48
Conference All-Academic Selections
16
All-Americans
8
NCAA Tournament Appearances
|
During 2009, the Owls won their first-ever conference championship when they defeated Tulsa 3-2, to earn Conference USA's NCAA automatic bid. Rice also sported a final RPI ranking of 37, its highest ever, out of 330 institutions, to lead C-USA. In 2009, Rice produced the C-USA Setter of the Year in Meredith Schamun and the C-USA Libéro of the Year in Tracey Lam. Those two along with Ashleigh McCord and Natalie Bogan were All-C-USA First Team selections as well as AVCA All-America Honorable Mentions. Volpe also collected match victory number 100 with a 3-1 win at UAB on Sept. 28, 2009.
In 2008, Rice posted a 23-7 overall record, while winning a school-record 12 of 16 matches in C-USA play that placed them third in the standings, their highest finish to date. The Owls also cleaned up several C-USA awards. Tracey Lam was named as the league's Libero of the Year, while Karyn Morgan, Meredith Schamun, and Natalie Bogan were selected to the C-USA First Team. Lam and Jessica Holderness were named to the C-USA Second Team, while Ashleigh McCord made the C-USA All-Freshman Team. In 2004, her first season at Rice, Volpe led the Owls to a 25-5 overall record and the team's first ever NCAA tournament appearance. Volpe's squad finished the season with marks in the top 30 nationally in assists per game, blocks per game, kills per game, and hitting percentage. The Owls were ranked 15th in the nation in assists and kills, recording 15.54 assists per game and 16.9 kills per game. Even more impressive is the fact that the Owls were competitive with the very best teams in the nation, taking then third-ranked Hawaii to four games on the Wahine's home court and forcing a fifth game against then top-ranked Minnesota.
Prior to the 2004 season, only eight Owls had ever been named to the All-WAC team, but in 2004 six Owls received All-WAC honors. Rebecca Pazo, Olaya Pazo, Hoban, and Kuykendall were named to the first team and Lindsay Carter and Rebecca Kainz were selected for the second team. Rebecca Pazo was also an AVCA all-region honorable mention recipient, the first Rice player to receive this honor since 1995. Kuykendall was fifth in the nation in blocks with 1.74 blocks per game.
Volpe started her career by winning Rice's first 14 home games, including all 11 home contests in 2004. In total Volpe's teams have an 88-45 record while playing at home.
In her tenure at Rice, Volpe has coached the Rice career leaders in kills (Nicole Lennon - 2,144), hitting percentage (Anota Adekunle - .408), assists (Meredith Schamun - 5,190), digs (Tracey Lam - 2,399), and blocks (Tessa Kuykendall - 546).
Volpe spent the three seasons prior to her arrival at Rice as an assistant coach at Texas A&M, where the Aggies tallied a 70-26 overall record and appeared in the NCAA tournament each season. Texas A&M went 23-10 in 2003 and advanced to the NCAA regional semifinal where the Aggies lost to eventual national champion USC. The Aggies finished the 2003 season ranked 16th in the final American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll and tied for third in the Big 12 with a 13-7 conference record.
| Volpe at Rice | |||
| Year | Record | Conf. Finish | Postseason |
| 2004 | 25-5 | 1st, WAC East | NCAA First Round |
| 2005 | 17-12 | t6th, C-USA | - |
| 2006 | 12-19 | 9th, C-USA | - |
| 2007 | 13-17 | 7th, C-USA | - |
| 2008 | 23-8 | 3rd, C-USA | NCAA First Round |
| 2009 | 23-9 | 4th, C-USA | NCAA First Round |
| 2010 | 16-16 | 5th, C-USA | - |
| 2011 | 18-13 | T-2nd, C-USA | - |
| 2012 | 19-12 | 2nd, C-USA | - |
| 2013 | 11-19 | T-7th, C-USA | - |
| 2014 | 23-10 | T-3rd, C-USA | - |
| 2015 | 21-10 | 3rd, C-USA | - |
| 2016 | 20-12 | 6th, C-USA | - |
| 2017 | 21-9 | 3rd, C-USA | NIVC First Round |
| 2018 | 24-7 | 1st, C-USA | NCAA First Round |
| 2019 | 27-4 | 2nd, C-USA | NCAA Second Round |
| 2021 (Spring) | 16-5 | 1st, C-USA West | NCAA First Round |
| 2021 (Fall) | 20-7 | 1st, C-USA West | NCAA Second Round |
| 2022 | 27-4 | 2nd, C-USA | NCAA Second Round |
| 2023 | 18-11 | T-5th, AAC | - |
| 2024 | 19-8 | 2nd, AAC | - |
| Total | 413-218 | 8 NCAA Appearances | |
The Aggies' 2001 season, Volpe's first as an A&M assistant, was special for the San Antonio native not only because she was returning to her alma mater or because A&M continued its succession of NCAA appearances that began her senior year, but also because one of her protégés, setter Jenna Moscovic, became only the second Aggie in A&M volleyball history to earn first-team all-America honors from the AVCA. In addition, A&M ended the season ranked second in the nation in both assists and kills per game.
Prior to Volpe's three years in College Station she was at Southern Methodist University, where she served as the first assistant coach and recruiting coordinator when the volleyball program began in 1996. After posting a 7-24 record in their inaugural season, the Mustangs went 15-19 in 1997, winning their quadrant in the Western Athletic Conference and qualifying for the WAC tournament. In only its fourth year of existence, the SMU volleyball team achieved its first 20-win season, going 20-13 and placing an all-time high fourth in the conference standings. This is actually Volpe's second coaching stint at Rice, as she spent the 1995 season as an assistant under Henry Chen. She helped direct the Owls to their first postseason bid as they were selected to play in the NIVC tournament.
Prior to her earlier days at Rice, Volpe served as student assistant coach under Corbellis at A&M in 1994 as the Aggies made their second consecutive NCAA tournament appearance and advanced to the second round. An all-around talented athlete, Volpe was a four-year letterwinner as a setter and outside hitter at Texas A&M from 1990-93. She quickly developed into one of the best defensive players in the Southwest Conference and led the Aggies in digs for three consecutive seasons. A two-year team captain, Volpe capped her stellar A&M playing career by leading the Aggies to a 27-8 record and the second round of the NCAA tournament as a senior. Volpe's name is still scattered throughout the A&M record books, and she remains the Aggie all-time record holder for most matches played (140) and most games played (488). In addition, she is ranked third in career digs (1,403), seventh in career service aces (123) and tenth in career assists (2,309).
A member of the American Volleyball Coaches Association, Volpe has been acting as a member of the AVCA Head Coaches Committee (HCC) since 2016, serving as the American HCC representative. Volpe served as the Conference USA coaches chair for volleyball for two years (2005-06). As such she worked with the league office on issues pertaining to volleyball, led coaches meetings, and assured her peers remained informed concerning C-USA rules and regulations.
While competing in the 2002, USA volleyball national tournament, she was named to the all-tournament team after leading Texas Advantage to a third-place finish at the USA Volleyball Open Women's AA Gold Division national championship. Volpe also was named all-tournament in 2000, as her team captured the Women's AA Gold Division national title, and in 1997, she was named All-American first team at the U.S. Open tournament after her team finished runner-up in the Women's Open Gold Division. Volpe received a bachelor's degree in kinesiology from Texas A&M in 1995 and a master's degree in liberal arts from SMU in 1999.
Genny and her husband John Volpe have a son, John Joseph, and a daughter, Alice Marie.
