Quote: The Rice University volleyball team is set to take part in a global experience as it travels to Italy from June 7-16 while exploring and learning about native culture and history of Italy with trips to six different cities in the country.

The Owls will make visits to Venice, Florence, Milan, Lucca, Pisa, and Rome. Along the way, they will see such historic landmarks as The Canal Grande, Duomo, the Leaning Tower in Pisa, the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museum and the Pantheon.

During the trip, Rice will play matches against Legnaro PGS 2000, Lurano Volleyball Club, Italy Junior National Team and Volleyro Roma.

https://riceowls.com/news/2019/6/3/women...italy.aspx

Early look at the 2019 team.

https://twitter.com/RiceVolleyball/statu...1023653889

Owls win their first match in Italy versus Legnaro - 33-31, 25-16, 25-18, 25-21, 16-18.

I guess if you travel all the way to Italy you are going to play all 5 sets no matter what. Congratulations ladies!

Are the newcomers in Italy (the freshmen and the transfer from Wichita State)?

(06-09-2019 01:21 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Are the newcomers in Italy (the freshmen and the transfer from Wichita State)?

Yes, they are. From the videos it looks like Brown (the transfer) and Bichelmeyer (freshman) were in the starting rotation.

Hopefully we can find some great talent in Italy.

(06-09-2019 01:01 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  Owls win their first match in Italy versus Legnaro - 33-31, 25-16, 25-18, 25-21, 16-18.

I guess if you travel all the way to Italy you are going to play all 5 sets no matter what. Congratulations ladies!

According to Nicole Lennon's journal:

Quote:Playing our first match in Italy was so much fun! Our game against Legnaro PGS 2000 was very competitive, and because the match was considered a friendly match, we got to play five sets, regardless of the set wins. After five filled action-filled sets, four of those being wins, we had the chance to meet the girls from the other team. We shared some laughs, and we even taught them one of our famous Rice Volleyball cheers! It was really awesome to make some new friends.

It's kind of tough to figure out for sure but maybe they are in Serie C in Italy (C is I'm assuming like the 3rd highest rated club program?). Anyway in their league, they are currently 15-11 which ranks 6th out of 14 teams (one team is 25-1).

http://volley.usarcella.com/risultati-cl...he/seriec/

WARNING: irrelevant personal digression

I've never reconciled myself to the shortened 5th set in volleyball. The best mental accommodation I've made is to think of it not as a real set, but as an analogous to a deciding match tie break the is used to in tennis in a lieu of a full final set. And I don't really like those either.*

And then there's "rally" scoring! :(


(*Years ago I was in a tennis singles league, and on Labor Day I had a match that was really a battle. It was hot, we were both running our tails off, and after two sets I think it was 5-7, 7-5. The league rules say you can play a deciding match tiebreak in lieu of a third set if both players agree. Since almost everyone in recreational tennis agrees to that, my opponent assumed that that's what we would do. But I wanted to play a third set, partly because I believe that stamina is an important part of tennis and partly because I didn't want this great match to come down to what is not much more than a coin flip. I think the only way I would have wanted to do a deciding match a tiebreak is if rain was imminent.

I won the third set. I think my opponent felt that he would have won the tiebreak.)

(06-10-2019 11:05 AM)georgewebb Wrote:  WARNING: irrelevant personal digression

I've never reconciled myself to the shortened 5th set in volleyball. The best mental accommodation I've made is to think of it not as a real set, but as an analogous to a deciding match tie break the is used to in tennis in a lieu of a full final set. And I don't really like those either.*

And then there's "rally" scoring! :(


(*Years ago I was in a tennis singles league, and on Labor Day I had a match that was really a battle. It was hot, we were both running our tails off, and after two sets I think it was 5-7, 7-5. The league rules say you can play a deciding match tiebreak in lieu of a third set if both players agree. Since almost everyone in recreational tennis agrees to that, my opponent assumed that that's what we would do. But I wanted to play a third set, partly because I believe that stamina is an important part of tennis and partly because I didn't want this great match to come down to what is not much more than a coin flip. I think the only way I would have wanted to do a deciding match a tiebreak is if rain was imminent.

I won the third set. I think my opponent felt that he would have won the tiebreak.)

Agree on all points (pun). Only Roland Garros, among the Grand Slam tournaments, is not going to some form of final set tiebreak ("tiebreaker" is not the official term, and, of course, George knows this).

Wimbledon is going to a tie-breaker if the fifth set reaches 12-12. That seems reasonable enough - I'm not really sure if John Isner can handle many more matches like he's had at England the past few years (losing 26-24 in the fifth set in last year's semis, or even the one he won in 2010 that took three days and was 70-68 in the fifth set).

Hopefully the trip will beneficial to the team like it was for MBB last year.

(06-10-2019 12:20 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Wimbledon is going to a tie-breaker if the fifth set reaches 12-12. That seems reasonable enough - I'm not really sure if John Isner can handle many more matches like he's had at England the past few years (losing 26-24 in the fifth set in last year's semis, or even the one he won in 2010 that took three days and was 70-68 in the fifth set).

Federer/Novak might put that new rule into play today.