9-9

10-10.

11-11 We're up to 25 attack errors and 12 service errors.

Rice hitting .000 in the 5th to Charlotte's .214. Somehow still tied 11-11.

12-12 another attack error. 8 in this set alone (vs. 6 kills). Ugh.

The attack errors are maddening and puzzling.

Owls challenging the last point.

What the heck has happened to our defense. Once again we're getting dominated in the block and, again, by a weak opponent.

13-11 we won the challenge.

(10-16-2022 03:34 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  12-12 another attack error. 8 in this set alone (vs. 6 kills). Ugh.

Volpe challenging if there was a touch. Volpe wins, 13-11.

Charlotte asking for an explanation. Long delay. Then finally they call a timeout...

Now TO Charlotte. 13-11.

14-11 Bichelmeyer with back-to-back kills

And Charlotte calls another and last TO.

Rice wins. 15-11.

Bichelmeyer kill. Owls win!

Rice ends it with a 4-0 run, 15-11.

15-11 Bichelmeyer once again capping a career match for her.

As ugly a win as one could imagine. Genny's got to regroup and make some adjustments as our level of play has deteriorated the past 3 weeks. This match should not have been close. Our frontline defense is almost non-existent, and our backline defense is no longer playing at the elite level it was prior to the start of conference play.

Yes, a win is a win, and we're now a very impressive 7-1 in 5-setters. However, we're going 4 and 5 sets against really weak opponents. WKU blew out Charlotte in 3 easy sets, and on the road.

Horrendous offensive matches by both Courtley (.065) and Maruska (.075). Given her play the past 3 weeks I'm at a loss why Genny keeps giving Courtley significant playing time. I'd give Foord more playing time instead.

Bichelmeyer: 21 kills (4 errors, .472), 3 blocks
Adekunle: 20 kills (3 errors, .447), 2 blocks, BUT 4 service errors & 3 blocking errors
Graham: 55 assists, 10 digs
McCardell: 8 assists, 4 service aces, 22 digs

(10-16-2022 03:52 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  15-11 Bichelmeyer once again capping a career match for her.

As ugly a win as one could imagine. Genny's got to regroup and make some adjustments as our level of play has deteriorated the past 3 weeks. This match should not have been close. Our frontline defense is almost non-existent, and our backline defense is no longer playing at the elite level it was prior to the start of conference play.

Agree on frontline defense. That's been a weakness all year.

Charlotte has an excellent service game, witness the run to open the first set. Maybe not a ton of aces, but their serves were hard to handle and set effectively.

One play with Harris setting to Foord showed how important timing is for offensive performance. Foord couldn't even make a play on the ball. Practice, practice, practice.

Hard to argue with these posts...

Quote:VolleyballMag.com
@VBMagazine
FINAL: Owls keep living on the edge! #22 @RiceVolleyball
(17-2, 7-0 C-USA) improves to 7-1 in five-setters this year, surviving a huge upset bid by visiting Charlotte (8-11, 2-5) to stay unbeaten in @ConferenceUSA
play #GoOwls #NCAAVB

Quote:VolleyballMag.com
@VBMagazine
In their last 5 league matches (all 5 as favorites, including 3 as *heavy* favorites), Rice has dropped 8 sets and has no sweeps - but is 5-0

Owls need to clean it up in a big way over the next three weeks before trip to WKU (11/10) and likely another meeting in C-USA tourney

Wow, no post-match comments from Genny. She didn't mince her words after the Baylor match. She probably thought better about saying anything after this one, despite our coming away with a win. Team needs to regroup. Our offense has been out of sync virtually all year long, but the defense-- particularly the frontline defense-- has taken a big step back the past several weeks.

WKU gave up one set at UTEP, but one the other three easily for the win. We barely escaped El Paso, requiring not only a reverse sweep, but winning the final set in extras 16-14.

Our early sweep of the Coogs is looking better and better on our resume. They're now 16-2 (8-0 in AAC) on likely making the Top 25 this week. Their only losses are to us and UT. However, they just swept Memphis is what must have been a heart-breaking home loss for the Tigers (24-26, 25-27, 23-25). Can't get much tighter than that.