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Check out UH Volleyball ElfYourself dance!

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Lucy Charuk Named AVCA All-American

Senior Earns Program’s First All-America Selection Since 1994

 University of Houston senior middle blocker Lucy Charuk was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America Third Team on Wednesday. Charuk becomes the first Cougar volleyball All-American since Lily Denoon in 1994.  

This is the first All-American selection for the Tswwassen, British Columbia, native after garnering three career AVCA All-Region Team selections. Following both All-Region selections, she went on to be named an AVCA All-American Honorable Mention.

“First, I am so incredibly happy for Lucy,” head coach Molly Alvey said. “What an amazing award for her to have earned. Lucy's contributions to this team and to our program have added maturity to our pursuit of excellence as a team. Her focus and experience have propelled her into performing as an elite athlete and an exceptionally gifted leader.”

“This award is incredibly significant to our volleyball program. Our staff, our players and I have been working to put Houston volleyball back in the national spotlight. Lucy's recognition as an All-American is a very clear sign that we are moving in the right direction at exponential speed.”  

Charuk, a three-time First Team All Conference USA selection, led the Cougars with 365 kills and a .390 hitting percentage. She also has a team-high 159 blocks, averaging 1.38 per set.  

She leaves Houston as the school career leader in hitting percentage, second in blocks and block assists, fifth in solo blocks and eighth in blocks per set. Charuk recorded double-digit kills in 22 matches this season and had at least five blocks in 19 matches.  

Charuk found herself ranked among the conference leaders in multiple categories at the end of the regular season. She led the league in hitting percentage, ranked second in blocks and fifth in points. She was 14th in the NCAA in blocks per set and 16th in hitting percentage.  

Charuk was a vital member of the 2011 volleyball squad that finished with a 19-11 record and a 12-8 C-USA mark.

Ice Cream Break

Ice Cream study break to ease the stress of finals for all the Houston Student Athletes!

Lucy Charuk Named To AVCA Midwest All-Region Team

Senior Earns Third Selection To All Region Team

University of Houston senior middle blocker Lucy Charuk was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association Midwest All-Region Team.

This is the Tswwassen, British Columbia, native’s third selection to the All-Region squad. Charuk was named to the team following her sophomore season in 2008 and as a junior in 2010. Following both All-Region selections, she went on to be named an AVCA All-American Honorable Mention.

With her selection to the All-Region Team, Charuk is eligible for All-American honors that will be announced next week.

“Lucy had an amazing season this year and has had a tremendous career at UH,” head coach Molly Alvey said. “She has taken this volleyball team into a top-60 program in the country in two short years.  This award is not only representative of all Lucy has accomplished on the court, but is a testament to her commitment to this team off the court as well. 

“She has truly committed herself to being an elite student-athlete and the outcome has shown through in her performance level on the court.  I am so incredibly proud to have been a part of her development as a student, an athlete and a person.  I believe she will be great at her next endeavor in life.  She is so deserving of this award.”

Charuk, a three-time First Team All Conference USA selection, led the Cougars with 365 kills and a .390 hitting percentage. She also has a team-high 159 blocks, averaging 1.38 per set.

She leaves Houston as the school career leader in hitting percentage, second in blocks and block assists, sixth in solo blocks and eighth in blocks per set. Charuk recorded double-digit kills in 22 matches this season and had at least five blocks in 19 matches.

Charuk found herself ranked among the conference leaders in multiple categories at the end of the regular season. She led the league in hitting percentage, ranked second in blocks and fifth in points. She was 14^th in the NCAA in blocks per set and 16^th in hitting percentage.

Charuk was a vital member of the 2011 volleyball squad that finished with a 19-11 record and a 12-8 C-USA mark.

Chandace Tryon Named To COBRA Magazine All-Midsouth Region First Team

Junior Earns Second Selection To Team After Receiving The Honor In 2010

 Junior middle blocker Chandace Tryon was named to the COBRA Magazine All-Midsouth Region First Team the publication announced this week.

The Corpus Christi, Texas, native earns her second selection to the team after being named an honoree in 2010.

Tryon takes home the honor just a week after being named to the All-Conference USA Second Team. She finished the season with 268 kills and a .314 hitting percentage. Tryon also had 99 blocks and 13 service aces. She ranks eighth in C-USA in hitting percentage and 19^th in blocks.

Tryon tied a career-high with 15 kills against SMU and was named to the University of Kentucky Invitational All-Tournament Team.

COBRA Magazine’s purpose is to celebrate the success of volleyball players of African, as well as Samoan and Tongan decent in hopes of encouraging young girls of those ethnic groups across the country to pursue the sport.

College Game Day Video Highlights!

College Game Day Visit UH

Four Cougars Earn C-USA Volleyball All-Conference Awards

Senior Lucy Charuk Named First Team All-Conference Selection

HOUSTON – Four University of Houston volleyball players earned All-Conference awards the league office announced on Wednesday. The four honorees are the most for a Cougar squad since 2005.

 Senior middle blocker Lucy Charuk earned First Team All-C-USA honors, while juniors Katie Norris and Chandace Tryon are Second Team selections. Freshman setter Caitlin Ogletree also took home postseason honors with her selection to the All-Freshman Team.

 “I hope these awards help the team recognize what an incredibly successful year this has been,” head coach Molly Alvey said. “Dropping matches at the end of the season or not reaching the exact expectations you have for yourself, as far as wins and losses, can cloud perspective on all the great accomplishments we have made. This season has been the best this program has performed in a long time. Jumping into the top 30, beating a top 25 team and competing on a national level is pretty impressive. I hope these accolades are a very clear recognition of what an unbelievable season this was for UH volleyball.”

Charuk, a three-time First Team selection, leads the Cougars with 365 kills and a .390 hitting percentage. She also has a team-high 159 blocks, averaging 1.38 perset. The Tswwassen, British Columbia, native ranks 15^th in the NCAA in hitting percentage and 17^th in blocks per set. She will leave Houston as the school career leader in hitting percentage second in blocks and block assists, sixth in solo blocks and eighth blocks per set.

Charuk recorded double-digit kills in 22 matches this season and had at least five blocks in 19 matches.

Norris earns her first C-USA postseason award after transferring to Houston from Ole Miss. The Humble, Texas, native is tied for first with 29 service aces, is second on the team in kills (337) and fourth in digs (153). She also has 65 blocks. Norris recorded her first career double-double against UTEP on Oct. 14 with 14 kills and 11 digs. She also had a career-high 25 kills against Marshall on Nov. 5. She recorded double-digit kills in 17 matches this season.

 Norris took home C-USA Offensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 26 and was named to the Flo Hyman Collegiate Cup All-Tournament Team.

 Tryon was named to the Second Team after also earning a spot on the Preseason All-Conference squad. She is fourth on the team in kills (253) and her .312hitting percentage is the second best on the team. The Corpus Christi, Texas, native ranks eighth in C-USA in hitting percentage and had at least five blocks in eight matches this season.

 Tryon tied a career-high with 15 kills against SMU and was named to the University of Kentucky Invitational All-Tournament Team.

With Ogletree’s selection to the All-Freshman team, Houston has had a member of its squad on the team in four of the last five seasons. The Montgomery, Texas, native leads the team with 1,154 assists and 29 service aces. She also has 226 digs and 39 blocks. Ogletree ranks fifth in C-USA in assists and seventh in service aces.

 Ogletree is a four-time C-USA Setter of the Week and was named to the Flo Hyman Collegiate Cup All-Tournament Team.

“Having Caitlin, Katie and Chandace return next year will be extremely valuable for the program,” Alvey said. “This season is as perfect as you can get in regards to experience for these three players. We felt the success of winning big, the pressure of keeping a winning record and the challenge of pushing through when the outcome is not as you expected it to be.

“Those are all experiences that make players better if they chose to continue to make winning habits out of them. I know these three players, along with the others on this team will do just that. Having these three back will be a big contributing factor to another successful season next year.”

The Cougars are 18-11 this season and 11-8 in league play. UH peaked at No. 38 this season in the RPI rankings, the highest ranking in the program’s history since also reaching a No. 38 ranking in 1999.

Earlier this week, junior middle blocker Stephanie Nwachukwu was named to the C-USA All-Academic volleyball team. The Houston, native was named to the team for the first time in her career after maintaining a 3.89 GPA in biochemistry.

Volleyball Defeats Rice, 3-2, In Season Finale

Stephanie Nwachukwu Finishes With Career-High 16 Kills

Behind a career-high 16 kills from junior Stephanie Nwachukwu, the University of Houston volleyball team defeated Rice, 3-2 (25-22, 25-21, 21-25, 20-25, 16-14), Wednesday night in its season finale at the Athletics/Alumni Center. The Cougars finish the 2011 season with a 19-11 record and a 12-8 mark in Conference USA play.

Since Rice joined C-USA in 2005, it is the first time the Cougars have swept the series with their cross-town rival. Houston is now 60-18 all-time against the Owls.

“This is an incredible win,” head coach Molly Alvey said. “It is a great way for the seniors to go out on a high note. It was also a win against Rice, which is great for the athletic department and the University. Those things make a statement.

“Rice played great tonight, so it was a real important win. We played a very consistent volleyball match from start to finish. We had a point run in set three that cost us that set, but we were able to pull back together, stay in it through the end and pull out the win.”

 In addition to Nwachukwu’s career night, junior Chandace Tryon finished with 15 kills and junior Katie Norris had 12 kills. Senior Lucy Charuk finished 12 kills and had five solo blocks, the third most in UH single game history. Senior Ingrida Zauere also played her final match at the AAC and finished with 10 kills and 21 digs.

 Freshman Caitlin Ogletree added 61 assists and freshman Natalie Keck has 12 digs.

The Cougars jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the match, but the Owls battled back to tie the contest, forcing a fifth set where Houston came out on top, 16-14.

Houston began the night playing to a 16-12 lead in the first set. After a Rice timeout, the Cougars came off the bench to push their lead to 19-16, prompting a second Owls timeout. Following the second timeout, UH committed two quick errors and Alvey was forced to call a timeout. The break proved effective as the Cougars came out of the timeout to win the first set 25-22.

Rice opened the second set to a 3-0 lead, but Houston battled back to tie the score 6-6. The Cougars took the lead on the next point and never looked back. The Owls got within one of Houston, 14-13, but UH pulled away and took a 2-0 lead in the match with a 25-21 win.

After two sets, Nwachukwu led the team with nine kills and the Cougars hit a combined.351.

Houston opened the third set to an 11-9 lead, but the Owls battled back to tie the score 12-12 before taking the lead on the next play. Rice held a 15-12 lead into a Cougar timeout and came off the bench to win the third set, 25-21.

Rice used the momentum from the third set to open the fourth to an 8-4 lead. The Cougars got within one of the lead, 11-10, but the Owls held off the Cougars to even the match, 2-2, with a 25-20 win.

 The fifth set turned into a battle between the two teams as they traded points the entire way. Rice took a 14-13 lead to match point but three-straight kills from Tryon gave Houston the 16-14 win.

Stephanie Nwachukwu Named To C-USA Volleyball All-Academic Team

Junior Earns First Selection To All-Academic Team

 University of Houston junior middle blocker Stephanie Nwachukwu was named to the Conference USA All-Academic Volleyball Team the league office announcedTuesday. The team consists of 11 student-athletes and is selected by the league’s Sports Information Directors.

The All-Academic Team includes members that have earned a 3.2 cumulative grade point average or better and are a starter or key reserve on their team.

Nwachukwu was named to the team for the first time in her career after maintaining a 3.89 GPA in biochemistry. She is a two-time C-USA Academic Medal winner and a two-time selection to the Commissioner’s Honor Roll. The Houston native has also been named to the Dean’s List and helped the Cougars win the program’s first AVCA All-Academic Team award at the conclusion of the 2010-11 school year.

“Stephanie is an incredibly talented student,” head coach Molly Alvey said. “She is super sharp, super focused and just a really smart person. For her, it is great to be recognized when you work so hard at something. There is one thing that never wavers with her and that is her diligence in the classroom.

“She has acouple of academic opportunities ahead of her that will be great for her and the athletic department. This recognition is really nice and congratulations to her for the amount of time and effort she has put in the classroom.”

Nwachukwu is third on the team with 256 kills and is hitting .208. She also has 64 blocks and 38 digs. During the opening weekend of the season, she was named the Flo Hyman Collegiate Cup MVP.

Houston closes out the regular season at 7 p.m., Friday at the Athletics/Alumni Center against cross-town rival Rice. The Cougars defeated the Owls 3-0 earlier this season at Tudor Fieldhouse. 

Conference USA will announce the 2011 all-conference teams and individual award winners on Wednesday.

Meredith Cribs

Come get a tour of Cullen Oaks from Meredith Ware!!

UH Cribs

Check out Cailtin Ogletree crib!

Senior Tribute

Current players share their thoughts on our Seniors! Check it out!

Caitlin Ogletree Named C-USA Setter of the Week

Freshman Earns Fourth League Award This Season

University of Houston freshman Caitlin Ogletree was named the Conference USA Setter of the Week, the league office announced Monday. This is Ogletree’s fourth C-USA honor this season.

 The Montgomery, Texas, native averaged 12.10 assists per set and 3.00 digs per set as the Cougars split matches against Marshall last weekend. She opened the weekend with 56 assists and 14 digs against the Thundering Herd and followed that up with a career-high 65 assists and 16 digs for her seventh double-double of the season. Ogletree also had two service aces, four blocks and three kills in the 3-2 win over Marshall. Her 121 assists total topped the league standings for the week.

 Ogletree leads the team and ranks fourth in the conference with an 11.00 assist-per-game average.

 She earned her first career Setter of the Week award on Sept. 26 before earning back-to-back honors on Oct. 10 and Oct. 17. Ogletree is also the only four-time C-USA Setter of the Week this season.

UP NEXT

The Cougars remain at home this weekend for matches against SMU and Tulsa. Houston opens the weekend against the Mustangs at 7 p.m., Friday and closes out the weekend against the Golden Hurricane at 1 p.m., Sunday. Following Sunday’s match, Houston will honor the three members of its senior class.

Meet our UH Family

Meet UH Volleyball support staff. They are a part of our success.

UH Volleyball Highlight

Check out the update footage from our season!

UH Volleyball involved in Freeze Mob

Check out the girls participating in a Freeze Mob!! Very cool!

Volleyball Knocks off UAB 3-1

Four Cougars Record Double-Digit Kills

The University of Houston volleyball team improved to 9-0 at the Athletics/Alumni Center with a 3-1 (23-25, 25-23, 25-17, 25-20) win over UAB Friday night. With the win, Houston improves to 15-5 on the season and 8-2 in Conference USA play.

Four Cougars recorded double-digit kills in the win over the Blazers. Junior Katie Norris led the Cougars with 17 kills. Junior Chandace Tryon added 14 kills and three blocks, while senior Lucy Charuk had 13 kills and four blocks. Junior Stephanie Nwachukwu finished the match with 11 kills.

Freshman Caitlin Ogletree had 49 assists and freshman Natalie Keck had a game-high 24 digs.

“This win was huge,” head coach Molly Alvey said. “We need to keep building up our momentum. We weren’t very sharp tonight, but we played a very good team and stuck together and kept going. It just adds to the energy and the confidence that we’ve been working on.

“We are at a totally different place than where we were at the beginning of the year. Tonight, we started off the match slow, but we wanted to win and we stuck together."

Houston struggled during the opening points of the match, committing five attack errors on 13 attempts to dig a 9-5 hole against the Blazers. Trailing, Alvey called a timeout to regroup her team. The Cougars battled back to within one, 11-10, out of the break, but UAB pulled away once again to regain a 20-15 led.

Alvey called her second timeout and UH came off the bench to go on a 5-1 run and get within one, 21-20. After giving up much of their lead, the Blazers called a timeout. Both teams traded points the rest of the way before UAB came away with a 25-23 win.

The Cougars had 11 kills in the first set, led by four from Charuk.

After dropping the first set, Houston bounced back to take a 14-10 lead in the second set. The Blazers battled back to tie the score 15-15 but Houston pulled away to regain a 21-17 lead. Trailing by four, UAB called its second timeout of the set. Off the bench, the Blazers scored four straight points to tie the set,21-21. UAB scored the first points out of a Houston timeout, but the Cougars battled back to close out the set on a 4-0 run and even the match with a 25-23 win.

Charuk and Norris combined for 10 of the Cougars’ 16 kills in the second set.

Trailing 15-14 to the Blazers in the third set, Houston went on an impressive 11-2 run to close out the set and earn a 25-17 win.

Norris connected for seven kills on 15 attempts to lead Houston in the third set.

Holding a 2-1 match lead, Houston went into the fourth set looking to secure the win. The Cougars opened to a 9-5 lead before a 4-1 run increased the UH advantage to13-6. The Blazers put together a 4-0 run midway through the set to pull within four, 17-14, but Houston held off a battling UAB to win the final set, 25-20.

 

Houston Volleyball Debuts At No. 44 In RPI Rankings

Lucy Charuk Ranks Eighth In Hitting Percentage In NCAA

 When the first 2011 NCAA RPI rankings were released this week, the University of Houston volleyball team debuted at No. 44, the program’s highest ranking since 2008.

 “I am very happy about being in this spot,” head coach Molly Alvey said. “Scheduling worked out for us this year, the team was prepared to do what we expected them to do going into the season and we’ve been winning big time matches and playing well together. It is exciting for our program, the University and the Athletic Department. There are very positive things going on with the volleyball program.”

 At the conclusion of the 2008 season, Houston was ranked No. 43 in the final RPI after going 20-12 and finishing fourth in league play. Last season the Cougars were 91^st in the final rankings and 192^nd in 2009.

 The team had an off day on Monday so Alvey will address the ranking with her team prior to practice today. She is positive the team will use this as motivation against this weekend’s competition.

“They will be incredibly excited,” Alvey said. “It is almost a 50-point jump for us. We finished last year at 91 and to be sitting at 44 is pretty impressive, so they will be very excited. It translates to all the hard work they have been putting in. This will be exciting news for them, especially going into this week’s match, which is very important for us in the conference standings.”

The Cougars are 14-5 this season and 7-2 in Conference USA play. They are tied for second place in the league standings with UAB, their opponent Friday at the Athletics/Alumni Center.

In addition to the team honors, senior Lucy Charuk and freshman Caitlin Ogletree found themselves ranked among the NCAA leaders in multiple categories.

 Charuk ranks eighth in the NCAA with a team-leading 1.30 blocks per set and 29^th in hitting percentage with a .413 clip. 

 “This is very important for Lucy,” Alvey said. “She has done a lot of things to get prepared for the season from playing for the Canadian National Team to traveling overseas. Those are part of her future goals and she knew it was going to help her this season. Being a senior captain, Lucy hasbeen doing the things she needs to put her team and herself in this position. She is playing well right now.”

After earning back-to-back C-USA Setter of the Week awards, Ogletree is averaging 11.18 assists per set, ranking 20^th in the NCAA.

“The setter’s role is like the quarterback of a football team and it takes a very mentally tough athlete to perform at that level,” Alvey said. “Her coming in as a freshman and performing at that level is pretty impressive.

“This stat has made me step back and take a closer look and appreciate her and what she is doing a little more. Not that I didn’t before, its just you lose sight when that is your driving force to running the team and executing. You are constantly talking to that person and getting them engaged, and sometimes you need to step back and see all they are accomplishing. She is doing a great job. I am so proud of her.”

UP NEXT

Houston will play host to UAB at 7 p.m., Oct. 21 at the Athletics/Alumni Center before heading to Memphis for a 1 p.m. match against the Tigers on Oct. 23.

Alumni Weekend

Volleyball Returns Home For Matches Against UTEP, UCF

The University of Houston volleyball team returns to its home court this weekend for the first time since Sept. 25 to host a pair of matches against UTEP and UCF at the Athletics/Alumni Center.

Houston (12-5; 5-2) opens the weekend with a 7 p.m. match Friday against the Miners and closes out the weekend with a 1 p.m. match Sunday against the Knights. The Cougars will be looking to improve on their 6-0 record at the AAC this season.

Fans can follow all of the weekend’s action through the Gametracker link on the volleyball schedule page at UHCougars.com. The live video feed will also be available on the Athletics site through the All-Access link.

The Cougars enter the weekend on a two-match win streak and winners of seven of their last nine matches. After guiding Houston to two wins last weekend against East Carolina, freshman Caitlin Ogletree was named the Conference USA Setter of the Week. The Montgomery, Texas, native averaged a C-USA weekly-best 13.57 assists and 2.86 digs against the Pirates.

Senior Lucy Charuk leads the team with 189 kills and a .399 hitting percentage, the second highest in C-USA. She also ranks fourth in blocks, averaging 1.29 per set. Freshman Natalie Keck paces the team with 276 digs and ranks eighth in the league with a 4.45 dig per set average.

UP NEXT

Houston will play host to UAB at 7 p.m., on Oct. 21 at the Athletics/Alumni Center before traveling to Memphis for a 1 p.m., match on Oct. 23.

Caitlin Ogletree Named C-USA Setter of the Week

Freshman Earns Second League Honor In Last Three Weeks

 HOUSTON – University of Houston volleyball freshman Caitlin Ogletree was named the Conference USA Setter of the Week the league office announced Monday.

Ogletree guided UH to two wins over East Carolina last weekend in Greenville to improve the Cougars’ record to 12-5 overall and 5-2 in C-USA play.

 The Montgomery, Texas, native finished with 95 assists, 20 digs, three service aces and two blocks against East Carolina. She ranks third in the league in assists, averaging 10.97 per set and finished the weekend averaging a C-USA weekly-best 13.57 assists and 2.86 digs per set against the Pirates.

Ogletree opened the weekend with 56 assists and 12 digs for her fourth double-double this season and closed out the weekend with 39 assists and eight digs on Sunday. On the season, Ogletree leads the team with 691 assists, 19 service aces and is third with 128 digs.

 This is Ogletree’s second Setter of the Week honor in the last three weeks.

 UP NEXT

After two weekends on the road, the Cougars return to Houston this weekend for a pair of matches against UTEP and UCF. UH will face the Miners at 7 p.m., Friday before closing out the weekend against the Knights at 1 p.m., Sunday.

Girls Day Out!

A Peek into UH Volleyball!

Volleyball Picks Up Pair Of C-USA Weekly Awards

Norris and Ogletree Named Offensive and Setter of the Week; Zauere Earns International Award

HOUSTON – University of Huston junior Katie Norris was named the Conference USA Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week, while freshman Caitlin Ogletree was named the league’s Setter of the Week the league office announced Monday.

The weekly honor is the first for both Cougars after they guided the team to a 3-0 record in conference play for the first time since 2007. Houston knocked off Rice at Tudor Fieldhouse early last week before recording home wins against Southern Miss and Tulane.

 After the three wins, Houston improved to 10-3 on the season.

 In 12 sets, Norris posted a .329 hitting percentage with 39 kills on 96 attempts with only eight errors. She opened the week with a career-high 17 kills in a sweep of the Owls, going 17-for-32 with a .531 hitting percentage and no errors. The Humble, Texas, native followed that up with another career performance, connecting on 18 kills and two blocks against Southern Miss. She closed out the weekend with four kills, two blocks and five digs against Tulane.

 Ogletree finished the week averaging 11.33 assists per set as well as tallying 21 digs and five service aces. In the conference opener, she had 40 assists, four digs and two service aces in the sweep of Rice. The Montgomery, Texas, native followed that with a career-high 53 assists and nine digs in the 3-2 win over Southern Miss. She closed out the weekend with 43 assists, eight digs and two blocks against Tulane.

 ZAUERE EARNS INTERNATIONAL AWARD

In addition to the Cougars’ C-USA awards, senior Ingrida Zauere was named the American Volleyball Scouting Report Global Player of the Week. The Kuldiga, Latvia, native recorded 30 kills, 26 digs and eight blocks as the Cougars moved into a tie for first place in the league standings.

 Zauere was also named an AVSR Global Player of the Week as a freshman in 2008, and she is the second Cougar to earn this honor.

UP NEXT

The Cougars continue C-USA play on Sept. 30 when they travel to Tulsa. The weekend will close out on Oct. 2 with a trip to SMU.

A Great Rally!!!

Here is a clip of an epic rally from our match against Rice!!

Amazing Play

A great hustle play for UH Volleyball!!

Sister Duo

Check out the team performing their sister names. We group the girls together at the beginning of
pre-season to help with the transition and it's FUN!!!

UH Cheer B team

UH Volleyball showing some school spirit!

Become a Cougar!!

Welcome to the University of Houston—a Tier One Academic University in the heart of the country’s 4^th largest city! In January 2011, the University of Houston joined the ranks of the top research universities in the nation!! The designation makes the University of Houston one of only three Tier One research universities in Texas, along with the University of Texas and Texas A&M. In addition to being a Tier One university, UH has also been chosen as one of the nation's best colleges for undergraduate education by The Princeton Review.  Now you know one main reason we LOVE our university.

One, two, three strikes you’re out? Not at the University of Houston! UH has had 77 student-athletes/coaches participate in an Olympics, earning 33 medals. We’ve also had 16 intercollegiate teams compete in Conference USA, winning 33 titles in the past 10 years. Such notable athletes include Olympic medalists Carl Lewis, Leroy Burrell, and diver Yulia Pakhalina; Heisman Trophy winner Andre Ware; NBA stars Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon; golfers Fred Couples, Steve Elkington and Fuzzy Zoeller; and MLB pitchers Doug Drabek, Ryan Wagner and Woody Williams.

On top of all of these key successes, our volleyball team is excelling as well.  We are currently7-3 and have a top 25 win this season!!  Our players had the most successful year in the classroom in 2010-2011 earning a 3.37 cumulative GPA – the  highest in the entire athletic department!  So while there are many fantastic university’s for you to choose from, we hope you take a closer look at the University of Houston. We are the PRIDE of Houston.  GO COOGS!

Houston takes 2nd at UK Invitational

Just finished another great weekend!! We knocked off West Virginia and LMU - two solid teams. We went four with Kentucky and dropped a close one. Check out Facebook...I will post some fun pictures of the team!

We are back at home for Lamar on Tuesday at 7pm so quick recovery for us. We will be ready to go!
"I am very proud of Lucy and Chandace - both made the All-Tournament Team."
Molly Alvey
Head Coach

Check out the pictures below from this weekend!

Preparing for the Kentucky Invitational

Had a great practice at U of Kentucky this morning!! Tomorrow we have our first match against WVU. Then we play the U of Kentcuky tomorrow night in front of a big, rowdy crowd. We wish you were here to watch because it's going to be a fun weekend!

Make sure to keep up with us on Facebook - www.facebook.com/HoustonCougarVolleyball. Attached is a picture of us getting mentally prepared for the weekend. Don't be afraid to call us anytime. GO COOGS!!!


Molly Alvey
Head Coach

Volleyball Closes Out State Farm Classic With 3-2 Win Over Tennessee

Three Cougars Record Double-Digit Kills In Victory

 The University of Houston volleyball team closed out tournament play at the State Farm Classic with a 3-2 (19-25, 25-22, 25-23, 20-25, 15-8) win over Tennessee Saturday night in Champaign, Ill.

Three Cougars finished with double-digit kills as the Cougars improved to 4-2 on the season. Junior Stephanie Nwachkwu paced the team with 15 kills and junior Katie Norris and senior Lucy Charuk added 14 and 11 kills, respectively. FreshmanNatalie Keck added a team-high 17 digs.

“We played a very good program and team tonight,” head coach Molly Alvey said. “We stayed very patient and played good volleyball and matched Tennessee point for point. Lucy (Charuk) played an amazing match. Lucy, Chandace (Tryon) and Stephanie(Nwachukwu) had amazing blocks and it allowed us to get a touch or get back to play defense. Our serving was also exceptional tonight.”

“We played a true high level of volleyball. Ingrida (Zauere) came off the bench and played well and had two huge plays that launched us forward.”

After dropping the first set in a tough 25-19 decision, Houston rallied back to even the match with a 25-22 win in the second set. Houston matched the Vols point for point early in the set before falling behind 20-15. The Cougars answered with a 5-0 run to tie the score, 20-20. That would be all the momentum they needed as they took the lead on the next point and went on to win the set.

Houston came out of the break with the match tied 1-1 and battled to a 2-1 match lead. The Cougars played to a 3-3 tie and traded points with Tennessee before taking a 6-5 lead. UH held on to the slim lead and battled to a 25-23 third set victory.

 Tennessee jumped out to an early lead on the Cougars and never looked back, taking a 25-20 win in the fourth set.

After dropping the fourth set, Houston played to a 6-6 tie in the final set. After a service error by Nikki Brice broke the tie the Cougars’ favor, UH extended its lead to 13-7. A kill by Kelsey Robinson would pull the Volunteers within five, 13-8, but back-to-back kills by Charuk and Norris sealed the win.

UP NEXT
The Cougars will continue the season Sept. 9-10 at the UK Invitational on the campus of the University of Kentucky. The Cougars will open tournament playagainst West Virginia at 10 a.m. Friday and continue against Kentucky at 6 p.m. They will play a final match against Loyola Marymount at 4 p.m.

Lucy Charuk Named Candidate For 2011 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award

UH Senior One Of 30 Finalists For Prestigious Award

Houston – University of Houston middle blocker Lucy Charuk was named one of 30 NCAA® women’s volleyball student-athletes selected as candidates today for the 2011 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition.

The Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

Lucy Charuk Nomination Bio

CLASSROOM:

Lucy Charuk is a member of the University of Houston College of Technology and will earn a degree in Consumer Sciences and Merchandising. Entering her senior season she needs 15 hours to complete her degree and plans to graduate in the spring of 2012. During the spring 2011 semester, Lucy contributed to the team’s 3.37 GPA by completing 18 hours with a 3.49 GPA. In addition to her strong performance in the classroom, Lucy is also an extremely talented artist.

CHARACTER:

From head coach Molly Alvey:

In my one year with Lucy, she has shown an amazing development in leadership, character and personal motivation.  Leadership has been demanded of her from the staff, and she has emerged as both a leader by example and vocally.  Her personality has poured out whilegaining confidence and strength from her role on the team. 

Her weakest area of leadership was evident in her studies.  She made it a priority to get on track academically and show her team her level of commitment to it.  After one semester, she jumped to a 3.49 GPA, only one hundredth of a point from the Dean’s List.  In turn, she has shared this experience with her teammates and has posed as an example to them of what motivation can produce.  This lesson, coming from a peer is invaluable to a team and translates to experiences both on and off the court.  She is the centerpiece to thisteam and every player recognizes her in this role.  She is the friend,enforcer, team organizer, mentor, leader, and captain within this program.

COMMUNITY:

During the past year Lucy has served as an Emerging Leader in the Cougar Pride Leadership Academy. The Emerging Leader program is designed for selected sophomore andjunior student-athletes and provides current and future team captains with insights, strategies and skills necessary to become effective leaders on their team, on campus and in the community.

In addition, Lucy makes regular visits to Texas Children’s Hospital with her teammates to visit with patients. She also assisted at Camp Lawrenz, which was held at Spring Woods Middle School in Houston. The camp’s purpose is to raise interest and focus for cancer research, especially lung and breast cancer. The camp is named for Dawn Lawrenz, a coach and physical educator who passed away in 2007 from complications from lung cancer. Lucy also volunteers in the summer at the Texas Wildlife Rehabilitation Coalition feeding birds.

During her summer playing with the Canadian National Team, Lucy participated in Sneakers In Motion. It was a campaign to raise awareness of the importance of physical activity.

COMPETITION:

Lucy is a decorated volleyball player at the University of Houston. During her three-year career Lucy has been named to the All-Conference USA First Team as a sophomore and junior. In addition she is a two-time AVCA All-American Honorable Mention and an AVCA Midwest All-Region Team selection. During the summer of 2011, Lucy traveled to Canada and earned a spot on the Canadian Senior National Team where she competed in the Pan-American Cup in Chihuahua, Mexico.

The 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, and those 10named will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans who will select one finalist who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition. The winner will be announced during the 2011 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship, which will be played December 15 and 17 in San Antonio.

Women’s Volleyball Candidates

Rachael Adams, Middle Blocker, Texas

Kendall Bateman, Setter, Southern California

Suzy Boulavsky, Right Side/Opposite Hitter, Oklahoma

Michelle Burow, Middle Blocker, Northern Iowa

Lane Carico, Outside Hitter, Miami (Fla.)

KellieCatanach, Setter, Duke

Lucy Charuk, Middle Blocker, Houston

KananiDanielson, Outside Hitter, Hawaii

SophiaDunworth, Middle Blocker/Outside Hitter, Duke

KaylieGibson, Libero, North Carolina

Sarah Havel, Middle Blocker, College of Charleston

Kim Hill, Middle Blocker/Opposite Hitter, Pepperdine

Kristin Hoffman, Setter, Northern Illinois

Mary Elizabeth Hooper, Setter, Wichita State

Alex Hunt, Outside Hitter, Michigan

Kayla Jeter, Outside Hitter, Tennessee

KelseyJewasko, Libero, Texas-San Antonio

Liz McArthur, Outside Hitter, Utah State

Kelly Murphy, Setter/Right Side, Florida

Tarah Murrey, Outside Hitter, California

Dana Powell, Outside Hitter, Southern Methodist

Darlene Ramdin, Outside/Middle Hitter, St. John’s (NY)

Jenilee Rathje, Outside/Middle Blocker, Michigan State

StaceySchmidt, Right Side/Middle Blocker, UC Santa Barbara

Tanya Schmidt, Middle Blocker, Santa Clara

Betsy Sedlak, Middle Blocker, UC Davis

KelseaSeymour, Setter, Southern Mississippi

ReginaThomas, Middle Blocker, Mississippi

HannahVeith, Middle Blocker, Robert Morris

Vineece Verdun, Middle Blocker, Georgia State

ABOUT THE AWARD

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty andAchievement for Staying in School^®, the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award honors the attributes of senior student-athletes in four areas: community, classroom, character and competition. The award program is designed exclusively for college seniors who are utilizing their complete athletic eligibility, remaining committed to their university and pursuing the many rewards a senior season can bring. The award is sponsored by Lowe's, an official Corporate Partner of the NCAA, and is managed by Premier Sports Management. 

Volleyball To Host Exhibition Match Against Israeli National Team

First Serve Set For 7 p.m.

 The University of Houston volleyball team will play host to the Israeli National Team in an exhibition match on Wednesday at the Athletics/Alumni Center. First serve is set for 7 p.m.

 Fans can follow all of the action by going to the Gametracker link at UHCougars.com. In addition, a live broadcast of the match will be available through the All-Access site. Jeremy Branham and Kelsey King will be calling the action.

 Following the match, the Houston Cougars and the Israeli National Team will sign autographs for fans in attendance.

 Houston is coming off a 3-0 start to the season at the Flo Hyman Collegiate Classic. Junior Stephanie Nwachukwu averaged double-digit kills in the three matches while being named the tournament MVP. Junior Katie Norris and freshman Natalie Keck were also named to the All-Tournament Team.

 The Israeli National Team was in Austin last weekend, playing in the Burnt Orange Classic. While at the tournament,they faced Ole Miss, Pepperdine and Texas, going 2-1. The Israeli National Team was swept, 3-0, in a rematch against Texas on Monday.

 Before the match against the Cougars,the Israeli National Team will travel to College Station, Texas for an exhibition match tonight against Texas A&M.  

ABOUT THE ISRAELI NATIONAL TEAM

Three years ago Dr. Arie Selinger gathered 20 outstanding volleyball players from national league teams to create the Israeli National Team. The team was designed with the aim of promoting volleyball in Israel while striving to become integrated on the European and global levels, promote excellence in Israeli women’s sport and create a role model for girls, teenagers and women. The team holds daily training at Wingate Institute in addition to participating in training and exhibition matches in Israel’s outlying areas.

ARIE SELINGER AND THE HOUSTON COUGARS

In addition to coaching the Israeli National Team, Selinger served as the coach of the USA National Team from 1975-84. In 1984, three Cougar All-Americans, Rita Crockett, Flo Hyman and Rose Magers, led the USA National Team to a Silver medal at the 22^nd Olympiad in Los Angeles. Prior to the 1984 Olympics, the USA National Team spent a great deal of time in the Houston area, training on the campus of the University of Houston.

Volleyball Perfect In Flo Hyman Collegiate Cup, Defeat UCA 3-1

Junior Stephanie Nwachukwu Named Tournament MVP

The University of Houston volleyball team remained perfect following the first weekend of the 2011 season after a 3-1 win over Central Arkansas in the final game of the Flo Hyman Collegiate Cup Saturday night at the Athletics/Alumni Center. With the win Houston starts the season 3-0 for the first time since 2002.

"This weekend was absolutely fabulous," head coach Molly Alvey said. "We put together this tournament knowing what we could go 3-0 or we could go 0-3 because there were three solid teams here this weekend. It is a great set up for next week but our competition is going to have a completely different look so we still have a lot of work to do."

After winning all three games of the tournament, junior Katie Norris and freshman Natalie Keck were named to the All-Tournament Team, while junior Stephanie Nwachukwu was named the tournament MVP. Here is the picture of our Lady Cougar All Tournament Team.

"Stephanie played lights out," Alvey added. "One thing that she's been working on is just being consistent, so instead of hitting .800 one match and .150 in another we just want her to be in the middle and I'd say she did that since she hit almost .400 every single match. She was unbelievable."
Norris finished the night with a game-high 16 kills and nine digs. Nwachukwu added 15 kills on a .370 hitting percentage.

Houston scored the first three points of the opening set and never looked back. Despite a 5-5 tie early in the contest, Houston held all the control. The Cougars extended their lead to 17-10, prompting a timeout from the UCA bench. Out of the break, UH allowed just four points to take the first set 25-14.
Nwachukwu led the way with four kills, while Norris, senior Ingrida Zauere and junior Chandace Tryon added three each.

After falling behind early in the second set, Houston battled back to tie the score, 8-8. The Cougars traded scores with the Sugar Bears before taking a 15-14 lead into a Central Arkansas timeout. UCA scored the first two points out of the break, but a Nwachukwu kill tied it 16-16. After breaking the deadlock, Central Arkansas pulled away and took a 21-17 lead. But just as it had all weekend, Houston battled back to within one, 21-20, before falling short 25-21.

Tryon and senior Lucy Charuk combined for six kills for the Cougars in the second set.

Alvey used the extended break to regroup her squad. They came out of the locker room for the third set and jumped out to a 10-4 lead. A Sugar Bear timeout was quickly called, and the Cougars continued to extend its lead out of the break. UCA was able to get within 17-12, but Houston played solid volleyball and took a 22-15 lead into a second UCA timeout. Central Arkansas scored the first points off the bench, but Houston allowed just one more point the rest of the way to take a 25-17 win.

Norris paced the Cougars in the third set with eight kills, while Nwachukwu connected for six kills. Behind the efforts of Norris and Nwachukwu, Houston posted a .400 hitting percentage in the third set.
Houston came storming off the bench in the fourth set to take an 8-4 lead, and the Sugar Bear bench quickly called a timeout. The Cougars came out of the break to go on an 8-1 run, extending their lead to 16-5. UCA cut the deficit to single digits, 20-15, but Houston kept them at bay and won the set, 25-19.

The Cougars will be back in action Aug. 31 for an exhibition match against the Israeli National Team. First serve is set for 7 p.m.