Sunday, March 7
HOUSTON, TX
1 PM
University of North Texas
at
Rice
Photo by: Manny Flores
MGVB hits the road for crucial matchup with Rice
3/6/2021 10:21:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
DENTON – The North Texas Mean Green volleyball team will travel to Houston this weekend for a crucial C-USA back-to-back series against the Rice Owls. The matches are scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 7 and Monday, March 8.
About the Mean Green: North Texas is coming off a 3-1 (15-25, 25-23, 25-22, 25-21) victory over Big 12 foe Oklahoma on Thursday night. During the win, senior Miranda Youmans shined with eight kills, four blocks and a .467 attack percentage. Freshman Kenzie Smith also tallied seven kills and a .500 hitting percentage on 13 attacks.
North Texas currently sits fifth in the Conference USA West Division behind Rice, UTEP, UAB and Southern Miss. The top four teams in each division advance to the C-USA Tournament in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. With at least one win against Rice, the Mean Green's chances at a C-USA tournament berth rise immensely.
Rhett Robinson leads the Mean Green with 3.98 kills-per-set in 2020-21, which ranks fifth in C-USA. Robinson's 207 kills are the most in all of Conference USA. The Krum, Texas native has also upped her performance on the defensive end, as her 44 blocks ranks second on the team. Robinson has recorded at least five blocks in three of the last four matches.
Senior setter Kaliegh Skopal has continued to captain the Mean Green offense during her return to the court from Guillain-Barré Syndrome. Skopal is second in C-USA with 448 assists in 13 matches, and her 8.62 assists-per-set rank ninth.
Scouting the Owls: Rice (9-3, 8-0 C-USA) currently sits at the top of the C-USA West Division. During 2020-21, the Owls have swept Louisiana Tech, Southern Miss, UAB and UTSA in conference play for a perfect 8-0 C-USA record. in played most of conference slate in fall 2020. The Sooners' three wins this season have come against West Virginia and Kansas twice.
Rice enters Sunday's match against North Texas on an eight-match win streak and 5-0 at Tudor Fieldhouse this season.
The Owls' defense has been outstanding in 2020-21, limiting opponents to a hitting percentage of .200 or lower in seven straight matches. Rice also ranks 28th in the nation with a .269 team hitting percentage, and senior outside hitter Nicole Lennon leads all C-USA players in points-pet-set (5.06) and is second in kills-per-set (4.21).
Series history: Rice leads the all-time series 13-6 dating back to the Mean Green's inaugural varsity season in 1976. Since head coach Andrew Palileo arrived at North Texas in 2013, the Mean Green are 4-6 against the Owls. The last time North Texas beat Rice in Houston was in 2014.
In 2019, Rice – who was ranked No. 18 in 2019 – defeated the Mean Green 3-0 (26-28, 25-27, 11-25) at the North Texas Volleyball Center.
Where to Watch: Both matches can be streamed on C-USA TV at https://conferenceusa.com/watch/default.aspx?Live=13973.
Up Next: The Mean Green will return to the North Texas Volleyball Center on Friday, March 12 for a 6 p.m. tilt with No. 6 Baylor.
About the Mean Green: North Texas is coming off a 3-1 (15-25, 25-23, 25-22, 25-21) victory over Big 12 foe Oklahoma on Thursday night. During the win, senior Miranda Youmans shined with eight kills, four blocks and a .467 attack percentage. Freshman Kenzie Smith also tallied seven kills and a .500 hitting percentage on 13 attacks.
North Texas currently sits fifth in the Conference USA West Division behind Rice, UTEP, UAB and Southern Miss. The top four teams in each division advance to the C-USA Tournament in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. With at least one win against Rice, the Mean Green's chances at a C-USA tournament berth rise immensely.
Rhett Robinson leads the Mean Green with 3.98 kills-per-set in 2020-21, which ranks fifth in C-USA. Robinson's 207 kills are the most in all of Conference USA. The Krum, Texas native has also upped her performance on the defensive end, as her 44 blocks ranks second on the team. Robinson has recorded at least five blocks in three of the last four matches.
Senior setter Kaliegh Skopal has continued to captain the Mean Green offense during her return to the court from Guillain-Barré Syndrome. Skopal is second in C-USA with 448 assists in 13 matches, and her 8.62 assists-per-set rank ninth.
Scouting the Owls: Rice (9-3, 8-0 C-USA) currently sits at the top of the C-USA West Division. During 2020-21, the Owls have swept Louisiana Tech, Southern Miss, UAB and UTSA in conference play for a perfect 8-0 C-USA record. in played most of conference slate in fall 2020. The Sooners' three wins this season have come against West Virginia and Kansas twice.
Rice enters Sunday's match against North Texas on an eight-match win streak and 5-0 at Tudor Fieldhouse this season.
The Owls' defense has been outstanding in 2020-21, limiting opponents to a hitting percentage of .200 or lower in seven straight matches. Rice also ranks 28th in the nation with a .269 team hitting percentage, and senior outside hitter Nicole Lennon leads all C-USA players in points-pet-set (5.06) and is second in kills-per-set (4.21).
Series history: Rice leads the all-time series 13-6 dating back to the Mean Green's inaugural varsity season in 1976. Since head coach Andrew Palileo arrived at North Texas in 2013, the Mean Green are 4-6 against the Owls. The last time North Texas beat Rice in Houston was in 2014.
In 2019, Rice – who was ranked No. 18 in 2019 – defeated the Mean Green 3-0 (26-28, 25-27, 11-25) at the North Texas Volleyball Center.
Where to Watch: Both matches can be streamed on C-USA TV at https://conferenceusa.com/watch/default.aspx?Live=13973.
Up Next: The Mean Green will return to the North Texas Volleyball Center on Friday, March 12 for a 6 p.m. tilt with No. 6 Baylor.
Players Mentioned
MB/OH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
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