Owls soar over Sharks, Wildcats at K-State Invitational

Courtesy Rice Athletics Graduate student right setter Emilia Weske celebrates after a play over the weekend. Rice volleyball won both of their games in Manhattan, Kan. and enter conference play later this week.

By Pavithr Goli 9/19/23 11:41pm

Rice Volleyball won both their games this weekend at the Kansas State University Invitational, defeating Long Island University 3-2 Friday and sweeping K-State in straight sets Saturday. Bouncing back after being swept by No. 6 University of Texas last Monday, the Owls are now 6-4 as they kick off their conference schedule Wednesday when they host the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Recapping her team’s performance last weekend, sophomore setter Darby Harris saw determination in their wins against LIU and K-State.

“This weekend, our grit carried us through a five-set roller coaster of a game versus LIU,” Harris wrote in an email to the Thresher. “We carried over the momentum from pulling out that win with us the next day to sweep K-State. Between our competitions, we got to celebrate two birthdays for Gaby Mansfield and Stephanie Gutierrez, and we had our first ever charter flight to travel, so it was a jam-packed weekend of fun and competition for sure.”

Facing LIU, which was 1-11 before the game, the Owls lost their first set 25-21 to the Sharks in a back-and-forth affair. Bouncing back, the Owls won the next two sets 25-13 and 25-19. However, the Sharks forced a tiebreaker set when they came out in the fourth with a large lead. They stymied several Owl comebacks to win the set 25-14.

The tiebreaker was dramatic. The Sharks jumped out to an early 6-2 lead; down by four, the Owls staged an 8-1 run to take a 10-7 lead. The Sharks responded to make it a one-point game, with Rice leading 11-10. The Owls scored four of the next six points to win the set and the match, defeating the Sharks 15-12 in the fifth set.

According to head coach Genny Volpe, the matchup against the Sharks was tough, but she was proud of the way her team came out with a win.

“It was a bit of a roller coaster,” Volpe wrote. “We did not perform well on Friday against Long Island, but we found a way to win. That was a tough match because LIU was playing so freely and had likely the best match of their season so far against us. So we had to dig deep, call on several players off the bench, and find a way to win.”

The Owls utilized the momentum they gained from Friday night’s game in their Saturday afternoon game against the Wildcats. Rice dominated the first set of the game, using an 11-0 run to outscore the Wildcats 25-15. The second set was more competitive as the Owls and Wildcats traded points throughout the set. However, three straight points by the Owls helped them steal the set from K-State. Senior outside hitter Danyle Courtley shined in the second set with a hitting percentage of 0.786. The Owls clinched the sweep in the third set in a back-and-forth affair, defeating the Wildcats 25-21.

Volpe was happy with her team’s performance against the Wildcats, especially after a tough game the day before.

“Today we played a solid match against a really good Kansas State team on the road,” Volpe wrote. “I’m proud of our state of mind more than anything. Yesterday’s win was not the cleanest match, and we learned from it and moved forward. I’m continuously impressed with Danyle [Courtley] and her execution in key moments. This was a total team win and great momentum moving into conference play.”

Senior outside hitter Sahara Maruska was impressed with how she and her team responded to the challenges they faced and played with spirit throughout the weekend series.

“Against LIU and K-State, the team showed a lot of determination and grit which made our unity shine this weekend,” Maruska wrote. “Things were not always going as planned but we all came together to find a way to succeed. My team and I are striving for greatness and are always working to improve our game.”

Looking ahead, the Owls will host the University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 6 p.m. before traveling to Tulsa to face the University of Tulsa Golden Hurricanes at 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Volpe hopes the team can continue playing with confidence as they enter a critical stretch of their season.

“I’m looking forward to building off of the momentum we had in the K-State match,” Volpe wrote. “We had some strong senior leaders step up and the team responded very well. We know we will have to come out strong against UAB and then be road warriors this weekend at Tulsa.”