Senior outside hitter Katie Corelli with redshirt senior setter Rebecca Rocassin in an NCAA volleyball tournament game in Houston on Sept. 5, 2024. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar
The Cougars went 1-1 in the Flo Hyman Classic during their first matchups inside the Fertitta Center for the 2024 season.
Match one
The Cougars hosted the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns in their first game of the Flo Hyman Classic on Thursday, Sept. 5.
The Ragin’ Cajuns matched the Cougars’ energy early in the first set, leaving them tied right before the first media timeout. At this point in the set, both teams sat at 14 points, 10 kills and a single block.
The Ragin’ Cajuns rallied with a 4-0 run to lead the Cougars 22-17 at the second media timeout.
The Cougars responded with an equally powerful run of their own, thanks to two aces from redshirt senior setter Rebecca Rocassin.
Despite a late push from Houston, Louisiana took set one 25-23.
The Cougars pulled away with an early 5-2 lead in the second set thanks to two kills by senior outside hitter Katie Corelli, assisted by graduate setter Annie Cooke.
Two strong kills by junior outside hitter Avery Shimaitis gave the Cougars a 19-14 lead and forced a Rajin’ Cajun timeout. Shimaitis’ three kills in the second set gave UH a 25-18 victory.
The Cougars continued their momentum in set three and stormed to an 8-3 lead over Louisiana.
Midway through the second set, a strong push from the Ragin’ Cajuns and some offensive miscues from Houston resulted in a tie at 11.
A kill by graduate outside hitter Angela Grieve broke the tie, followed by three consecutive kills by Corelli, which separated the Cougars from the Ragin’ Cajuns and gave them a 15-11 lead.
A strong block assist by Grieve and freshman middle blocker Addisyn Pohl closed out set three 25-20 victory for the Cougars.
The Cougars started strong and attempted to close out Louisiana in the fourth set. The Ragin’ Cajuns fought and tied the Cougars at 12 points a piece.
After the ninth tie of the set, the Cougars took a 15-13 lead, but Louisiana stormed back balancing the score at 19.
The Ragin’ Cajuns were not going down without a fight. They pushed through twelve ties to win the fourth set by two, forcing a winner-take-all set five.
Louisianna started the fifth set on fire and took a commanding 9-5 lead over the Cougars.
After a kill by freshman outside hitter Lily Barron, the Ragin’ Cajuns went on a 6-0 run to close out the Cougars in the final set.
Corelli led the Cougars with a career-high 20 kills and redshirt junior middle blocker Barakat Rahmon recorded a career-high, 10 kills.
Rocassin, Grieve and graduate libero Kate Georgiades recorded double-doubles on the evening.
Match two
Houston bounced back in a straight-set win against Northwestern State rounding out the Flo Hyman Classic on Saturday, Sept. 7.
UH took a 9-3 lead in the first set before the Lady Demons clawed their way back to just a two-point deficit. UH did not let their guard down and took the set 25-21.
Three straight Houston kills broke a 9-9 tie in the second set. Houston went on a 5-0 run with three kills from Barron to take a 20-14 lead.
Another lengthy run put Houston within one of taking the set, which they wrapped with a kill from Corelli.
The Cougars further asserted their dominance in the third set, scoring six straight points to take a 16-7 lead.
Three Houston points rounded out the set, giving Houston its 47th sweep during head coach David Rehr’s era.
Barron tallied 15 kills across the three sets, accounting for a third of Houston’s points.
Grieve recorded her 77th career double-digit kill match with 13.
Houston is now 3-1 on the season and will return to action with a match in Austin, Texas against No. 6 Texas on Sept. 11.
