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Rice Volleyball: Owls drop NCAA heatbreaker to Baylor, 3-2

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Rice Volleyball rallied to force a fifth set, but saw their NCAA Tournament trip come to an end in Waco, TX, falling to Baylor 3-2 in the Second Round.

Another historic Rice volleyball season ends in a crushing NCAA defeat, this time at the hands of Baylor in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. It was the Owls’ third trip to the second round in program history and following a 3-1 victory over Colorado on Thursday, the first time in program history the Owls have won an NCAA match in back-to-back seasons.

Rice volleyball fought to the fifth and final set on Friday in Waco, TX, but was unable to add any other line items to that historic run. The Owls fell 3-2 (25-16, 22-25, 23-25, 25-14, 15-11).

In the games they won, Rice was dominant, but they weren’t able to mount a comeback in the final frame after falling behind 4-0 out of the gate.

Rice hit .289, edging Baylor who managed just .243. Anota Adekunle led all players with 22 kills, tying the record for kills in an NCAA Tournament match, also reached the day prior to Sahara Maruska against Colorado. Carly Graham led all players with 56 assists. Adekunle led all players with 22.5 points.

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Rice Women’s Basketball staves off TCU, stays perfect

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Rice women’s basketball continues its early-season success, staving off a late rally from TCU to move to 7-0 on the year.

Rice women’s basketball couldn’t have gotten off to a much better start on Friday night against TCU. The Owls shot a blazing 58.3 percent from the floor, jumping out to a 17-8 lead. Ashlee Austin led the way with an austere 4-for-4 start and a team-high nine points, setting the tone for the team moving forward.

TCU got their feet underneath them in the second quarter, but Rice continued to hold them at bay. The Frogs trimmed their deficit to five points to start the frame before the Owls’ rocketed their advantage back to 10.

The margin wiggled a little bit to each side throughout the period, but Rice always seemed to have an answer for every TCU basket, never allowing more than two consecutive scores without a response.

Things really wouldn’t escalate until the final minutes of the fourth quarter when TCU made a late run. Austin had just put Rice up by 11 when TCU mounted a 7-0 run, culminating in a three-pointer with 49 seconds on the clock to cut the Owls’ lead to four. Rice would tighten up, make their free throws and pull away, maintaining their perfect start and moving to 7-0 on the young season.

The 7-0 start is the best in program history, with that standard being raised further with each successive victory.

“I think this year can just be amazing, but we’ll take it one game at a time and the next one’s the most important [one] and we can’t get ahead of ourselves and we can’t think that we’ve arrived,” head coach Lindsay Edmonds said.

“We got to keep fighting every single day and know now that that target is on our back even more than it already was. I’m really proud of that. Pressure is a privilege and they’ve worked really hard to have that target on their back and now we got to work even harder to keep it there.”

Spotlight | Team Depth

Five different players had four or more points in the fourth quarter, by far the most potent and diverse frame of the evening for the Owls in the most pressure-packed situation. Coach Edmonds mentioned that’s exactly how she wants this team to operate.

“[On] a different night, a different person can step up and when we are so balanced, it’s hard for opponents to scout against us. It’s hard to know who we’re going to go through. We have plays for everybody that we want to take advantage of. I think that’s our best attribute, how deep we are and how balanced we are,” she said.

Three starters finished in double figures and eight different players had at least three points with 10 Owls seeing the court in the 40-minute contest. Rice women’s basketball has depth and they continue to use it to their advantage.

Final Box | Rice 68 – TCU 58

Up Next | Full Schedule

Rice women’s basketball has another important home game against a Lone Star State foe. After posting victories over Texas A&M and TCU, Rice hosts crosstown rival Houston on Saturday, Dec. 10. Tip-off for that game is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on ESPN+.

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Rice Basketball grinds out home win over PVAMU

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Rice basketball found a way to grind out a low-scoring, defensive affair against Prairie View A&M on Wednesday night to stay unbeaten at home.

Winners of three straight, Rice basketball brought plenty of positive history with them into a midweek matchup with Prairie View A&M. The Owls were undefeated on their home court this season and had never lost to Prairie View A&M in program history. Those streaks quickly became irrelevant anecdotes as soon as both teams hit the court and the home team was put to the test.

Neither side shot the ball well out of the gate, but the Owls’ offensive output was particularly troubling. At their lowest they were 5-of-18 (28%) from the floor, somehow keeping the game within a six-point margin throughout the first 19 minutes without finding much success from the floor, at least until a three-pointer at the buzzer gave the Panthers a seven-point lead, their largest of the night.

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Prairie View would strike first in the second half, led by Braden Bell who drilled his third three-pointer in as many shots to extend their lead to 12 points. He’d been 2-of-12 entering the game but couldn’t seem to miss on Wednesday night before eventually fouling out.

Foul trouble was an issue for both sides and Rice used it to its advantage, knocking down 26 free throws to help them climb out of that large hole. In dire need of a spark, Quincy Olivari obliged, almost single-handily keeping the Owls afloat with 13 consecutive points in less than five minutes — none of his teammates had as many points in the full 40 minutes — until Travis Evee knocked down consecutive threes to tie the game.

Once Rice got level, it was game on. Prairie View A&M earned a meager two-point lead following Rice pulling even, but that would be it. Olivari put Rice in front for good with a free throw, one of a career-high 11 makes from the charity stripe — and the Owls held on to close it out.

Player Spotlight | Cameron Sheffield

While Olivari was lifting the team with his shooting stroke, Sheffield was dominating on the glass. He led all players with 15 rebounds, including four offensive boards. He only took three shots, but his impact on the game was massive.

“I couldn’t take him out. I just had tremendous trust in what he was doing,” head coach Scott Pera said after the game. “People have roles on the team. Not only is he good at this role, he’s embracing his role.”

Likewise, Olivari was quick to heap on his own praise. “It’s the reason we won,” he said, referencing Sheffield’s performance.

Final Box | Rice 70 – PVAMU 62

Up Next | Full Schedule

Rice basketball will hit the road next after playing four straight games in the span of two weeks at Tudor Fieldhouse. They’ll play in San Marcos, TX at Texas State on Sunday. The tip-off for that game is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on ESPN+.

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The Roost Podcast | Ep 135 Rice Football vs North Texas Recap

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The 2022 Rice football regular season is over. The Roost Podcast is here to unpack the North Texas game and discuss the coaching staff and the program.

In many ways, it was a microcosm of the 2022 Rice Football season as a whole. The Owls made a game out of their trip to Denton as heavy underdogs but came away one possession short, falling on the road to a 5-7 record. The team is still very much alive for a bowl berth, but questions surround this staff and the next steps. What does Rice do next? We break it down here.

You can find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 135.

Episode Notes

Housekeeping

  • Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe to the podcast on your platform of choice. Every little bit helps.
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Rice Football vs North Texas game recap

  • Despite a fourth quarter lead, mistakes and weird circumstances doom attempts of a late comeback
  • Rice finds magic in a scout team quarterback, staying competitive in spite of the odds
  • The defense was really, really good until things crumbled at the very end
  • What’s the latest on Mike Bloomgren? Will there be a coaching change?
  • How does Bloomgren’s connection to Stanford have any bearing on the Owls future plans?

Where can you find us?

Download and subscribe to The Roost Podcast on any of your favorite podcast providers. The show is available on iTunes, GooglePlay, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn and PodBean. Please consider leaving a review wherever you listen.

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Rice Football 2022: NFL Owls Week 12 Roundup

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Rice Football is well represented on 2022 NFL rosters. Here’s the latest from the NFL Owls in action in Week 12.

There are former Rice football players scattered across the NFL. Stay tuned each week for their game results and notables from each player.

Team NFL Owl(s) Week 12 Result Week 13
Denver Broncos Calvin Anderson (OL) at Panthers L, 23-10 at Ravens
Detroit Lions Jack Fox (P) vs Bills (Thanksgiving) L, 28-25 vs Jaguars
Indianapolis Colts Kylen Granson (TE) vs Steelers (MNF) L, 24-17 at Cowboys
LA Chargers Bryce Callahan (DB)
Christian Covington (DL)		 vs Cardinals W, 25-24 at Raiders
Pittsburgh Steelers Chris Boswell (PK) at Colts (MNF) W, 24-17 vs Falcons
Seattle Seahawks Myles Adams (DL) vs Raiders L, 40-34 (OT) at Rams
Tampa Bay Bucs Nick Leverett (OL) at Browns L, 23-17 (OT) vs Saints (MNF)

Offense

Calvin Anderson – OT, Broncos

Anderson started his fourth straight game this weekend, his fifth start of the season.

Kylen Gransen – TE, Colts

Gransen was not inactive for the Colts’ Week 12 loss to the Steelers on Monday Night Football.

Nick Leverett – OT, Buccaneers

Leverett started his fourth consecutive game this weekend. He’s appeared in every game for the Bucs since Week 7.

Defense

Myles Adams – DL, Seahawks

Adams wasn’t active in the Seahawks’ Week 12 loss to the Raiders.

Bryce Callahan – CB, Chargers

Callahan posted five tackles in the Chargers’ Week 12 win over the Cardinals.

Christian Covington – DL, Chargers

Covington was placed on Injured Reserve after suffering a pec injury in the Chargers’ Week 10 game against the 49ers.

Special Teams

Jack Fox – P, Lions

Fox punted twice in the Lions’ loss to the Bills on Thanksgiving Day, including a long of 57 yards. Both his punts were downed inside the 20.

Chris Boswell – K, Steelers

The Steelers placed Boswell on IR prior to their Week 10 game against the Saints. He’ll be out for at least four weeks.

More Owls in the NFL

From practice squads to current free agents, there are other Owls on the cusp of returning to active rosters. Find more detail on current contractual agreements and former Rice football players waiting for their next opportunity here.

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