University of North Texas
10-17,7-9AAC
Rice
18-7,13-3AAC
Volleyball Defeats Rice, Advances to AAC Championship Tournament
11/17/2024 5:44:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
UNT collects third-consecutive home win over the Owls
DENTON, Texas – In a win-or-go-home scenario, Mean Green volleyball posted a 3-2 win (23-25, 25-20, 19-25, 25-17, 15-10) over Rice at the UNT Volleyball Center on Sunday to clinch a spot in the American Athletic Conference Championship tournament.
"We wait until our backs are against the wall and then we just have to fight," head coach Kristee Porter said. "We knew what [we had to accomplish] coming into this weekend … in order to make the conference tournament. So, to pick up these wins, it shows you that this is a very talented team and I'm looking forward to what they can do at the conference tournament."
UNT (10-17, 7-9) entered the match in ninth place after UAB lost to AAC Champions South Florida earlier in the day but still needed a win over the second-place Owls (18-7, 13-3) to punch its ticket to Wichita.
Coco Gillett led the offense with 16 kills, her most in a conference match this season, while she collected the highest hitting percentage of her five-year collegiate career with a mark of .485 with zero errors on 33 attacks.
"I'm so proud of this team," Gillett said. "[I feel] happiness, joy, a little bit emotional about our last home game but really proud of how we pushed and fought this entire weekend."
Setter Kamryn Scroggins engineered the offense with 25 assists including No. 2,000 of her collegiate career in set four as Priscilla Jones converted the kill.
"It's really exciting," Scroggins said. "Because I've had really good athletes to [play with] and I give all the credit to them for putting the balls away and helping me do my job."
Fellow setter Alexa Washington set a new career-high mark with 23 assists as she spelled Scroggins in UNT's 6-2 offensive system.
UP NEXT
The Mean Green secured the No. 7 seed at the American Athletic Conference Championship and will travel to Wichita, Kan. for a rematch against No. 2-seed Rice on Friday at 1:30 p.m. from Charles Koch Arena on ESPN+.
