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October 22, 2004 > Sports > Volleyball runs win streak to 11

Volleyball runs win streak to 11

By Scott Selinger | Thresher staff

With an 11-match win streak, that includes all seven of its Western Athletic Conference matches, the volleyball team left Tuesday for its most difficult road trip of the season. Last night, the Owls played third-ranked University of Hawaii, which has won all 16 of its matches this year and 83 consecutive WAC matches dating back to 1998. Last year, the Rainbow Wahine defeated the Owls 30-19, 30-25, 30-22 at Autry Court, and in 12 attempts, Rice has never beaten Hawaii. This year though, the Owls lead all schools in the ‘receiving votes’ category, hypothetically ranking 26th nationally in the USA Today/CSTV top 25 poll on the strength of their most successful season ever. ‘In the past, we’ve had a hard time dealing with the power [Hawaii] brings in terms of hitting,’ senior outside hitter Lindsey Carter said. ‘This year it’s different because we know we’ve got a legitimate shot at beating them.’ The Owls will continue their road trip tomorrow with another pivotal match against San Jose State University (13-6, 4-2 WAC). As of Wednesday, the Spartans had won four consecutive matches, and San Jose State has a perfect 5-0 record in five-game matches. ‘It’s important for them to keep their focus,’ head coach Genny Volpe said. ‘San Jose is just as important as Hawaii and we need to go in there with our heads high and be able to anticipate what their plan is. These two matches are huge in our quest for the WAC championship.’ In improving to 18-2, the best start in school history, Rice continued its season-long success at home over the last two weekends. In a win over Southern Methodist University Oct. 9, sophomore middle blocker Tessa Kuykendall, who ranks 21st in the country in blocks per game, hit .579 with 12 kills and four total blocks, as many as the entire Mustang team combined. Senior middle hitter Rebecca Kainz and senior outside hitter Rebeca Pazo each recorded 11 kills, with Pazo adding 14 digs to notch her 13th double-double of the season. Carter led the team on defense with 18 digs. ‘Everybody has been stepping up their game, and that’s why we’re in the position we are right now,’ Carter said. ‘We get into trouble when we’re not passing well on serve receive, and our game slacks a little, but when we can do that and establish our block, we’re at the top of our game.’ The Owls cruised past the University of Louisiana-Lafayette 30-16, 30-17, 30-13 in a mid-season non-conference match Oct. 12, The team set a school record with a .537 hitting percentage in a match that lasted just more than an hour. ‘The team has managed to keep their focus and consistency these last few matches because we’ve been beating teams and doing it in a very strong fashion,’ Volpe said. ‘It’s tough to go out and decisively beat so many teams in any league. Everyone’s contributing, and the hitters are always ready to go.’ Against U. La.-La., junior setter Kristina Hoban had 43 assists, and the starting six hitters combined for 47 kills against only two errors.
‘The teams we’ve been playing haven’t exactly been on Hawaii’s level, but we’ve still learned something from every game,’ Carter said. ‘Whether it’s been technique or serving aggressively, we keep coming out of those matches a little more skilled.’ In the final match of the home stand Oct. 15, the Owls improved their home record to 10-0, and their sweep of the Golden Hurricane continued their streak of not losing a single game, much less a match, at home this season. Rebeca Pazo and junior right side hitter Olaya Pazo posted 18 and 11 kills, respectively, and the twins combined to hit .490 for the match. ‘Rebeca Pazo has been showing her focus more than I’ve seen in a long time,’ Volpe said. ‘Everybody’s really been showing up ready to play. There’s rarely a time when I look out on the court and think, ‘She’s not really on top of her game tonight.’ That’s where our team has matured since the start of the season.’ Rebeca Pazo’s 55 kills during the Owls’ four-match home stand brought her seven shy of the all-time Rice record of 1830, held by 1995 all-American Sammy Waldron (Sid ‘97). Volpe said the Owls must continue to play well against weaker opponents. ‘I’ve told the team from day one that we can learn from every team we play,’ Volpe said. ‘The hard work we’ve been putting into practice has been preparing us, but competition is competition, and every match we’ve played has been getting us closer to that next level.’

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