Following two wins, volleyball seeks to land on top

By Evie Vu 10/1/24 11:11pm

Rice volleyball opened last week with two wins against Tulane University and the University of Texas at San Antonio, defending their projected first-place American Athletic Conference finish. The AAC’s Coaches Poll picked the team to finish atop the conference during their preseason, in their second year in the AAC.

The Sept. 27 game was a hard-fought victory, as Tulane pushed the match to five sets, but the team quickly recovered to sweep UTSA Sept. 29. Head coach Genny Volpe said she expects difficult competition for the rest of the season.

“We were picked to finish first, so everyone’s hyped to play that game against us,” Volpe said. “I don’t pay attention to the polls. We never even really talk about it, but I did bring up, ‘Hey, the elephant in the room is we were picked to finish first, and what Tulane did is gonna be a very good example of what everyone is going to do.”

During the Tulane game, sophomore outside hitter Cindy Tchouangwa and junior middle blocker Lademi Ogunlana reached career-high kills with 19 and 18, respectively. Tchouangwa also recorded her first career double-double with 10 digs.

“The biggest strength [against Tulane] was the use of our bench,” Volpe said. “We are so deep; we have so much talent, and so I think that’s gonna set us apart. We were able to make some changes. It was good to see so many people stepped up.”

The win against Tulane was also Volpe’s 400th coaching career victory. When it comes to winning, Volpe emphasized the importance of staying grounded.

“Every single game is important, and they’re equally important,” she said. “Be where your feet are. We try to stay consistent in that message. Approaching every opponent the same with the same amount of respect. Trust our system, trust our training and be present.”

Along with staying consistent, the team has adopted a specific “attack mindset,” outside hitter Katrina Jensen said.

“We talk a lot about … being aggressive in everything we do, not being afraid to make big plays in big moments and take big swings,” Jensen, a graduate transfer, said.

This is Jensen’s first season at Rice after playing four seasons at Boston College. Despite only being at Rice for a few months, Jensen said she already sees personal improvement.

“It’s been a huge difference here,” Jensen said. “They just break everything down into little micromovements at practice. They really care about all the tiny little details, and so we train everything super specifically, super hard.”

Savannah Skopal, a freshman setter, has quickly cemented herself as an asset to the team, Volpe said. She was named the season’s first AAC Freshman of the Week. During her first collegiate match, she tallied 61 assists, the most by an Owl in a season opener since 2016. Skopal also showed her defensive skill with 22 digs and two block assists that week.

“[Skopal] has shown right away that she can handle game time pressure,” Volpe said. “She’s a very talented setter, but also a very competitive person and a natural-born leader.”

Off the court, the team actively works to maintain a cohesive culture, according to Jensen. Jensen said she immediately clicked with the team on a personal level, leading to strong chemistry both on and off the court.

“It’s like we have 16 built-in best friends,” Jensen said. “A big part of staying positive is looking outwards on to your teammates. If something isn’t going well for you personally, [you look] to your left and your right. You have two people right next to you, who care about you and want the best for you.”

Volpe said she keeps this culture in mind while recruiting and seeing how prospective players will fit in on the team. She said she looks for candidates who are driven, both academically and athletically.

“If the culture breaks down then you’re done,” Volpe said. “So I think we’ve done a good job building … respect for each other, respecting everyone’s differences, being very competitive and cohesive.”

As they ease into conference play, the team lingers on their projected first-place conference finish.

“It’s a sign of respect of us, but also we haven’t earned anything yet,” Volpe said.

The Owls will play again on Friday, Oct. 4 at the University of Tulsa. In their last matchup a year ago, Rice swept the Golden Hurricanes. The Oct. 4 matchup will be streamed on ESPN+ at 6 p.m.