HOUSTON, TEXAS (June 8, 2010) Rice University head volleyball coach Genny Volpe has announced the 2010 Rice Owls volleyball schedule. The schedule features matches vs. 2009 NCAA tournament teams, LSU and Tulane.
“The non-conference schedule is very competitive and it’s what this team needs,” comments Volpe, now in her seventh season. “It is a challenging schedule, but one that we embrace.”
Non-conference teams on the slate include the aforementioned LSU, North Carolina, old Southwest Conferene foe Texas Tech, USTSA, SFA, West Coast Conference power Pepperdine, Big XII power Missouri, New Mexico State, and Ole Miss.
“These matches will be fun and intense at the same time,” says Volpe.
The 2010 season gets underway Aug. 27-28 when Rice hosts the Nike Invitational I. Teams involved include Mississippi, Texas Tech, and UT-San Antonio. The Owls then head west to Malibu, Calif., to compete at the Asics Classic (Sept. 3-4), hosted by Pepperdine. Rice will also square off against Missouri and Eastern Washington.
Rice then competes at the LSU Classic (Sept. 10-11) in Baton Rouge, La., against New Mexico State, North Carolina, and host LSU. The Owls return home to host the Nike Invitational II on Sept. 17-18. Teams competing include Samford, Stephen F. Austin, and Arkansas State.
A new Conference USA format for scheduling begins in 2010. With the dismissal of the conference tournament, which Rice hosted and won in 2009, C-USA teams now play 20 conference matches instead of 16.
“With the new 20-match CUSA format and no conference tournament, we are fully aware that we must be consistent from beginning to end if we want to win a conference championship,” says Volpe. “I believe C-USA will be more competitive than ever in 2010 and should be nationally competitive outside of conference as well.”
The C-USA schedule begins with back-to-back matches at Southern Miss on Sept. 24 and 25. Rice then hosts UTEP (Oct. 1), before heading east to play at UCF (Oct. 3). The Tulane Green Wave visit Tudor Fieldhouse for two matches (Oct. 8 and Oct. 9) against the Owls.
Rice is then on the road to UAB (Oct. 15) and Memphis (Oct. 17), before hosting SMU (Oct. 22) and Tulsa (Oct. 24). The Owls then travel to East Carolina (Oct. 29) and to Marshall (Oct. 31).
November begins with a four-match homestand starting with Memphis on Nov. 5 and UAB on Nov. 6. Rice then hosts Marshall (Nov. 12) and East Carolina (Nov. 13) to conclude the home portion of the schedule. The Owls then finish the regular season with three matches on the road starting with Tulsa on Nov. 19 and at SMU (Nov. 21). The last match of the season is at Houston on Nov. 26.
Rice, in 2009 posted a 23-9 record and won its first-ever Conference USA Volleyball Championship. The Owls also played in the NCAA Championship for the second-consecutive year and third time overall.
2010 looks to be just as promising as Rice returns three starters from the 2009 squad including All-C-USA First Team players, senior Meredith Schamun, senior Tracey Lam, and junior Ashleigh McCord , the squad's top outside hitter at 3.92 kills per set.
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