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Rice Volleyball: Time runs out on inspiring season

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Rice volleyball gave Texas a run but couldn’t upend the ‘Horns, falling in the second round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament.

Rice volleyball was dealt a crushing blow last season when they were forced to bow out of the NCAA Tournament without playing a match because of COVID-19. Not only did the team never show any signs of lingering frustration, they bounced back and compiled one of the most impressive runs in program history.

The Owls blazed through Conference USA, notching a perfect 12-0 record before falling to Western Kentucky in the conference championship. Along the way they lost just six times, only once to an unranked team. That was more than enough to send them back to the NCAA Tournament once more, but this time they were able to compete, and compete they did.

Rice blanked San Diego 3-0, setting up a tantalizing Lone Star bout between Rice and Texas. The last time these two teams squared off in Austin, Rice won 3-2. This time, it was the Longhorns that came out on top, winning 3-0 in a match head coach Genny Volpe said “the score [wasn’t] very indicative of how competitive it was.”

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Rice netted the first set up 15-15 before Texas went on a run to put things out of reach. Then the Longhorns edged the Owls 25-23 in the second stanza. The third set was tied up 17-17 before Texas closed it all out with another run. Had there been a couple of breaks the other way, Rice might have been able to sneak another frame, but this time it just wasn’t in the cards.

“I’m extremely proud of how we played,” Volpe said.”All we ask as coaches is that they’re invested and they feel freed to compete and enjoy the competition because so much hard work goes into what they do. This team is truly invested, and I think you can tell. I think you can see it when we play. I think they inspire others as they inspire me.”

Rice hit .340 against Texas, 53 points better than their season average of .287 and 178 points better than the .162 hitting percentage the Longhorns had allowed to their opponents entering the showdown with the Owls.

Disappointed by the result, Volpe couldn’t help but smile when discussing the team’s effort. “We knew we wanted to embrace the opportunity and play Rice volleyball and we really feel like we can compete at the highest level when we play our game. And so my hope was just that this team was able to relax and trust the process that we’ve gone through and enjoy the moment. We did not get the result we wanted but I feel like they left everything on the floor and showed what a quality team we are.”

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The Roost Podcast | Ep 102 – 2021 Rice Football Season in Review

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Rice football went out with a win. What should we make of the 2021 season? We grade all three phases on this week’s show.

The 2021 Rice football season is in the books. Special teams was terrible. The defense struggled. The offense was … pleasantly exciting? Carter and Matthew break down the totality of the year, starting with the final game against Louisiana Tech and going into grades of each phase and what optimism (or concern) should be warranted going forward.

You can find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 102.

Episode Notes

  • Housekeeping
    • Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe to the podcast on your platform of choice. Every little bit helps.
    • Stay tuned for upcoming episodes: The Roosties and our Early Signing Period review
    • Please support us on Patreon. Be the first to get the inside scoop on what’s going on with Rice football and stick around for even further analysis. That includes updates from fall camp, practices and more.
      Become a Patron!
  • Rice Football vs LA Tech Game Recap
    • TJ McMahon and what to make of a spunky Rice offense
    • The defense wasn’t great, but made key plays when they needed to most
    • Rice wins its final game of the season for the third time in four years
  • 2021 Rice Football Season Review
    • How much defensive regression was injury-related and how much concern should we have going forward?
    • Special teams was a disaster (with nice cameos in the return game)
    • Was the offense the most encouraging unit of the three? How much credit goes to new OC Marques Tuiasosopo?
    • Should there be any significant concerns regarding previously announced transfers?

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: After-season Transfer Portal updates

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Rice football has lost a handful of players to the Transfer Portal this week. Who is heading out and how what impact will that have on the Owls?

If the Rice football season spans from August to November, December is Transfer Portal season. The Owls aren’t alone in this modern college football phenomenon. There have been more than 250 transfers in the past week across the country and more are certainly coming.

Why now? At first glance, the end of the regular season seems to be a natural breakpoint in the calendar, but it’s what coincides with that break that is the more likely impetus. College programs around the country hold what many call “exit interviews” where players and staff sit down and talk through the season with individual players and discuss the future. If that future doesn’t align with the desire or expectations of a particular student-athlete, some will choose to part ways.

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That sort of changeover is happening at Rice right now, just as it’s happening in football facilities around the nation. To this point, Rice football has largely benefited from this process. For every Blaze Alldredge that enters the portal, Rice has found a Bradley Rozner or Naeem Smith. Current NFL offensive lineman Nick Leverett was a transfer addition, too, as have been five Rice starting quarterbacks.

With that as a preamble, here is the latest list of Rice football players that have reportedly entered the Transfer Portal this week:

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Rice Football 2021: NFL Owls Week 12 Stats Update

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Rice Football is well represented on 2021 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
LA Chargers Christian Covington (DL) at Denver L, 28-13 at Cincinnati
Denver Calvin Anderson (OL)
Bryce Callahan (CB)		 vs LA Chargers W, 28-13 at Kansas City (SNF)
Pittsburgh Chris Boswell (PK) at Cincinnati L, 41-10 vs Baltimore
Detroit Jack Fox (P) vs Chicago L, 16-14 vs Minnesota
Tampa Bay Nick Leverett (OL) at Indianapolis W, 38-31 at Atlanta
Indianapolis Andrew Sendejo (Saf) vs Tampa Bay L, 38-31 at Houston

Offense

Calvin Anderson – OT, Broncos

Anderson was midway through his third career start before suffering a knee injury and exiting the game. He shared this on social media shortly after:

Nick Leverett – OT, Buccaneers

Not only was Nick Leverett active for the first time this season, but he was quickly thrust into duty. Leverett filled in for Aaron Stinnie who was replacing injured starter Ali Marpet. Head coach Bruce Arians gave Leverett a game ball for his efforts.

Defense

Bryce Callahan – CB, Broncos

Callahan remains on IR after a knee injury suffered in Week 8.

Christian Covington – DL, Chargers

Covington was activated off the COVID list and started for the Chargers in their Week 12 game against the Broncos. He had five tackles, tying a season-high he set in Week 1 against the Washington Football team and later tied in Week 8 against the Patriots.

Andrew Sendejo – S, Colts

Sendejo has become a fixture in the Colts’ secondary, recovering a fumble and making six tackles in their Week 12 game against the Bucs.

Special Teams

Jack Fox – P, Lions

Fox punted six times on Thanksgiving Day, booting a 70-yard punt. He is one of only five NFL punters with a punt of that distance this season. For the day, he averaged a neat 50-yards on his attempts.

Chris Boswell – K, Steelers

Boswell was seldom used in Week 12, converting his lone field goal attempt from 40 yards while adding one extra point.

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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Rice Football Recruiting: 2022 ATH Quinton Jackson commits to Owls

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Another explosive playmaker is headed to South Main. Athlete Quinton Jackson is the newest member of the 2022 Rice Football recruiting class.

The Rice football recruiting staff hasn’t slowed down. As the regular season was winding down for the Owls, they’ve been hard at work identifying talent, issuing offers and landing commitments. Now, a little more than a month removed from a pair of pledges on the offensive side of the ball Rice has landed a commitment from versatile athlete Quinton Jackson.

First and foremost, Jackson is a dynamic athlete. He played quarterback in high school and is listed as a wide receiver by some recruiting services. His skills with his feet make running back a viable possibility at the next level, too. Current Rice tailback Khalan Griffin made a similar transition from dual-threat QB to ball carrier.

Jackson was initially offered in September. At that time, Rice was competing with offers from the likes of Marshall, Army, Navy and a few others. The Owls ended up winning the battle, giving them another potential difference-maker on offense, wherever he lines up.

He’ll join wide receivers Braylen Walker and Rawson McNeill with JUCO runningback Dean Connors rounding out the current crop of skill position talents. The 2022 Rice Football recruiting class now has 10 commitments as the Early Signing Period approaches in mid-December.

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It’s not hard to get excited about Jackson and what he could bring to the Rice offense. His highlight reel is jam-packed with big-time plays — just watch him weave through defenders on the first touchdown run on this clip. He might only be 5’9″, but he’s got more thane enough wiggle to make opposing defenders loose their balance at all three levels.

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