Oakland University Athletics

Rice enters her fourth season at the helm of Oakland Volleyball, after she was named Oakland University volleyball’s head coach on March 16, 2022 following six seasons with the Chippewas of Central Michigan.

Last season, OU posted an 8-22 record, ending the season with a reverse 3-2 sweep of eventual Horizon League Champion Wright State on Senior Day in the OUCU O'rena. Libero Emily Wichmann was tabbed All-Horizon Second Team and ranked fifth in the NCAA after the regular season in total digs (659). Wichmann, along with Tyler Linkhart, Rachel Rossman, and Ainsley Guse were named College Sport Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District after the 2024 season.

2023 saw one of Oakland Volleyball's best seasons in program history. Rice led the Golden Grizzlies to 17 regular season wins -- most since 2017 -- and a .611 win percentage in Horizon League matches. Wichmann was named the 2023 Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year along with All-League First Team honors -- the first Golden Grizzly to earn the postseason award since 2014. Patti Cesarini was named All-League Second Team, Gentry Brown was listed All-Freshman, and Anika Prisby was a finalist for the Horizon League Sportsmanship Award from the season. Cesarini, Wichmann, Rossman and Guse were named CSC Academic All-District for their work on the court and in the classroom.

Following her inaugural, 2022 season, Rice produced an All-Horizon League First Team honoree in Patti Cesarini who also took home the team's solo Horizon League All-Academic honor. The squad's 11-19 record included one of the largest upsets in NCAA Division I Volleyball, a 3-2 road victory over Green Bay, and the best team record (2-1) at the Kent State Invitational, Rice's alma mater. Under Rice's direction, four Golden Grizzlies were named CSC Academic-All District in Cesarini, Jessica Riedl, Madison Ross, and AnnaBelle Tomei. Ross eclipsed the 1,000-plus assist mark under Rice's tutelage. 

As the Associate Head Coach in Mount Pleasant, Rice primarily worked with recruitment of prospective student-athletes, scouting and analysis of opponents, forming a competitive schedule, and other responsibilities. During an abbreviated 2020 season, which saw the Chippewas play a shortened 22-game conference-only schedule, CMU finished 11-11 tying them for second place in the MAC West Division.
 
In 2019, the Chippewas won their first MAC West Division championship since 2003, finished 21-9, and advanced to the National Invitational Volleyball Championship for the program’s first postseason appearance since 2011. The 21 victories were the most for the program since 2007.

Rice served as an assistant coach at Toledo in 2014-15, and previously was an assistant at Michigan State and at Davenport. At Michigan State, Rice was part of a coaching staff that led the Spartans to back-to-back NCAA Sweet 16 appearances and she worked directly with All-American Alexis Mathews.

Rice served as the MAC representative on the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Assistant Coaches Committee from 2015-18 and  was selected by the NCAA in its Leadership Development Minority Coaches Forum in 2017. She was also named to the ABIS (Advancement Beyond in Sports) Volleyball Head Coach Watchlist in 2025.
 
She earned her bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology from Kent State in 2009 after being a four-year starter at middle blocker for the Flashes from 2005-08. Rice earned a Master of Science in administration with a concentration in leadership from Central Michigan in May 2020.

Rice is a native of Grand Rapids and a 2005 graduate of East Kentwood High School. She and her husband Bruce live in Oakland Township with their twin sons, Lennox and Spencer, and daughter Corinne. 

Year-by-Year Results

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Season	Overall	Conference	Finish	Postseason
2022	11-19	7-11	7th	N/A
2023	17-14	11-7	5th	N/A
2024	8-22	4-14	8th	N/A
Totals	33-55 (.388)	22-32 (.407)		0-0 (.000)