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Sports

SPORTS 1/11/22 10:59pm

Women’s hoops drops conference opener to MTSU

By Reed Myers

The Rice women’s basketball team made their long awaited return to play Friday afternoon when they opened their conference season on the road at Middle Tennessee State University. Friday’s contest marked the end of a 23-day gameless stretch which featured cancellations, postponements, and an extended Christmas break for the Owls. 

SPORTS 1/11/22 10:55pm

Two weeks of cancellations and postponements: COVID-19 surge hits Rice basketball

By Daniel Schrager

The recent surge of COVID-19 cases is bringing record numbers of infections across the country, and both Rice basketball programs are feeling its effects. During a stretch from mid-December to early January, the women’s team had three consecutive games either postponed or canceled due to COVID-19 cases within the program. Meanwhile, the men’s team saw two of its games get postponed over the same time period. According to women’s head coach Lindsay Edmonds, dealing with the surge in cases while preparing for conference play has been challenging for her team.

SPORTS 12/8/21 2:04pm

Volleyball falls to No. 2 Texas in round of 32

By Daniel Schrager

Rice volleyball’s season came to a close on Friday night as they failed to knock off No. 2 University of Texas, Austin in the second round of the NCAA tournament. The Owls fell by a score of three sets to none, despite keeping the first two sets close. After the match, head coach Genny Volpe said that the Owls played well enough to beat almost any team in the country, but the Longhorns proved to be too strong.

SPORTS 12/2/21 9:37pm

Volleyball sweeps San Diego in NCAA tourney, set for rematch with Texas

By Daniel Schrager

Rice volleyball will get another shot at No. 2 University of Texas, Austin after they swept the University of San Diego on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The Owls took all three sets against the Toreros by at least five points, en route to the second victory in an NCAA tournament game in program history. After the game, head coach Genny Volpe said she was confident from the get-go. 

SPORTS 11/30/21 11:52pm

Does this count as progress? Football needs a more consistent formula

By Daniel Schrager

Most of the way through the 2019 season, I thought that Rice had some of the worst luck in all of college football. Through nine games, the Owls were winless, despite four one-score losses, including an eight-point loss to a Baylor University team that ended the season ranked in the top 15. All signs indicated that the Owls were much better than their 0-9 record and that their bad luck in close games was long overdue to flip. The Owls ended that season with a three-game winning streak, including two one-possession wins, appeared to confirm that theory.

SPORTS 11/30/21 11:52pm

Recap: Football ends season with comeback win over LA Tech

By Cadan Hanson

On Saturday, Rice football came back from a ten point deficit in the fourth quarter to defeat Louisiana Tech University 35-31 on Senior Day. The come-from-behind win snapped a four-game losing streak and tallied the Owls fourth win of the season, moving their record to 4-8 and 3-5 in Conference-USA.

SPORTS 11/30/21 11:50pm

Men Basketball goes 1-2, plays 3OT game in Gulf Coast Showcase

By Pavithr Goli

As many undergraduate students went home for Thanksgiving break, the Rice men’s basketball team spent their break participating in the Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, FL where they won their first game but dropped the last two. In the first game last Monday, the Owls beat the University of Evansville 109-104 in three overtimes. However, following the win, the Owls did not have positive results for the remainder of the showcase as they lost to Oakland University 76-73 on Tuesday and were defeated by Fordham University 84-74 on Wednesday. After their Thanksgiving-week competition, the Owls are now 4-3 on the season. 

SPORTS 11/30/21 11:49pm

Volleyball heads to fourth consecutive NCAA tournament

By Ben Baker-Katz

Rice volleyball will face the University of San Diego tomorrow in the first round of the women’s volleyball NCAA tournament. This is the fourth consecutive season in which the Owls will be selected, after they received an at-large bid on Sunday night. Rice returns to the tournament after being forced to exit prior to their first match last year due to COVID-19 protocols. 

SPORTS 11/22/21 5:51pm

Women’s cross country stumbles at NCAAs

By Pavithr Goli

The Rice women’s cross country team fell short against the stiff competition of the NCAA Cross Country Championships Saturday morning. Racing at the Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, FL, the Owls placed last out of 31 teams, in the program’s seventh overall appearance in the cross country championships. 

SPORTS 11/20/21 6:40pm

Volleyball advances to C-USA final

By Daniel Schrager

Rice volleyball took down Middle Tennessee State University on Saturday in straight sets to advance to their fourth straight Conference USA championship game, where they will face No. 18 Western Kentucky University. After the win, head coach Genny Volpe said that the team is playing some of their best volleyball right now as they look to clinch a spot in next month’s NCAA tournament.

SPORTS 11/17/21 12:14am

Volleyball looks to reach Conference USA hilltop

By Pavithr Goli

After going 17-5 during the regular season, and undefeated in conference play, Rice volleyball enters the Conference USA tournament on Friday as the No. 1 seed in the C-USA West on a 12-game win streak. On Friday, the Owls look to build upon their momentum in the first round, when they play the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. 

SPORTS 11/16/21 11:43pm

Forbes wins regionals, Women’s XC qualifies for NCAAs

By Daniel Schrager

Sophomore distance runner Grace Forbes followed up her conference title with a first-place finish at the NCAA South-Central Cross Country Regional on Friday in Waco, TX, helping the Rice women’s team to a second place finish. The result earned them a spot in this Saturday’s NCAA championships for just the seventh time in program history. 

SPORTS 11/16/21 11:42pm

Rice’s athlete-students

By Shiyu Miao

Varsity athletes aren’t the only Rice students who compete in sports at high levels. The Thresher talked to three students who participate in national competitions in sports that Rice doesn’t offer, on how they started their sport, their training and what their sport means to them.

SPORTS 11/16/21 11:41pm

Edmonds starts with split

By Reed Myers

Rice women’s basketball kicked off their season under first-year head coach Lindsay Edmonds last Tuesday night with a win against St. Edward’s University, before dropping their second game of the season to University of Louisiana, Lafayette on Saturday. These were the first games in charge of the Owls for Edmonds, who spent her last eight seasons as an assistant at North Carolina State University. 

SPORTS 11/16/21 11:37pm

Men’s Basketball falls in bayou battle

By Cadan Hanson

On Friday, Rice Men’s Basketball traveled down the road to the Fertitta Center to face off against No. 15 University of Houston. In the first battle between the Cougars and the Owls on the court since 2019, Houston emerged victorious 79-46, extending their winning streak against the Owls to seven.  

SPORTS 11/9/21 11:53pm

Soccer season of close games ends in penalty shootout

By Daniel Schrager

Rice soccer couldn’t survive their sixth straight overtime game last Wednesday morning, as they fell to Middle Tennessee State University in penalty kicks in the first round of the Conference USA tournament. The loss brought an end to a season that began with the Owls’ being nationally ranked entering the year for the first time in program history. According to head coach Brian Lee, while he is disappointed in the way the season ended, he always knew that last season would be a tough act to follow.

SPORTS 11/9/21 11:52pm

Volleyball caps undefeated conference season with sweep of UTSA

By Pavithr Goli

Ending their regular season on a strong note, Rice volleyball swept the University of Texas, San Antonio in their two-game series over the weekend at Tudor Fieldhouse. The Owls took all three sets in both matches against the Roadrunners, as Rice completed their second straight undefeated conference season and earned the No. 1 seed in the west division in the Conference USA tournament later this month. After closing their regular season with a 12 game win streak, head coach Genny Volpe said she was happy with the team’s improvement throughout the season. 

SPORTS 11/9/21 11:51pm

IM sports return from COVID-adjusted year

By Chloe Singer

Student participation in intramural sports remains strong despite the challenge of navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the beginning of the pandemic, IMs have been forced to adjust due to health and safety protocols. According to Chris Watkins, the assistant director of competitive sports and coordinator of intramural sports, he and his team have had to get creative in order to provide students with an opportunity to compete. 

SPORTS 11/9/21 11:49pm

Owls explore sponsorships with new NIL policy

By Reed Myers

A few months ago, the NCAA announced a long-awaited rule change that allows collegiate athletes in all sports to benefit from their name, image and likeness (NIL), including through sponsorship deals. Since then, many Rice student-athletes have taken advantage of the new policy by garnering partnerships and sponsorships with local and national companies. 

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