Rice volleyball is heating up for their first home tournament, the Rice Invitational I, with a stellar 4-0 record and national recognition on the rise. They’ll face McNeese State — whom they’ve dominated 11-1 in history — and Illinois, marking their first home matchup against the Illini since 2005. The Owls kicked off their season with a bang, sweeping wins over top-tier opponents and earning weekly honors for three standout players. With coach Genny Volpe in her 23rd season and the team receiving AVCA votes, Rice is building serious momentum — and they’re not backing down, as next month’s Invitational II will feature Creighton, Louisville, and UNI.

Listen in comfort:
Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn.

Advertise on DNN:
advertise@thednn.ai

This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.
Sources:
https://riceowls.com/news/2026/9/3/womens-volleyball-rice-volleyball-to-host-rice-invitational-i

More coverage & latest updates:
https://sources.thednn.ai/bb34eb1e3deaf5fd

Report issues to feedback@thednn.ai.

Rice Owls women’s soccer heads into a brutal road stretch, facing 17th-ranked Texas State Thursday and reigning national champs Florida State Sunday. After a tough loss to No. 3 Vanderbilt (3-1), Valentina Labuschagne netted her second career goal with assists from Kapadia and Brumlow. Team recognition is soaring too: Kirsten Ruf earns Goalkeeper of the Week for a shutout and first assist, while Lauren Pickup gets honorable mention for two goals. Rice holds a slight edge in the all-time series against Texas State (7-3-2) and celebrates 25 years of program history this season — ranked third in preseason polls with three players on the American Preseason Watch List.

Listen in comfort:
Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn.

Advertise on DNN:
advertise@thednn.ai

This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.
Sources:
https://riceowls.com/news/2026/9/2/womens-soccer-owls-travel-for-pair-of-ranked-road-games

More coverage & latest updates:
https://sources.thednn.ai/e97ac765b5818f22

Report issues to feedback@thednn.ai.

Rice Owls volleyball opens home season with a gritty 3-1 win over Tarleton State, rallying from a first-set loss thanks to standout performances from Sydnee Peterson (17 kills), Arissa Smith and Ashlyn Seay (10 kills each), and Stephanie Gutierrez’s career-high 7 blocks. Kaia Mateo led the offense with 26 assists and 17 digs for her third double-double. Coach Genny Volpe praised the middles’ consistency despite noting the team’s lackluster execution overall. Up next: Rice hosts McNeese State in the Rice Invitational on Friday night at 6 PM, streaming on ESPN+.

Listen in comfort:
Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn.

Advertise on DNN:
advertise@thednn.ai

This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.
Sources:
https://riceowls.com/news/2026/9/2/womens-volleyball-owls-open-home-slate-with-win-over-tarleton-state

More coverage & latest updates:
https://sources.thednn.ai/5da4d97b5c07b4d9

Report issues to feedback@thednn.ai.