Rice wins the first set vs. USM, 25-20

USM wins the second set, 26-24

Rice wins the 3rd set 25-19.

Come on, ladies-- close it out!

USM wins the 4th set, 25-18.

2-2

Rice loses 5th set 15-10.

USM wins match, 3-2.

We picked a bad time to become a bad 5th set team again. Rough year for Rice at conference tournaments.

The good news is that won't be an issue in football this season.

Same story every year in volleyball. We always “almost”. When is this coaching staff going to get it done? We have not been to the NCAA tournament since 2009 (8 years).

(11-17-2017 07:09 PM)OldOwl Wrote:  Same story every year in volleyball. We always “almost”. When is this coaching staff going to get it done? We have not been to the NCAA tournament since 2009 (8 years).

I've been somewhat hard on Genny and the volleyball program in recent years, because I too felt like we should be a much stronger program - especially considering we are located in the middle of a volleyball hotbed, talent-wise. Normally after a disappointing first-round loss like this my first reaction would be to agree with you, and lament that the program is decent, but not nearly as strong as I think we should be. Based on that, the natural conclusion would be to ask whether a coaching change should be considered. However, I have learned some things in recent weeks that make me back off my criticism of Genny, and instead show support for her and the rest of the volleyball staff.

First of all, this season was a nightmare for her, given the amount of injuries and locker room drama that occurred. I won't share the details online, but if I run into some of you at future football or basketball games, I'll share what I know so that you better appreciate what the team accomplished this year. Given all that drama, I think we should be pretty happy with the team's final record, despite losing in the first round of the conference tournament.

Secondly, I had a long talk with some volleyball parents, who shared an interesting point. What they told me matches what I hear from other parents of female athletes. Specifically, it's the fact that Rice is just not as attractive a destination school for female athletes as some of us have been assuming. That is because one of the main things young people now look for in a college is for it to include big-time football. The tremendous social benefits of having a major social gathering every weekend makes those schools very attractive to high school grads. They just don't want colleges that offer strong academics - they want to have fun too. And the fun they are looking for happens most at the UT's and A&M's during football weekends. As we all can agree, since the dissolving of the SWC Rice no longer comes close to offering that type of social environment. So, my past thinking that Genny should be able to recruit top Houston talent to come play here was naive. I think whoever coaches at Rice will have the same recruiting challenges Genny has.

Third, for the first time in a few years I really am excited about the future of our program. For anyone that watched the team play this year, you had to really be impressed and excited about the fact that we are loaded with so many talented young players. Our Freshmen have been fantastic. And, starting next season we are going to be bringing in a new setter who last year was named the outstanding Houston Area Player of the Year. Bringing in a talented new setter to join our current players makes me think we could be looking at one of our strongest volleyball teams in years.

Adding up all those points above, I'm no longer in the camp of people who think we should make a coaching change. I'm actually excited to see this team play in the coming 2 to 3 years, with Genny coaching them - despite today's disappointment.

(11-17-2017 08:40 PM)Minnewaska Owl Wrote:  

(11-17-2017 07:09 PM)OldOwl Wrote:  Same story every year in volleyball. We always “almost”. When is this coaching staff going to get it done? We have not been to the NCAA tournament since 2009 (8 years).

I've been somewhat hard on Genny and the volleyball program in recent years, because I too felt like we should be a much stronger program - especially considering we are located in the middle of a volleyball hotbed, talent-wise. Normally after a disappointing first-round loss like this my first reaction would be to agree with you, and lament that the program is decent, but not nearly as strong as I think we should be. Based on that, the natural conclusion would be to ask whether a coaching change should be considered. However, I have learned some things in recent weeks that make me back off my criticism of Genny, and instead show support for her and the rest of the volleyball staff.

First of all, this season was a nightmare for her, given the amount of injuries and locker room drama that occurred. I won't share the details online, but if I run into some of you at future football or basketball games, I'll share what I know so that you better appreciate what the team accomplished this year. Given all that drama, I think we should be pretty happy with the team's final record, despite losing in the first round of the conference tournament.

Secondly, I had a long talk with some volleyball parents, who shared an interesting point. What they told me matches what I hear from other parents of female athletes. Specifically, it's the fact that Rice is just not as attractive a destination school for female athletes as some of us have been assuming. That is because one of the main things young people now look for in a college is for it to include big-time football. The tremendous social benefits of having a major social gathering every weekend makes those schools very attractive to high school grads. They just don't want colleges that offer strong academics - they want to have fun too. And the fun they are looking for happens most at the UT's and A&M's during football weekends. As we all can agree, since the dissolving of the SWC Rice no longer comes close to offering that type of social environment. So, my past thinking that Genny should be able to recruit top Houston talent to come play here was naive. I think whoever coaches at Rice will have the same recruiting challenges Genny has.

Third, for the first time in a few years I really am excited about the future of our program. For anyone that watched the team play this year, you had to really be impressed and excited about the fact that we are loaded with so many talented young players. Our Freshmen have been fantastic. And, starting next season we are going to be bringing in a new setter who last year was named the outstanding Houston Area Player of the Year. Bringing in a talented new setter to join our current players makes me think we could be looking at one of our strongest volleyball teams in years.

Adding up all those points above, I'm no longer in the camp of people who think we should make a coaching change. I'm actually excited to see this team play in the coming 2 to 3 years, with Genny coaching them - despite today's disappointment.

Great post. Thanks for the insight.

(11-17-2017 08:46 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(11-17-2017 08:40 PM)Minnewaska Owl Wrote:  

(11-17-2017 07:09 PM)OldOwl Wrote:  Same story every year in volleyball. We always “almost”. When is this coaching staff going to get it done? We have not been to the NCAA tournament since 2009 (8 years).

I've been somewhat hard on Genny and the volleyball program in recent years, because I too felt like we should be a much stronger program - especially considering we are located in the middle of a volleyball hotbed, talent-wise. Normally after a disappointing first-round loss like this my first reaction would be to agree with you, and lament that the program is decent, but not nearly as strong as I think we should be. Based on that, the natural conclusion would be to ask whether a coaching change should be considered. However, I have learned some things in recent weeks that make me back off my criticism of Genny, and instead show support for her and the rest of the volleyball staff.

First of all, this season was a nightmare for her, given the amount of injuries and locker room drama that occurred. I won't share the details online, but if I run into some of you at future football or basketball games, I'll share what I know so that you better appreciate what the team accomplished this year. Given all that drama, I think we should be pretty happy with the team's final record, despite losing in the first round of the conference tournament.

Secondly, I had a long talk with some volleyball parents, who shared an interesting point. What they told me matches what I hear from other parents of female athletes. Specifically, it's the fact that Rice is just not as attractive a destination school for female athletes as some of us have been assuming. That is because one of the main things young people now look for in a college is for it to include big-time football. The tremendous social benefits of having a major social gathering every weekend makes those schools very attractive to high school grads. They just don't want colleges that offer strong academics - they want to have fun too. And the fun they are looking for happens most at the UT's and A&M's during football weekends. As we all can agree, since the dissolving of the SWC Rice no longer comes close to offering that type of social environment. So, my past thinking that Genny should be able to recruit top Houston talent to come play here was naive. I think whoever coaches at Rice will have the same recruiting challenges Genny has.

Third, for the first time in a few years I really am excited about the future of our program. For anyone that watched the team play this year, you had to really be impressed and excited about the fact that we are loaded with so many talented young players. Our Freshmen have been fantastic. And, starting next season we are going to be bringing in a new setter who last year was named the outstanding Houston Area Player of the Year. Bringing in a talented new setter to join our current players makes me think we could be looking at one of our strongest volleyball teams in years.

Adding up all those points above, I'm no longer in the camp of people who think we should make a coaching change. I'm actually excited to see this team play in the coming 2 to 3 years, with Genny coaching them - despite today's disappointment.

Great post. Thanks for the insight.

+1

Sorry I disagree. There is no excuse to at least win the conference at least every 5 years especially Conf USA. How can Coach Langley get some of the top women basketball players in the Houston area come to Rice? I guess we have accepted loosing so often that it doesn’t matter anymore.

Yeah, I can buy the injury excuse this year as they did seem pretty banged up.

The football excuse is a really lame one. Volleyball isn't even in town for half of the football home games. Do swimmers, cross country runners, and soccer players like football at a statistically lower rate than volleyball players?

(11-18-2017 01:14 AM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  Yeah, I can buy the injury excuse this year as they did seem pretty banged up.

The football excuse is a really lame one. Volleyball isn't even in town for half of the football home games. Do swimmers, cross country runners, and soccer players like football at a statistically lower rate than volleyball players?

You're focusing on the word "football" instead of the words "social event". Let me share a story that may help make my point better.

One of my coworkers and closest friends over the last 25 years raised 3 daughters. I watched all three grow up and become volleyball players. They each played club volleyball in Houston, had very successful high school careers. As a result, all were heavily recruited to play Division 1 volleyball. During the recruiting process my friend went with the girls on their various recruiting trips. The oldest was recruited by Auburn, along with a few other other schools. My buddy and his wife traveled with the daughter for her weekend recruiting trip to Auburn. When he got back to work the following Monday, all he could talk about was how the recruits and family members got tickets to the Saturday night LSU-Auburn football game, and were allowed to hang out on the field with all the players during pre-game warmups. The gameday atmosphere was incredible - what with all the tailgating, pre and post-game parties, and all the hoopla surrounding the events that Saturday. The experience was intoxicating for them. Ultimately the daughter ended up playing at both Texas and Alabama.

The youngest daughter ended up playing for Texas A&M. They had a similar recruiting experience. Her recruiting trip coincided with the weekend A&M and Freshman QB Johnny Manziel hosted LSU. Again, they got to hang out on the field before the game, see all the players, and witness all the game-day events and hoopla. Like the oldest daughter, the youngest daughter loved the excitement of football weekend, and soon after committed to A&M.

The middle daughter had a different story. She was recruited by Rice, along with several other schools. She knew about Rice because I went there, and her parents were familiar with the academic reputation. However, her Club recruiting coordinator (the woman who would would serve as the buffer between them and college recruiters) told her not to even consider going to Rice, because it was a dud school socially, and she would not get to experience a well-rounded college life if she committed to playing there. Hence the middle daughter was not planning to even go on a recruiting trip to Rice. Well, that woman was obviously an idiot, and fortunately the parents interceded. They immediately began pressuring the middle daughter to make the Rice recruiting trip, and told her that the advantages of going to an elite academic school would outweigh the social deficiencies long-term. In the end, she made the trip, loved the coaches and players, and fell in love with the campus. She ended up playing for Rice, and has never regretted the decision.

However, her story and recruiting outcome is the exception, not the rule. Whether they are able to see a lot of the football games or not, the social benefits of football weekends throughout the fall are extremely attractive to non-football sports recruits looking to pick a school. Although we do win some of those recruiting battles and get kids to come here despite our lack of attractive football weekends, you can't ignore how the odds are stacked heavily against us from that respect.

(11-18-2017 12:59 PM)Minnewaska Owl Wrote:  

(11-18-2017 01:14 AM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  Yeah, I can buy the injury excuse this year as they did seem pretty banged up.

The football excuse is a really lame one. Volleyball isn't even in town for half of the football home games. Do swimmers, cross country runners, and soccer players like football at a statistically lower rate than volleyball players?

You're focusing on the word "football" instead of the words "social event". Let me share a story that may help make my point better.

One of my coworkers and closest friends over the last 25 years raised 3 daughters. I watched all three grow up and become volleyball players. They each played club volleyball in Houston, had very successful high school careers. As a result, all were heavily recruited to play Division 1 volleyball. During the recruiting process my friend went with the girls on their various recruiting trips. The oldest was recruited by Auburn, along with a few other other schools. My buddy and his wife traveled with the daughter for her weekend recruiting trip to Auburn. When he got back to work the following Monday, all he could talk about was how the recruits and family members got tickets to the Saturday night LSU-Auburn football game, and were allowed to hang out on the field with all the players during pre-game warmups. The gameday atmosphere was incredible - what with all the tailgating, pre and post-game parties, and all the hoopla surrounding the events that Saturday. The experience was intoxicating for them. Ultimately the daughter ended up playing at both Texas and Alabama.

The youngest daughter ended up playing for Texas A&M. They had a similar recruiting experience. Her recruiting trip coincided with the weekend A&M and Freshman QB Johnny Manziel hosted LSU. Again, they got to hang out on the field before the game, see all the players, and witness all the game-day events and hoopla. Like the oldest daughter, the youngest daughter loved the excitement of football weekend, and soon after committed to A&M.

The middle daughter had a different story. She was recruited by Rice, along with several other schools. She knew about Rice because I went there, and her parents were familiar with the academic reputation. However, her Club recruiting coordinator (the woman who would would serve as the buffer between them and college recruiters) told her not to even consider going to Rice, because it was a dud school socially, and she would not get to experience a well-rounded college life if she committed to playing there. Hence the middle daughter was not planning to even go on a recruiting trip to Rice. Well, that woman was obviously an idiot, and fortunately the parents interceded. They immediately began pressuring the middle daughter to make the Rice recruiting trip, and told her that the advantages of going to an elite academic school would outweigh the social deficiencies long-term. In the end, she made the trip, loved the coaches and players, and fell in love with the campus. She ended up playing for Rice, and has never regretted the decision.

However, her story and recruiting outcome is the exception, not the rule. Whether they are able to see a lot of the football games or not, the social benefits of football weekends throughout the fall are extremely attractive to non-football sports recruits looking to pick a school. Although we do win some of those recruiting battles and get kids to come here despite our lack of attractive football weekends, you can't ignore how the odds are stacked heavily against us from that respect.

I completely agree with the fact that a good football atmosphere is an overall +++ to the social environment at a school. The few people who know me personally on here know that I live and breathe college football and am always one of the rowdiest fans at a Rice game. I also have had the ability to attend games at WVU, UT, A&M, Notre Dame, UGA, BC, Georgia Tech, Baylor, and LSU, just to name a few. Even the "nerdy" schools like GT and BC blow us away.

That said, my point is the following: Why is this such a huge factor in Volleyball recruiting but not women's Soccer or XC recruiting, both of which are fall sports that have had more success than Volleyball? What is Coach Adams doing to recruit soccer players that Coach Volpe isn't for Volleyball? After all, WKU's game day atmosphere isn't that much better than ours.

(11-18-2017 01:43 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  [quote='Minnewaska Owl' pid='14795127' dateline='1511027980']
[quote='ExcitedOwl18' pid='14794089' dateline='1510985641']
Yeah, I can buy the injury excuse this year as they did seem pretty banged up.


I completely agree with the fact that a good football atmosphere is an overall +++ to the social environment at a school. The few people who know me personally on here know that I live and breathe college football and am always one of the rowdiest fans at a Rice game. I also have had the ability to attend games at WVU, UT, A&M, Notre Dame, UGA, BC, Georgia Tech, Baylor, and LSU, just to name a few. Even the "nerdy" schools like GT and BC blow us away.

That said, my point is the following: Why is this such a huge factor in Volleyball recruiting but not women's Soccer or XC recruiting, both of which are fall sports that have had more success than Volleyball? What is Coach Adams doing to recruit soccer players that Coach Volpe isn't for Volleyball? After all, WKU's game day atmosphere isn't that much better than ours.

The main point of my post was to state that after what I learned about this past season's drama and info on recruiting challenges, I'm temporarily off the "replace the coach" bandwagon.

I think both the WKU volleyball coach and the Rice soccer coach are better coaches than our volleyball coach. That is why their team's are more successful. I still feel we should give Genny another couple years, based on what I have learned and the fact that our short term future actually looks quite bright. If you disagree, I'm okay with that. It's just not how I feel.

If you are one of our strong football supporters, then you are definitely my kind of guy - I wish we had many more like you. I feel a little sorry for you, in that you are never getting to experience big-time football Saturdays like I did in the late 70's and early 80's. We were not a strong team, but regularly played in front of crowds ranging from 40,000 to 70,000 fans. For a couple years I was part of a 250-person MOB, and got to play in front of huge A&M, UT, Oklahoma, LSU, Arkansas, etc. crowds at HRC. You would have loved it. As young kids, guys like Tiki Owl and Bob Reinhold got to attend Rice games during the glory days of the 50's, when our crowds were always 70,000 and greater. If I attended Rice now, I still would be attending all the games and cheering loudly. But I know it isn't as much fun as when I was in school. Unfortunately, I don't think those days are ever coming back. I just want them to get back to where we at least bring in 15,000 to 20,000 fans, along with a packed student section and a 250-person MOB.