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Rice volleyball is heating up for their first home tournament, the Rice Invitational I, with a stellar 4-0 record and national recognition on the rise. They’ll face McNeese State — whom they’ve dominated 11-1 in history — and Illinois, marking their first home matchup against the Illini since 2005. The Owls kicked off their season with a bang, sweeping wins over top-tier opponents and earning week...

Rice Owls women’s soccer heads into a brutal road stretch, facing 17th-ranked Texas State Thursday and reigning national champs Florida State Sunday. After a tough loss to No. 3 Vanderbilt (3-1), Valentina Labuschagne netted her second career goal with assists from Kapadia and Brumlow. Team recognition is soaring too: Kirsten Ruf earns Goalkeeper of the Week for a shutout and first assist, while L...

Rice Owls volleyball opens home season with a gritty 3-1 win over Tarleton State, rallying from a first-set loss thanks to standout performances from Sydnee Peterson (17 kills), Arissa Smith and Ashlyn Seay (10 kills each), and Stephanie Gutierrez’s career-high 7 blocks. Kaia Mateo led the offense with 26 assists and 17 digs for her third double-double. Coach Genny Volpe praised the middles’ consi...

Rice Stadium is turning game days into full-blown festivals with major upgrades for the 2024 season. The revamped Tailgate Owley zone opens three hours early, featuring a live pregame show, food trucks, and a giant LED screen. The Owl Walk kicks off at 3:45 PM, followed by a live band starting at 4 PM. Kids get a fresh Sammy’s Zone with inflatables and face painting, while concessions offer budget...

Rice soccer battled valiantly against No. 17 Texas State despite playing most of the game shorthanded—down to nine players for the final 70 minutes—and still managed to score three goals, including a late-game heroics from Lauren Pickup. But Texas State capitalized on their numerical advantage, netting three goals in the final 20 minutes—including the dramatic winner in the last minute—to steal a...

Rice volleyball just pulled off a dominant sweep against McNeese, cruising to a 3-0 victory and extending their perfect season with five wins and zero losses. Sydnee Peterson exploded for 17 kills, Kaia Mateo dazzled with 34 assists, and Campbell Love anchored the defense with digs. The Owls held McNeese’s offense to a dismal hitting percentage while firing on all cylinders themselves, sealing the...

Rice Owls kick off their 115th season with a historic first-ever matchup against Houston Christian at Rice Stadium, broadcast live on ESPN. It’s not just any opener — it’s the start of a new era for both programs, with Rice also set to face Temple for the first time later this year. The Owls aim to break a two-game losing streak at home and become the first coach since 1989 to win his first two op...

Rice Owls women’s soccer faces a brutal test this Sunday against top-ranked Florida State, a team they’ve battled four of the last five seasons — each time while FSU held the national championship. After a gritty, short-handed loss to Texas State, the Owls are hungry for redemption. Goalkeeper Kirsten Ruf earned Goalkeeper of the Week honors after a shutout and her first assist, while Lauren Picku...

Rice University’s football team exploded onto the scene with a 31-3 demolition of HCU, led by Tyvonn Byars’ career-high rushing performance and a dominant ground attack. The Owls answered HCU’s early field goal with 17 unanswered points in the first half, powered by touchdowns from D’Andre Hardeman Jr. and Quinton Jackson. Defense locked down the rest of the game, holding HCU to minimal yardage an...

Rice volleyball suffered its first loss of the season, falling to Illinois 3-0 at the Rice Invitational — a dominant performance by the Big Ten squad that hit at nearly double Rice’s rate. Despite Sydnee Peterson’s seven kills and Jordan Hummel’s stellar 11 digs, the Owls couldn’t sustain offense or defense. Coach Genny Volpe praised Hummel’s leadership and hinted at promise from the middle hitter...

Rice’s women’s soccer team stunned the defending national champs, Florida State, with a gritty 1-1 draw — their first against a ranked opponent since 2021 and the first non-Power Four team to beat FSU since 2021. Megan Sweeney made her debut in goal with standout saves, Sloane Popov netted her second straight goal to tie it late, and Brian Lee praised the Owls for playing fearless from the start....

Sydnee Peterson just made history, earning American Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors — her first major award and the fourth weekly honor for Rice this season. Leading the conference with 4.10 kills per set, she smashed 41 kills across three games, topping the Owls in every match, including 17-kill performances against Tarleton State and McNeese. While Rice won two straight (sweeping...

Freshman Sloane Popov just earned American Conference Honorable Mention after a breakout season — including the game-tying goal against reigning national champs Florida State and her first career goal against Texas State while short-handed. Her clutch performances on the road signal big things ahead for Rice, and with UL-Monroe up next, Popov is poised to keep making waves as a key player. Listen...

Rice Owls cross country kicks off season with a stacked home invitational—women’s 4K at 6:20 p.m., men’s 5.2K at 6:50 p.m.—featuring All-Conference and All-Region talent like Oliwia Kopeć, Alex Gobran, Gus Gannon, and Ben Tijerina, as they aim to dominate early against top regional rivals including Houston Christian and Texas Southern. Listen in comfort: Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://sol...

Rice Owls soccer returns home to Holloway Field this Thursday night for a big non-conference showdown against UL-Monroe, riding high after a historic 1-1 draw with No. 15 Florida State — their first ranked opponent result since 2021. Freshman Sloane Popov stole the spotlight with the game-tying goal in stoppage time, earning American Conference Honorable Mention and helping Rice become the first n...

Rice volleyball battled fiercely against top-ranked Louisville, falling 3-1 but leaving fans energized by their resilience—especially that hard-fought third set win. Freshman Ashlyn Seay led the charge with 10 kills, and Coach Volpe praised the team’s fearless swings and composure under pressure. Though the loss stings, this performance signals real growth and potential as Rice heads into Saturday...

Rice soccer strikes gold with a 3-0 demolition of UL-Monroe, marking their 250th program win and snapping a streak of defensive stalemates. Sloane Popov lit up the scoreboard with two goals—her third and fourth of the season—while Neerali Kapadia dished out her team-leading fourth assist. Jordyn Mariam capped it off with a stunning free-kick for her second career goal. Goalkeeper Kirsten Ruf stood...

Notre Dame obliterated Rice 52-0, turning turnovers into touchdowns and shutting down the Owls’ offense entirely—Rice managed just 128 yards and became the first team since 2021 to be shut out by the Fighting Irish. The rout began with a fumble on Rice’s opening play, followed by another turnover deep in their own territory, giving Notre Dame a 42-0 halftime lead. Even when Rice finally mounted a...

Rice women’s cross country just claimed their third straight team title at the Rice Invitational, led by Brooklyn Crow’s blistering second-place finish in 14:41.4 — setting the pace for a dominant Owls squad. Freshmen Emma Rohrbach (4th) and Katherine McNulty (6th), plus Amelia Shoemaker and Niamh Collins (both top ten), delivered key performances that cemented the win. This isn’t luck — it’s dept...

Rice volleyball fell short against Northern Iowa, dropping a tough three-set match 25-18, 25-20, 25-23, but showed grit and flashes of brilliance. Sydnee Peterson delivered her third double-double with 11 kills and 11 digs, while Mari Furoyama shattered her own record with 24 digs. Kaia Mateo led the offense with 16 assists, and freshman Zora Bello added 12 digs. Stephanie Gutierrez anchored the d...

Rice men’s cross country exploded onto the season with a dominant team title at the 50th Rice Invitational, led by standout Brandon Martz’s second-place finish in 16:16.1 — just behind teammate Matthew Gaitan, who placed third. Coach Jon Warren praised the early-season grit, especially as the team still fine-tunes fitness levels. Gus Gannon returned in fourth, while Ben Pearce and Victor Aviles ro...

Rice volleyball is primed for a historic weekend at the Rice Invitational II, facing powerhouse foes like No. 5 Louisville and No. 15 Creighton on their home court. With a 5-1 record and a breakout sophomore star earning Offensive Player of the Week honors, the Owls are firing on all cylinders under legendary head coach Genny Volpe. After falling short against these teams last year, this season fe...

Rice men’s golf kicks off their 2026 season at the high-stakes Jackson T. Stephens Cup in Frisco, facing top teams like Houston and SMU across 54 holes of stroke play—with the top four battling in match play for glory. Broadcast live on Golf Channel, with scoring available online, the Owls boast elite talent including Reggie Zhu (6th in school history for stroke average), Raines Watson, Henry Daly...

Rice football took on top-ranked Notre Dame in a high-stakes road showdown, marking their sixth national TV appearance on NBC — and their first meeting with the Irish since 1974’s nail-biter. Despite a solid offensive showing, costly turnovers doomed the Owls in their season opener, falling to the Fighting Irish for the sixth time in history. Now, Rice heads home next Saturday to face Western Mich...

The Rice Owls men’s basketball team is set for a high-stakes early-season test at the Scout Jacksonville Classic, facing off against seven competitive squads—including Miami of Ohio (32-2, NCAA 2nd round), UIC (conference champs, NIT bid), and Robert Morris (22 wins)—in a four-day tournament packed with tough matchups before conference play kicks in. Listen in comfort: Get a discount on a Soli Pil...