University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Southern Miss
0-1,0-0Sun Belt
Rice
1-0,0-0AAC
Southern Miss Falls In Four Sets In Season Opener Against Rice
8/25/2023 10:54:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
HOUSTON, Texas- Southern Miss started its season-opener strong by capturing the first set against No. 23 Rice, but the Owls took control of the next three sets to win 3-1 at Tudor Fieldhouse Friday night.
"I really like how we came out fighting tonight," Head Coach Jenny Hazelwood said. "We know we have a lot of pieces that can work together to play at a very high level. Playing great opponents really helps us learn a lot so that we can keep building a great program."
The Southern Miss attack suffered from 26 errors, but different pieces flashed throughout the game.
Mia Wesley picked right up from her rhythm last season, recording a game-high 18 kills and nine digs. And in her first game with the Black & Gold, Aysu Dalogullari nearly recorded a double-double with nine kills and ten digs. Cailin Demps followed with eight kills.
The Golden Eagles trailed early at the opening of the game, but two consecutive blocks from Cara Atkinson and Izzy Kronenberg shifted the momentum. Atkinson soon recorded a service ace to give the Golden Eagles its first lead of the season, which the team did not surrender for the remainder of the set. Southern Miss took the set 25-22.
While Southern Miss chipped away at an early Rice lead in the second set, the Owls scored six straight and powered its way to a 25-14 set victory.
The Golden Eagles exchanged points and followed closely through the next two sets, but Rice prevailed with late runs. The Owls hit a .457 clip to help take the third set, led by Emilia Weske's nine kills in the period.
Southern Miss looked to even the score throughout the fourth set, but the Owls closed the game with a 25-18 victory.
Up Next:
Southern Miss will face No. 19 Houston tomorrow at 6 p.m. in the Fertitta Center. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
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