Graduate libero Kate Georgiades pictured at a previous match. She completed her 45th career match with 20 or more digs against Omaha. | Oscar Herrera/The Cougar.
After a successful 2023 season, including an appearance in the NCAA Tournament and an 11-7 conference record in their first season in the Big 12, UH volleyball opened the 2024 season with high expectations. The Cougars went 2-0 in the Omaha Invite in Friday and Saturday matches in Omaha, Nebraska.
Match 1
The Cougars won the first game of the 2024 season with a road matchup against Omaha in five sets. Senior outside hitter Katie Correli led Houston with 14 kills, and graduate libero Kate Georgiades had a game-high 25 digs.
UH and Omaha traded points to start the match, with the Cougars taking control with a 6-2 run for a four-point lead. Omaha came back to made it 19-18, before Houston again went on a 6-2 run to take the first set 25-20.
Omaha dominated the second set and got a 21-12 lead. The Mavericks ended up taking the set 25-16.
The third set was a back-and-forth thriller. Houston and Omaha went back and forth and the Mavericks ended up with a 17-11 advantage. However, the Cougars tied it at 22. UH closed it out with a 3-1 finish and won the set on an ace, 25-23.
In the fourth set, Houston obtained the 17-14 lead, but the Mavericks came back to tie it at 23. Omaha earned the final two points to force a decisive fifth set.
In the fifth and deciding set, the Cougars roared to a 7-2 start as they stayed in control. Houston continued to lead, but Omaha fought back to cut the lead down to four, 11-7. UH won the next four points in a row to close out the game, and win the fifth and final set 15-7 after four straight attack errors by the Mavericks.
Georgiades led the match with 25 digs and Graduate setter Annie Cooke moved into a tie for fifth on Houston’s all-time service aces list.
Freshman outside hitter Lily Baron and middle blocker Addisyn Pohl made their collegiate debuts.
Match 2
The Cougars returned to action and defeated Washington State with a 3-1 win to remain undefeated this season.
Houston dominated during the match’s opening minutes, holding Washington state below a negative hitting percentage across three of four sets.
The opening frame saw Houston jump to 10-1. WSU attempted to slow the momentum by calling two timeouts but the red and white refused to let up, going on to claim the set 25-11.
WSU came alive in the second set keeping the score close, the frame tied at 5-5 before a Houston error gave away the lead 8-6. Head coach David Rehr’s team trailed closely behind the rest of the way, losing the set 25-18.
An initially close frame turned all Houston after a 4-0 run was used to take a 12-8 lead in the third set. UH put together a 5-0 run later in the set to put Washington State away 25-16.
WSU came out hot to start the fourth set, taking an early 4-2 lead. Houston battled back to tie the frame 5-5 before using yet another run to pull away for good, going on to win the frame 25-19.
Graduate Angela Grieve led the way for Houston posting 17 kills, and Corelli was not far behind, adding 14 kills.
Next, the Cougars will head home for the Flo Hyman Classic, where they will take on Louisiana inside the Fertitta Center on Thursday, Sept. 5.
