Volleyball looks to end losing streak
Rice hopes to break back into C-USA race against UTEP, Tulane
For the first time since the beginning of the 2002 season, the volleyball team lost three consecutive home contests, dropping matches to Conference-USA foes University of Alabama-Birmingham, East Carolina University and conference leader Marshall University.
“We came out flat starting out the weekend against UAB,” head coach Genny Volpe said. “The same thing [happened against ECU.] We started out flat, but turned it around and played our hearts out.”
The Owls have been streaky lately, winning four straight matches prior to their current three-match losing streak. Rice (13-7, 4-5 C-USA) will attempt to turn its conference season around with a win tonight at Autry Court against the University of Texas-El Paso (15-7, 5-4), which beat the Owls 3-1 in El Paso Oct. 2. After their match against the Miners, the Owls will take on Tulane University (2-9, 1-7) Sunday at 1 p.m.
Volpe said a pair of wins this weekend would help the Owls prepare for the C-USA Tournament Nov. 17-20, which Rice will host.
“I expect our team to come back with new fire and determination this weekend,” Volpe said. “They realize that every game from here on out is an important one. It would be a nice confidence builder for us to pull out two wins at home.”
In the team’s Oct. 20 game, UAB (13-6, 4-5) outplayed Rice in almost all offensive and defensive categories. The Blazers outhit the Owls .333 to .259 but could not put away the Owls, and the match went to a fifth game.
In the final set, UAB went on an early 5-0 run and did not relinquish it, taking the set and match with a 15-11 victory in the fifth game. Junior middle blocker Tessa Kuykendall led Rice with 15 kills.
Senior setter Kristina Hoban said the team’s chemistry is improving on the court, but the Owls need to learn how to close out matches.
“We’re toward the end of a long season, and we’re starting to feel very comfortable together out there on the court,” Hoban said. “We need to work on finishing games, but we’re getting better.”
As if one five-game thriller was not enough, Rice had another long match against East Carolina (13-9, 4-5) Friday. After falling into a 2-0 hole, the Owls battled back, holding East Carolina to 15 and 20 points while hitting .441 and .421, respectively, in their third- and fourth-game wins. In an epic fifth set that featured 7 lead changes and 12 ties, the Owls ultimately lost 23-21. Rice held a 12-8 lead and served for the match multiple times but succumbed to the visiting Pirates on their fifth match point. Rice had eight errors in the shortened fifth game. Senior outside hitter Olaya Pazo had a double-double with 23 kills and 17 digs, both team highs.
“Those two five-game losses in a row affected our team negatively,” Volpe said. “With a team like Marshall coming in, we just weren’t able to execute Sunday.”
Marshall (17-5, 9-1) had no trouble taking three straight games from Rice Sunday. The conference-leading Thundering Herd almost doubled the Owls’ hitting percentage, .281 to .144. Kuykendall and Pazo had 12 and 13 kills, respectively.
“Our team certainly isn’t in a bad spot,” Volpe said. “We just had a bad run. We need to keep our goal in sight. We need to peak during the conference tournament, [so] we’re going to work on taking it one day at a time.”
Since sophomore outside hitter Kristina Dennemann went down with a foot injury, sophomore Rachel Lopez was forced into the starting lineup. Lopez, recruited as a setter, has been receiving court time at right outside hitter. Her development at the outside hitting position, along with freshman middle blocker Jessica May’s return from a hand injury, will be key if the Owls are to make a run in the conference tournament.
“Rachel is becoming comfortable on both the left and right sides,” Volpe said. “It’s really important for [her] and Jessica to be solid at their positions.”
Volpe said Kuykendall, too, has lately been integral to the team.
“Tessa has done a great job stepping up,” Volpe said. “She’s really improved her blocking and she’s been more active on offense. We need her to keep doing that.”
Kuykendall said her improvement is a result of her improved comfort level and chemistry with Hoban.
“Hoban and I are really coming together,” Kuykendall said. “I’m feeling more and more confident. We’re trying to … help the team when we’re down.”
Other sports stories
- A call to all crazy fans, tailgaters, students
- Duo of DiSesa, Rodgers advance to semifinals in College Station
- Martel beats Wiess, makes playoffs
- Owls fall short at ITA South Central Regionals
- Rice loses to Midshipmen in battle of option offenses
- Swim team dominates home opener
- UTEP brings high-powered offense to Rice
News
- Four Envision grants awarded
- New campus-wide coordinators plan for smoother, safer Beer-Bike
- Plan for central quad begins with cafe pavilion
- Soccer wins two games, seeks conference crown
- Student justice: how conduct violations are adjudicated