Injuries are a part of sports. Whether it is at the professional level or just high school athletics, injuries can plague athletes and prevent them from practicing and competing. Yet the toll injuries can take on athletes, both mentally and physically, is unknown to the average sports fan. What exactly does an athlete at a highly competitive level go through during the process of recovering from a severe injury? Marie Thompson, a senior on the Rice women's cross country team, experienced firsthand how serious injuries can be to an athlete but now focuses her attention to the current season post injury. On Sept. 14, Thompson and nine other runners competed for Rice at the Rice Invitational. With a time of 13:01 in a 3,800-meter race, Thompson led the Rice squad to a second-place finish. She finished seventh out of 138 runners, noteworthy considering this was her first race back after battling injuries for the last 18 months. "I was so excited to race - it was so fun to be back on the line again," Thompson said. "I was nervous a few weeks ago, but last week, we had a workout where I felt great, and something in my brain switched from 'I'm healthy' to 'I'm healthy, and I'm ready to race again.'" Head Coach Jim Bevan said he was incredibly pleased with Thompson's performance over the weekend. "She picked up where she left off. Thompson is going to be much better as the season progresses; she got started with a very good race after a long break, and I know she will only get better," Bevan said. Thompson, who said she had apprehensions about her first race back, was also pleased. "I think the race went pretty well," Thompson said. "Nothing can really prepare you for that special kind of race day pain, but overall, I thought it was a good effort, and I'm happy and relieved to have a solid start." Thompson said her injury was concentrated around her hip. "It's a long story, and we're not really sure how it started, but toward the end of my junior year cross country season, my legs were not right," Thompson said. "I continued to race into that indoor season, but by then I had a lot of pain in my right hip. Over the course of the next year, I saw a lot of doctors, trainers, surgeons, physical therapists and chiropractors who each had different opinions of what was going on." Thompson described the pain she persevered through last year as a junior. "Essentially, through over-training or bad shoes, the back part of my right leg had shut down," Thompson said. "My glutes and hamstrings were just not firing, and the front of my hip, quad and IT band had to compensate. By the time I stopped running and realized how serious the issue was, there were strains and inflammation in a lot of muscles in the front of my hip, and it was a frustrating trial-and-error process of rehab and treatment to see what my body would respond to." Injuries can be physically deteriorating for an athlete. However, injuries can also impact the mental toughness of an athlete. It can be extremely difficult to cope with missing competitions while enduring through the entire recovery and healing process. Bevan understands what it takes for an athlete at the college level to recover from injuries. "It is very frustrating for any high-achieving athlete," Bevan said. It is even tougher when they enjoy the basic act of running and they can't run without pain. It is very much a day-to-day situation, and not being able to do what is their instinct is very tough." Thompson went on to explain the other struggles she faced outside the physical pain of her injury. "It takes you away from a sport you love, from teammates you love, and from competition you love," Thompson said. "There were absolutely periods of time where I was really lost, in pain, cross-training alone and completely frustrated." Fortunately for Thompson, she had a supportive cast of coaches, teammates, friends and family that helped her along the way. This cast included Rice alumna and past All-American runner Becky Wade (Martel '12). Thompson said she was incredibly thankful for teammate Wade's support during the ordeal. "Wade, who graduated last year and went through a huge injury herself, had some great advice: Sometimes, you can't control the situation, but you can always control your perspective," Thompson said. "That was kind of the philosophy I lived by for a while, and even though there were bad days, in the long term, I knew it would be worth it." Bevan also said that Thompson was able to mature because of the experience. "Thompson has done a great job of learning about her body and where she is at and what needs to be done," Bevan said. "In addition, she has stayed optimistic about running and racing throughout her period of time away from racing," Thompson explained that she was able to learn and draw motivation from her teammates. "Being a distance runner is riding a fine line between hard training and injury sometimes, and some of the most talented friends and athletes I know on this team - Halsey Fowler, Keltie John, Jo Ohm, Gabe Cuadra, Matt Carey - have all been through some tough times with injuries," Thompson said. "Being there for each other and helping each other get back was huge for me." Competing at such a high level as the NCAA Division I means athletes need to put in extra dedication and hard work in order to put themselves in the game. Injuries may seem to derail athletes, but according to Thompson, the same amount of determination needed to compete needs to be translated to a strong impetus for recovery. "The discipline, motivation and just sheer work ethic it takes to rehab, get treatment and cross-train day after day can be mentally and physically exhausting," Thompson said. "We're not coming back because we want to be able to run again. We're coming back from injury because we want to compete with the best, and to do that, there's no cutting corners." In order to stay healthy for the rest of the season, Thompson said she has taken on a variety of injury-preventive strategies. "No distance runner is going to feel great all of the time, but I make sure I'm constantly stretching, foam-rolling and keeping up with my strength stuff," Thompson said. "I've learned to be completely honest with my coach and my trainer if something isn't right and that it takes more guts to call it and be safe than it does to train through the pain." While injuries are obviously never considered a positive experience, Thompson said that they do have certain positive aspects, including helping her to develop a new perspective and outlook on her passsion. "I've come out of this a stronger person and a stronger and definitely smarter runner, and that's invaluable," Thompson said. "My whole perspective about why I run and race has changed. I'm so happy and thankful to be healthy and to have the opportunity to run for Rice again with an amazing coach and an incredible group of girls."
A new project to benefit student well-being, particularly mental health, will be instituted by the Wellness Center, Active Minds and the Rice Health Advisors starting on Sept. 21. "The Wellbeing Project" is a student-led initiative to open up a conversation about well-being on campus by reintroducing the current programs focused on general wellbeing and mental health as well as starting a new set of programs, according to RHA campus-wide coordinator Chris Keller.
For Rice Men's Basketball, it feels like the dream has been put on hold. I won't say it's over. The program has made too many strides in the five years since their 3 win season in 2007-2008 to just give up on it. But with the recent departures of Arsalan Kazemi and Omar Oraby, the fifth and sixth players to have left the team before the end of their eligibility since last season, the dream feels at least postponed. The dream, for me as a fan, had two basic pieces. Piece one was watching Rice become a specific type of team. Piece two was seeing that team achieve great results. When I say type of team, it's the oldschool, romanticized, story-worthy type of team. It's a team mixing hungry, timetested veterans with fun loving, dynamic young players. It's a team that's cohesive and passionate and plays hard from start to finish. It's a team that can overcome adversity, and that has players who know when to take a game over and when to help a teammate star. It's a team that combines all these things, and goes out to beat teams far more talented on paper. The second piece of that dream is the result. For Rice, that result could be an NCAA or NIT berth, depending on how ambitious you're feeling, but either one would be an exciting step forward. And what's tough to swallow is that at the end of last year, the dream seemed like it might finally be tangible for Rice's men's basketball team. You had the veterans in Kazemi and guard Tamir Jackson. They had been through the growing pains of this program. They had taken the bruising losses, and celebrated in the hallmark victories. And on the court, they seemed to complement each other perfectly. Jackson was cool, collected, and always confident. Kazemi was exciting and contagiously passionate. You had Oraby, the story of untapped talent being transformed. The 7-foot-2-inch Egyptian national came here as a very large man, and grew into an effective player. And you had the young, impact players in Dylan Ennis (who made the C-USA Freshman team), Jarelle Reischel, and Julian DeBose. Last year, they put together a winning record (including a win at Texas A&M), and claimed a post-season tournament berth. And as the season came to a close, you couldn't help but feel like maybe it was a stepping stone to even greater things.Now, of those above, only Jackson and DeBose are left. The reality is that this kind of turnover is more the rule than the exception in college basketball. According to Athletic Director Rick Greenspan, the NCAA saw over 450 basketball transfers in the past year. This is a world where talent isn't expected to stay put, where coaches recruit players with the expectation that they won't stay four years. This is the world where Kentucky wins the national championship with a group of teenage, future first-round picks whose plan was always to turn pro the next year. But at Rice, as with so many other things, to be successful we have to be the exception. We have to recruit and develop players who want to contradict the prevailing trends, players who want to be Rice athletes and Rice students, with everything that comes along with that, for four years. We have to recruit and develop players who understand all the costs and rewards that come with Rice basketball, and are excited by them. The 2012-2013 Rice Owls basketball team might still be exciting. On paper they look undersized and unproven. They are definitely young: the only upperclassman besides Jackson is junior college transfer Austin Ramljak. But it's a team that should be playing with a chip on its shoulder, which should be relishing its opportunity to redefine Rice basketball. It's a group of guys who will be scrappy, creative, and will play hustle basketball. It's a unit with a confident, undisputed leader in Jackson, and with followers who don't know any better but to win basketball games. If they put together a good run, this team could be one of the best sports stories of the spring, even of the year. Until then, though, we're left waiting and wondering about the dream that could have been, the dream could now be coming to a premature end.
Rice University has been playing well in the fourth quarter so far. The Owls have moved the ball down the field, found big defensive stops and made game-changing plays. The Owls look like a team that could win football games - if you only watch the fourth quarter. Unfortunately for Rice, that comes with the team typically down a couple of touchdowns and hoping to mount an improbable comeback. To the Owls' credit, they pulled it off against the University of Kansas. In their only win so far this season, the Owls were down nine headed into the fourth. The team has been outscored 50-13 in the first quarter this year - not a recipe for football success. Last week, against Louisiana Tech University, the Owls ended up down 21-0 before fans even had a chance to turn on the television, putting themselves in a hole they simply could not escape. Once the offense started stringing drives together, Rice scored consistently, but it was not enough to make up for the early deficit. The Owls ended up losing 56-37. "We're obviously coming off a game where offensively we had some production," Offensive Coordinator John Reagan said. "But obviously not as much as we needed." Kicker Chris Boswell had another strong game, however, breaking the school record for most career field goals while also tying the school record for the longest field goal, booting a 57-yarder that had a few extra yards in it. "It was a great hold, snap, and he did get through the ball," Assistant Head Coach Darrell Patterson said. "Our kicking game has been consistent for the most part." This was also Boswell's seventh field goal of more than 50 yards, another school record, and a total that places him in a tie for first in the country from 50 or more yards. Fortunately for the Owls, their opponent this week - the Marshall University Thundering Herd - has not exactly been earth-shattering in the first quarter of this season. With only 17 points in the three first quarters of this season, the Marshall offense has also taken some time to acclimate to the game - something in which Rice fans can potentially take solace. However, the team has scored abundantly once they got going, averaging just over 27 points per game on the year. "If we continue to work on starting fast and continue to keep doing what we're doing, we'll be able to get better and continue to progress throughout the year," junior running back Charles Ross said. "As a team, even though we lost, I feel like we'll be able to bounce back this week." Marshall, coming off a 20-10 win in the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl against Florida International University last season, is one of the favorites to make the Conference USA championship this season. This game should be another shootout for Marshall, which has one of the best offenses in the conference. Marshall began the year with a prime-time 69-34 loss to West Virginia University, which is ranked eighth in the country. Marshall, however, showed its depth and scored 34 points on a strong team. The Herd followed up the defeat with an impressive 52-24 victory against Western Carolina University before being losing to Ohio University 27-24. The Thundering Herd currently ranks first in the nation in passing yards per game, with sophomore quarterback Rakeem Cato throwing for over 1,200 yards in three games. After a streaky freshman year, he looks like the leader Marshall always suspected he could be. Look for Marshall to take advantage of a banged-up Rice secondary by going deep early and often. The running game for Marshall has been more sporadic, with four different running backs all getting more than 10 touches this season. Marshall's defense has struggled at times and will most likely give the Owls scoring opportunities. Whether or not Rice can capitalize on Marshall's young defensive line and backfield will be one of the deciding factors of the game. Without former star Vinny Curry, who is now playing on Sundays, the Marshall defense looks drastically different than it did last year. "I'm so glad that Vinny Curry isn't playing against us. He had the game of his life against us," Reagan said. "He may have gotten drafted based on his game against us last year." The Thundering Herd does have some difficulties lining up against Rice and its wealth of offensive weapons. It will be difficult for them to stop the combined running attack of Ross, averaging over seven yards per carry this season, and junior Turner Petersen. In addition, every team is worried about quarterback Taylor McHargue, who looks much improved in his junior season. "We have our work cut out for us and have to have a great week of preparation," Marshall Head Coach Doc Holliday said at his Monday press conference. "It starts with the quarterback with Rice. He can beat you with his feet. He has rushed for over 200 yards, and he can throw it. He created issues for us a year ago with the different options and types of plays he runs. We will have to do an extremely good job on defense to contain him." This is a winnable game for the Owls, which is crucial before the Bayou Bucket rivalry game against the University of Houston the following week at Reliant Stadium. The game could very well be won in the first quarter, by whichever team starts off with an early lead and does not lose momentum. "We want to be able to make a bowl game this year," Ross said. "Starting off conference strong would be a big help, so hopefully we can come out with a win."
Rice senior Arsalan Kazemi requested a release from the basketball team and received it on Monday, according to Rice Athletics, making him the sixth player to leave the team since the conclusion of last season. The 6-foot-7 forward had been the Owl's most valuable player, averaging 12.1 points and 10.3 rebounds per game in 2011-2012. He was one of only 21 NCAA division I players to average a double-double last season. While Kazemi declined to comment on his decision, his departure was met by confusion from some teammates. "I don't get it because this is his last year and also because all his stats were going to sky-rocket," shooting guard Tamir Jackson said. Athletic Director Rick Greenspan also expressed his disappointment in Kazemi's departure."We take pride in the high graduation rate of our Rice student-athletes, and we're always sad when a student-athlete leaves without finishing his or her degree, but we wish Arsalan all the best," Greenspan said. While head coach Ben Braun said that Kazemi had attended all pre-season conditioning sessions and individual work- outs, the Owl's star forward is now looking to play at Kentucky, Texas, Oregon, Ohio State, Florida or Cincinnati. Profesional European leagues also remain a viable option for Kazemi, but there has been no indication yet that he intends to go overseas to play. The competition at these high-profile schools will be much more challenging than that of the C-USA. However, Kazemi has always held NBA ambitions, even telling VOA News in 2011 that he would like to move on to the NBA after his junior year; his performance in a stronger conference could dictate whether he ever makes it to the highest level of professional basketball. Kazemi's departure is a resounding blow for a team that seemed to be on the up and coming after attaining a Collegeinsider.com Tournament playoff berth last season - its first postseason appearance since 2005. However, since the conclusion of last year's campaign, a massive exodus has taken place with six players leaving Braun's squad. The team had previously lost Jarelle Reischel to Rhode Island, Dylan Ennis to Villanova, David Chadwick to Valpariso and Ahmad Ibrahim to overseas play. Last week, Omar Oraby, a friend and room- mate of Kazemi, received a release to leave for USC as previously reported by the Thresher. Head Coach Ben Braun acknowledged that there was a problem with the large number of departures and stated that he and Athletic Director Rick Greenspan are on a C-USA committee analyzing the current state of college basketball, including why so many players are transferring. Braun believes that a number of the transfers occurred because of a lack of playing time or a desire for an expanded role on the team. "We're in an instant gratification type society," Braun said. "There's a feeling sometimes that if you don't contribute immediately, you're failing." Braun also added that some players talked about a desire for more visibility and getting noticed by professional scouts more often. Jackson, the only current senior on the team, said he was unsure why the team has endured so many transfers, but he feels that the team chemistry is not the problem. "I don't really know why so many players left," Jackson said. "I'm guessing they feel it is better for them individually. But we all are friends and have lots of love for each other. We all consider ourselves as a family." Jackson also said he feels that Braun is not a part of the problem. "Coach Braun is a great leader," Jackson said. "He's been coaching for a very long time and has a lot of pro play- ers that came out of his program and changed the Rice basketball program tremendously. I feel he is a great coach and connects to his players very well, and I stand by him with no hesitation."The transfers of Kazemi and Oraby occur on the heels of Marco Morcos's departure from the team. During his time at Rice, Morcos, an Egyptian native, played a major role in recruiting - particularly in bringing Kazemi, Oraby and many of last year's recruiting class to the team, according to the Houston Chronicle. While Braun declined to comment on any potential role of Morcos in the departure of the players and Morcos could not be reached for comment, Jackson said he felt that Morcos was a reason behind the player exodus. "His relationship with the players he recruited was great," Jackson said. "I do think their departure had to do with Coach Morcos ... I'm guessing because they were close to him."Morcos has left schools amid scrutiny over his recruiting practices in the past. Morcos previously coached high school ball at the LEAP Academy, a charter school in Newark, NJ. According to a document from the Commissioner of Education in New Jersey, while there, Morcos was involved in a scandal where three basketball players were ultimately deemed ineligible. Two of the players came in from out of state and were wrongfully registered at the school, and a third was wrongfully given a "Katrina waiver" to play immediately after transferring, although it was later discovered that the student was not affected by the hurricane. Marcos left the school for a position as Director of Basketball Operations at University of Alabama at Birmingham, and the LEAP academy was put on probation. This infraction concerning the wrongful Katrina waiver is of particular interest since Oraby is currently seeking his own "hardship waiver" to forego the one year he would have to sit out according to NCAA rules. Morcos has been invested in Oraby's career since his departure from Rice; according to Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle, Morcos actually joined Oraby on his trip to the USC campus. Morcos' assumption of the position of Director of Basketball Operations at UAB coincided with a commitment from a player named Terrence Roderick, whom Morcos coached in AAU ball, according to Morcos' biography on the UAB website. When Morcos left for Rice after a year he was followed almost immediately by Roderick. Moving into the future, Braun said he believes he needs to sell students on the true value of Rice. "We want to put together a staff and players who I believe will really succeed at Rice and really value their experience here," Braun said. "We have to build that culture and then solidify it. We want players to think 'Maybe playing a few more minutes isn't worth transferring from Rice.'" Jackson also acknowledged the difficulty associated with retaining players. "There isn't really much a coach can do" Jackson said. "Players leave schools every year due to multiple reasons, and most of the time it is because of playing time. But I guess players should always keep this in the back of their heads when deciding to leave a school or not: The grass isn't always greener on the other side, it is greener where you water it." In looking forward to next season, Braun said he and his staff will have to work toward rebuilding the team. The roster officially has six open spots, and the coaching staff will have to make the best of the situation by finding walk-ons or other athletes who can contribute at a high enough level to help the Owls overcome the loss of a the team's superstar and multiple promising players from last year's freshman class. Jackson, however, is not deterred by the huge player turnover and its impact on the upcoming season. "The only problem I think that we are facing is people counting us out and talking down on us because of what is happening and not having faith in the guys we have" Jackson said. "Because we have already heard negative things about us on the internet and on campus, I just want to say, don't count us out just yet." Ryan Glassman and Bhagwat Kumar contributed to this article.
Rice Senior Arsalan Kazemi requested a release from the team and received it on Monday. The 6-foot-7 forward had been the Owl's most valuable player, averaging 12.1 points and 10.3 rebounds per game in 2011-2012, making him one of only 21 NCAA division I players to average a double-double last season.
After finally getting the Big 12 monkey off their backs against the University of Kansas, the Rice Owls look to take some momentum with them down to Ruston, La. The Owls - who have been defeated against Big 12 teams since the formation of the conference - played up to their potential this past game, coming up with big plays in the clutch. This weekend, the Owls battle the Louisiana Tech University Bulldogs (1-0), who will enter Conference USA next season after leaving the Western Athletic Conference. The Bulldogs, coming off of a WAC Championship and Poinsettia Bowl, have high expectations for this season. The Bulldogs had to cancel their season opener against Texas A&M University, a neutral site game in Shreveport, La., due to the effects of Hurricane Isaac. They then opened their season last weekend against the University of Houston Cougars, traveling to Houston and beating the Cougars in a 56-49 shootout. Even coming off a big victory, the Bulldogs know that Rice will be a difficult opponent. "They will be much more confident, probably, than we would like for them to be after going on the road and beating a Big 12 team and playing the way they did against UCLA," Bulldogs Head Coach Sonny Dykes said this past Monday. "They will come into this place and have a ton of confidence. It is going to be up to us to play well, and if we have a chance to close things out, we have to get better at doing that." The previous week against Kansas looked a lot like the Owls' first win of the previous season against Purdue University. After junior Chris Boswell's field goal and three straight turnovers, the Owls seemed like they were going to struggle during the game, giving up 10 points to the Jayhawks in a matter of minutes. A long drive to start the second quarter put the Owls within striking distance again, leaving the score at 17-13 headed into the half. In the winding minutes of the fourth quarter, down 24-16, junior quarterback Taylor McHargue faced a must-score drive. He led the team down the field on a seven-play, 93-yard drive bringing the Owls within two. They missed the extra point, leaving Kansas with the ball with a little under five minutes left. An interception by sophomore defensive back Bryce Callahan, his second of the game, earned the Owls the ball back with a little over three minutes left. "To know we have a kicker like Chris Boswell, we knew we just needed to get to that 40-yard line." Head Coach David Bailiff said. "We thought if we could get to the 40 without the wind, we would be good. We knew if we could get to the 40 with the wind, he is pretty automatic from that range. So we felt good when we got the ball to the 40. We were trying to just get extra yards and burn clock." The Owls did just that, setting Boswell up with a 45-yard field goal. Despite being iced by the Kansas coaches twice, Boswell nailed the field goal and gave the Owls the win. It was their first road victory since a win in against the University of North Texas in 2010. "You feel really good about the progress. You're excited, and then you put that Louisiana Tech video on," Bailiff said. "They look so similar to U of H a year ago. Their quarterback, Cameron, just runs that offense so efficiently. You know they've got a massive offensive line. They run the ball for over 200 yards. I mean it was a great offensive performance. They're a good, good football team." The previous week against Houston, Louisiana Tech totaled 598 yards on 93 plays, including over 200 yards from their two freshman running backs. Their defense struggled to contain Houston, but it will be hard for the Owls' offense to outscore the Bulldogs in a pure shootout. The Owls' defense will have to continue to develop, but the younger players have really solidified the backfield, giving the Owls big play potential. Junior Cameron Nwosu, who had seven tackles against Kansas, is continuing to shut down the running game up the middle. On the offensive side of the ball, turnovers remained a problem against Kansas, but it was hard not to feel good about the Owls in the closing minutes. Despite throwing an interception, McHargue still had 236 passing yards, in addition to 37 yards on the ground. Junior Charles Ross and senior Turner Petersen both had a pair of touchdowns, with Ross having an impressive 6.7 yards per touch. Special teams continued to be the Owls' strength, capped off by Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Week Boswell. Anytime the Owls can get big plays out of this unit it will greatly improve their chances of wnning games. If the Owls can win this week against the Bulldogs, the 2-1 start will be impressive for the team heading into a weaker C-USA than it saw last season. With the only remaining (and very winnable) non-conference game against University of Texas at El Paso, the Owls can put themselves in the best position for a bowl game in years.
Rice volleyball players junior Megan Murphy and senior Nancy Cole were named Conference USA Players of the Week. Although the season just started, these two star athletes have played impressive games to earn such accolades. Cole was awarded Offensive Player of the Week, and Murphy was named Setter of the Week for the second week in a row. During the course of last week, Cole executed 47 kills. Then, last weekend at the Magnolia Invitational held at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Miss., where Rice played the University of Mississippi, Cole competed fiercely to earn the 1,000th kill of her collegiate career, becoming just the 13th player in Rice women's volleyball history to do so. Murphy has been leading not only the Owls but C-USA in number of assists and earned herteam spot by contributing 146 assists in just the past week. As the Lady Owls prepare for their last non-conference tournament this weekend, we were able to catch up with Cole and Murphy and ask them a few questions about themselves and the Lady Owls Volleyball team. Rice Thresher: So both of you girls were named to the preseason All-Conference USA Team. Tell me your reactions to the announcement. Nancy Cole: I was honored. It just made me extremely excited for the season and I look forward to the achievements that I can help our team accomplish this year. Megan Murphy: I was pretty excited because I've never gotten anything like this before, but I'm just looking forward to the season. Thresher: Megan, you have been given the honor as C-USA Setter of the Week for two weeks in a row. What do you have to do this week to make it three weeks in a row? Murphy: Well, we're more focused on the wins. This weekend is very important to our team to get three solid wins and to get better. We start conference play next week and we want to go in with some momentum. Thresher: Nancy, congrats on the 1,000th kill. So how does it feel to be a part of such an elite club for Rice volleyball? Cole: It feels amazing. I'm gonna keep going now to continue to help my team out. It is a great feeling to know that all my teammates are behind me and supporting me. We all root each other on and we're such a great team this year and have such a great chemistry. Thresher: So you guys are projected to come out 2nd in conference this year. How do you feel about the team so far, considering the games already played? Murphy: I think we're definitely not to where we need to be right now in terms of our wins and losses, but I definitely think we're learning everyday and getting better in time for conference play. Cole: I agree with Megan, but I also think it's that all these tournaments and all these games have been learning experiences for us and we are definitely trying to improve everyday in practice, our games and matches that we have won and lost. Thresher: What has been your best volleyball moment while being on the Owls team? Cole: Mine is always the same. When I was a freshman and playing and having the conference tournament here at Rice. We beat Tulsa out at the tournament and then went to the NCAA tournament, which was definitely fun. Murphy: Same for me. I redshirted my freshman year and didn't play, but it was awesome to have the conference tournament at home and win it in front of our fans.
