Maria Garza-Lennon recruited Rice long before her daughter Nicole was recruited to be a volleyball player for the Owls.
“I think a lot of Rice kids have one of those moms who are just super into their kid’s academic life,” Nicole Lennon said. “And my mom always knew living in Houston that Rice was a premier academic institution. She introduced me to Rice when I was very young and she always strove for me to go here.”
Lennon, a senior, has taken advantage of the opportunities Rice has provided. The economics and psychology double major has also taken off on the court as a dominant outside hitter. She currently ranks second in career kills among active players in the NCAA.
“This has really been the happiest time in my life,” she said. “My teammates are my best friends. I think that's my favorite thing about playing a sport at Rice is the relationships that I built with the girls that are on my team. I'm not ready to leave them.”
While her mom may have started her on the path to Rice, Lennon’s own goals for her time on campus have been achieved.
“The three main things I wanted coming into college were getting a good degree, being in a competitive athletic program — I'm glad that in the time that I came here, every one of my teammates was so motivated to succeed and to prove ourselves, so we got that too — and I really wanted to make lifelong friends,” she said.