The source for Rice sports news

Rice Athletics: Top 10 Moments from 2021

By

2021 was filled with highs and lows for Rice Athletics. The Roost picked out 10 moments that stood out the most along the way.

10. Rice Basketball goes on C-USA Tournament run

For the first time since 2007, Rice basketball won multiple games in the Conference USA Tournament. The Owls beat Southern Miss and knocked off Marshall before falling to UAB. After sneaking into the tournament as the sixth seed in the West, Rice put their best foot forward when it counted the most, building momentum as the team heads into the 2021-2022 season.

9. Owls shine at Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics

The realm of collegiate athletics wasn’t the only area where Rice impressed. The Owls also faired well on one of the world’s greatest stages: the Olympics. Ariana Ince competed in the Tokyo Olympics in the javelin throw. Soon after, Ahalya Lettenberger took home a silver medal in the Paralympic Games.

8. Rice Women’s basketball wins WNIT

It feels like forever ago at this point, but Rice Women’s Basketball marched through the WNIT in March, thumping Ole Miss to win the program’s first-ever WNIT Championship. The roster has changed dramatically since then, but the accomplishments of Tina Langley, Nancy Mulkey and Co. will not be forgotten.

7. Rice Football signs another Top 5 recruiting class

Recruiting has been one of the brightest spots for Rice football under head coach Mike Bloomgren and the most recent 2022 recruiting class appears to be no exception. The Owls took home a Top 5 class in Conference USA and the No. 2 rated class in program history. Each of the last three classes currently ranks in the Top 5 highest-rated classes in school history. More recruiting notes here.

6. Grace Forbes wins C-USA Female Track, XC Athlete of the Year

While track and field might not draw the same spotlight as other collegiate sports, it’s hard not to be transfixed by the level of dominance Grace Forbes has displayed in her young Rice career. Forbes was named C-USA Female Track Athlete of the Year and C-USA Cross Country Athlete of the Year. From start to end, she was the best of the best.

5. Rice baseball hires Jose Cruz Jr. as next head coach

Rice elected to make a change at the top of the baseball program following the 2021 season and athletic director Joe Karlgaard made a splash with the hiring of former Rice great Jose Cruz Jr. Cruz has already made notable additions on the transfer front and increased the visibility of the program within the city and on social media. The 2022 season can’t come soon enough.

4. Rice Soccer upsets WVU in NCAA Tournament

Making the NCAA Tournament is an accomplishment. Winning a game is another. Rice soccer went beyond both bars in their spring season, knocking off 5-seed West Virginia in route to the first Sweet 16 appearance by a Conference USA school since 2011 and tying the program record for wins a season with 14.

3. Rice Volleyball makes NCAA Tournament, twice!

Rice arrived in Omaha in mid-April but had their first NCAA Tournament appearance of the year ended by COVID-19 cases within the program. Undeterred, they bounced back and earned another NCAA bid in their traditional fall season. Finally given the opportunity to compete, Rice beat San Diego in the first round before falling to Texas in the second round.

2. Rice football beats UAB

For the second consecutive season, Rice football won a game as a three-touchdown underdog on the road. In 2020, Marshall was the victim a dominant defensive performance by the Owls. This time around, UAB was caught in the crosshairs of what was indisputably the most complete performance by all phases in the 2021 season with team-favorite Wiley Green at the helm.

1. Rice Athletics accepts AAC invite

The giant of conference realignment awoke during the summer when Texas and Oklahoma announced moves to the SEC. That decision sent ripple effects across college athletics all the way to Houston, Tx where Rice Athletics was invited to join the American Athletic Conference. The Owls don’t have a date when the move becomes official yet, but the announcement itself is a massive moment in Rice Athletics history.

Honorable Mentions…

How about you? Which of these moments from Rice Athletics did you enjoy the most? Cutting this down to 10 was challenging. Which Rice Athletics events should be added to the list?

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Soccer opens 2021 season with a bang, blasting SHSU

By

Rice Soccer started its 2021 season with an emphatic victory against Sam Houston, blanking the Bearkats 4-0 at Holloway Field.

The blast of the opening whistle had only just left trailed off before Rice soccer got its 2021 season off to a thunderous start. Vvyiene Spaulding put the Owls in front with a goal in the fourth minute right off a Bella Killgore free kick. The pace would only pick up from there.

Delaney Schultz extended the lead with a goal in the fifth minute then provided a quick encore with a second goal of her own in the eighth minute. By the time the whistle appeared again to signal halftime, Schultz had scored again, beginning the season with a hat trick — all in the first 20 minutes.

Rice Football Season Preview: Pick up your copy today

Rice had the advantage in shots (29-6), shots on goal (16-0) and corners (7-2). Killgore didn’t face any shots on target and thus never needed to register a save. It was just about as dominant of a performance as you could ask for from a team that entered the year with lofty expectations.

Rice had only just edged out Lamar in extra time during an exhibition game played earlier in the week. Whatever early-season rust remained from that contest wasn’t apparent on Wednesday night when the No. 16 Owls controlled things from the opening kick.

Now 1-0 on the season, Rice will play six of their next seven games at home with the lone exception coming next week when they’ll bus across town to play Houston Baptist at Sorrels Field. The Owls will host SFA, Houston, SMU and Texas at Holloway before their first conference game against UTEP on September 16.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Soccer: Owls fall to Virginia in Sweet 16

By

Rice soccer fell to No. 13 Virginia on Wednesday night, ending their postseason run in the Sweet 16.

A remarkable NCAA Tournament run came to an end for Rice soccer late on Wednesday night. A weather delay in a previous game pushed back what would become the Owls’ final game of their season, a 2-0 loss to No. 13 Virginia in the Sweet 16.

Rice was on the defensive from the start against Virginia, holding the Cavaliers scoreless through the first 35 minutes of play before Diana Ordonez broke through with a penalty kick in the 36th minute. She would add a second goal in the 67th minute and a third in the 81st minute, completing a hat trick with minutes to spare in regulation.

Virginia led Rice in shots 16-2, shots on goal 6-1 and corners 8-0. Most importantly, they edged Rice in scoring 3-0. For as strong as the Rice back line had been all season, it wasn’t able to outlast the onslaught from their ACC foes this time around. Virginia became the fifth ACC squad to clinch a spot in the quarterfinals with the victory.

The Roost Podcast: Rice Football and C-USA Offseason Mailbag

The end of the season is bittersweet, but the heights this program was able to reach still deserve recognition. Rice became the first Conference USA program to reach the Sweet 16 since 2011 when UCF took down North Carolina, advancing to the quarter finals.

Rice soccer will finish its 2021 season with a final record of 14-3-1, tying a school record for wins set in 2004 (and matched in 2014). Their streak of 11 consecutive matches without a loss (10-0-1) also came to an end.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Soccer 2021: Owls set for NCAA Tournament run

By

Rice soccer is NCAA Tournament bound. After winning the Conference USA Tournament, the Owls now have their opponent and destination set.

For the fifth time in program history, Rice soccer is headed to the NCAA Tournament. The Owls formally punched their ticket on Saturday, defeating Charlotte at Holloway Field to secure Conference USA’s automatic bid. The victory capped off a tremendous regular season for the Owls, who one-upped the preseason polls, which tabbed them to finish second in the West.

Rice landed four players on the All-Tournament team, led by tournament Offensive MVP Delaney Schultz and Defensive MVP Mijke Roelfsema. Caleigh Boeckx and Rebecca Keane were also honored.

The tournament accolades served as subtle reminders of the Owls’ progress this season. Prior to the start of the week, Rice earned a No. 25 ranking in the United Soccer Coaches Poll. Everything seemed to be coming together at the right time.

With the hard work done, Rice soccer waited over the weekend to find out who and where they’ll be playing next. Complete brackets were announced on Monday.

Rice will face Furman in the first round, the alma mater of current Owls’ head coach Brian Lee. The game is scheduled for Wednesday, April 28 at 3 p.m. The winner will advance to play 5-Seed West Virginia.

In light of COVID-19 concerns, all tournament games will take place in the state of North Carolina this year. Local universities like Campbell, East Carolina, UNC Wilmington, UNC Greensboro and Wake Forest will serve as host sites with additional off-campus facilities available as well. The Tournament kicks off on April 27 and will run through the national championship game on May 17.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Soccer: Owls clinch Conference USA West Title

By

Rice soccer clinched the 2021 Conference USA West division title on Thursday, defeating UTEP at Holloway Field.

Picked to finish second in the preseason polls, Rice soccer one-upped those early expectations in the 2021 spring season. The Owls lost their conference home opener to North Texas 2-1 before reeling off six consecutive victories, the last five of which came via shutouts. Along the way, they picked up a win over Texas A&M.

On Thursday night the Owls made things official, clinching the divisional title with a win over UTEP. Catarin Alburquerque scored in the seventh minute. Haley Kostyshyn followed soon after with a 14th minute goal. Up 2-0, Rice held that margin for the remainder of the contest, outpacing UTEP in shots (14 to 8) and  shots on goal (6 to 2).

With the regular season in the books, Rice soccer finishes the season with a 5-1 record in Conference USA play and a 9-2 record overall. Just this past week, Rice was one place outside of the United Soccer Coaches Poll finishing with 35 votes. It’s very possible Rice enters the Top 25 prior to the conference tournament, slated to be played at Holloway field next week.

As for the rest of the C-USA field, North Texas, which has one game remaining, can’t catch the Owls’ in the standings. No matter how the Mean Green fair in their finale, Rice will have the top seed heading into the conference tournament. The Owls fell to North Texas in Denton in the most recent tournament. The opportunity to return the favor at home this time should be ample motivation.

The Conference USA Tournament will be played from April 13 to April 17.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts