Season Statistics

NT-Rice Box Score

HOUSTON - Entering the match on a three-game losing skid, the Mean Green volleyball team awoke offensively behind four individual double-digit kill efforts and knocked off the Rice Owls in four sets.

"We played like a team today for a complete match," head coach Andrew Palileo said. "We were balanced offensively and defensively. Rice is a good team, but we just managed the match on another level today."

The Mean Green and Rice traded runs in the first two sets as NT hit .350 to easily take the first frame, while the Owls turned up the defense to hold North Texas to a mere .171 attack percentage in the second set.

The third set went into extra points as NT relinquished a 24-22 advantage late, but it regrouped and won the set, 28-26, off of back-to-back Carnae Dillard and Hanna Forst kills.

The Mean Green wrapped up the match comfortably in the fourth set to move back above .500 in Conference USA play (5-4) on the season with the conference tournament looming.

Dillard notched her 14th double-double of the season with 21 kills and 20 digs.

Senior Libero Shelby Tamura dug up a season-high 25 balls.

Forst (16), senior Karissa Flack (14) and senior captain Courtney Windham (11) each added double-digit kill totals to the Mean Green's offensive output.

With five C-USA matches remaining in the season, North Texas returns home after two weeks of road trips to host Louisiana Tech on Nov. 1 at 7 p.m.