University of Houston Athletics
Rita Crockett's Jersey Set to be Retired Friday
10/15/2026 2:00:00 PM | Volleyball
Houston Volleyball icon’s jersey scheduled to be retired ahead of Friday’s match against UCF
HOUSTON – Legend of the game, Rita Crockett returns to Houston to have her jersey retired prior to the start of a conference battle against UCF on Friday night inside the Fertitta Center.Â
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As a Cougar, she led Houston to a program record 51 wins and a fifth-place finish at the 1977 AIAW Nationals, earning her an All-America honor.Â
Her success on the international stage would make her one of the most accomplished American volleyball players of her era. Selected to the United States Olympic team in both 1980 and 1984, Crockett reached the pinnacle of international competition. In 1982, when she was named to the All-World team before aiding Team USA to a Silver Medal in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.Â
Her other accolades with Team USA include a third-place finish at the 1982 FIVB World Championships and a silver medal at the 1983 Pan American Games.
Following her time in Houston, her talents led her overseas to compete in Japan, Italy and Switzerland. She won a league title in Japan with Daiei in 1986 and earned Italian League MVP in 1991. In between her stints overseas, she returned to the States to win two Major League Volleyball Championships and named the 1986-87 League MVP. In 1989, she added another remarkable achievement to her résumé by becoming a World Beach Volleyball Champion.
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At the conclusion of her playing career, Crockett made the jump from student to teacher, becoming the head coach at the University of Iowa from 1998-2003. She then became a Seminole, joining Florida State's staff as an associate head coach for the 2004 and 2005 seasons. She later led the indoor and beach volleyball programs at Florida International University as head coach from 2013-2022.
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