Cardiac Coogs Come Alive to Clinch Season-Opening Win

Friday, August 30

Omaha, Neb.

6 p.m.

University of Houston

1-0,0-0Big 12

Omaha

0-1,0-0Summit League

Houston

Omaha

Cardiac Coogs Come Alive to Clinch Season-Opening Win

8/30/2024 10:42:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score Match Book

Houston dominates fifth set to claim victory on the road to begin its 2024 season

OMAHA, Neb. – The rv University of Houston Volleyball team started its 2024 campaign with a bang, downing Omaha in five sets on Friday night at Baxter Arena.

The Cougars (1-0) won its season opener for the second consecutive season and improved to 2-0 all-time against Omaha (0-1).

Graduate Angela Grieve and senior Katie Corelli led the Cougar offense in the win, combining for 26 kills and a .299 hitting percentage. Junior Avery Shimaitis used 11 kills to post her first career double-digit performance, while Grieve and Corelli recorded their 74^th and 17^th career tallies, respectively.

Graduate Kate Georgiades led the match with 25 digs, her 45^th career match with 20-or-more digs. Freshman Lily Barron earned 10 digs in her collegiate debut while fellow first-year Addisyn Pohl amassed five blocks, tying redshirt junior Barakat Rahmon for the team lead. Graduate Annie Cooke wrapped up notable stat-lines by moving into a tie for fifth on Houston's all-time service aces list with her 113^th after recording one in the match.

SET ONE
The teams started off trading blows early, neither able to take an extended lead and ending up tied at 11-all after 22 serves. Houston rattled off a 3-0 run highlighted by kills from Barron and Shimaitis to claim an edge, keeping the Mavericks at arm's length to earn a 25-20 win.

Barron tallied three kills on nine attempts in the opening bout while redshirt senior Rebecca Rocassin boasted six assists and Georgiades recorded five digs.

SET TWO
Remaining tied at 4-4 to begin the second, a 5-0 run for Omaha put the Mavericks ahead for good in the frame. After another 4-0 Omaha stretch later in the frame clinched a 25-16 win for the Mavericks.

SET THREE
Houston started the third with back-to-back kills from Cooke and Corelli to take a 2-0 lead. Omaha would fight back to even the score at 5-5 and 6-6 before a 4-1 run led to an Omaha advantage at 10-7. The Mavericks further extended their edge to 17-11 before Houston surged to tie the set at 22-22 with a kill from Barron. The Cougars closed the third on a 4-1 run, winning 25-23, to put the victory in sight.

Corelli used four kills to pace the Cougars on offense in the third.

SET FOUR
The teams kept the fourth set close throughout, tying the frame 17 times and trading the lead seven times. After a 3-0 run for the Cougars broke open the set and gave Houston a 17-14 lead, Omaha responded with a 3-0 stretch of its own to tie the set at 17. More ties at 18-18, 19-19, 20-20 and 21-21 led to a 4-2 stretch the allowed the Mavericks to force a deciding fifth set, winning the fourth, 25-23.

SET FIVE
Houston, no stranger to five-setters under Head Coach David Rehr with 39 matches going the distance since 2019, rallied in the final set of the night. Jumping out to a 3-0 lead behind a pair of Grieve kills, Houston continued to roll, claiming the lead at the side-swap, 8-4. The Cougars defensive effort was exceptional in the final set, using six blocks in the frame, including three consecutive blocks to clinch the 15-7 win, to stifle the Maverick attack, limiting Omaha to a -.263 hitting percentage in the fifth.

NOTABLES
·       Rehr clinched his 645^th career win. Rehr also earned his 104^th Houston victory, moving him into a tie with Dave Albright for second most with the Cougars in the NCAA era.
·       Houston is 23-16 under Rehr in five set matches.
·       Holding Omaha to a .155 hitting efficiency, the Cougars are now 68-6 under Rehr when holding opponents to a sub-.200 hitting percentage.

UP NEXT
Houston wraps up its trip to Omaha on Saturday with a noon first serve against rv Washington State. Washington State dropped its season opener to Wyoming on Friday, 3-2. The match will be streamed on omavs.com.

SUPPORT YOUR COOGS
Fans can make a direct impact on the success of Houston Volleyball joining the Point Houston Club which provides financial support directly to Houston Volleyball for needs beyond its operating budget.

STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarVB on X, formerly known as Twitter, and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at UHCougarVB. Fans also can follow the team on Instagram at @UHCougarVB.

– UHCougars.com –