PREVIEW: Cougars Head to The Bahamas to Play in Paradise Invitational

NASSAU, The Bahamas – The University of Houston Volleyball team travels to The Bahamas to compete in the inaugural Paradise Invitational inside Baha Mar Convention Center this weekend.

The Cougars open the tournament at 10:30 a.m. CT against #14 Purdue. From there, Houston will compete against the winner/loser of #3 Kentucky-#8 SMU at Noon or 4 p.m. CT.

Sunday's Noon match can be seen on ESPN2 while the 4 p.m. will air on ESPN.

The tournament features four teams, one from each of the ACC, SEC, Big 10 and Big 12.

Paradise Invitational
vs Purdue	Saturday, Sept. 12 \| 10:30 a.m. CT Nassau, The Bahamas \| Baha Mar Live Stats coming soon \| Tickets \| Watch
vs Kentucky/SMU	Sunday, Sept. 13 \| Noon CT / 4 p.m. CT Nassau, The Bahamas \| Baha Mar Live Stats coming soon \| Tickets \| ESPN or ESPN2

LAST TIME OUT
Houston swept Lamar (25-16, 25-17, 25-15) in its fourth straight win at the Fertitta Center on Tuesday night. The Cougars limited the Cardinals to a 0.58 hit percentage and set a new season high in service aces (10).

QUICK HITS

Thirteen (13) of Houston's 18 players are newcomers, including eight transfers and five freshmen.
Six of those eight transfers are from Power Four schools, including three from the SEC. Those three are setter Kalei Edson (Auburn), and a pair of outside hitters Kamille Gibson (Oklahoma) and Sydney Jones (Tennessee).
Head Coach David Rehr enters his eighth season in charge of the Cougars. In his time with Houston, he's posted a 128-81 record, including a 73-47 record in conference play.
Assistant Coach Dylan Ross returns to Houston following a six-year stint as a head coach at his alma mater Loras College, where he led the Duhawks to the DIII Men's Volleyball Championship Elite Eight in 2024.
The Cougars return 22% of kills, 6% of assists, 28% of digs and 28% of blocks from the 2025 season.
Nine Cougars claim the state of Texas as their home with four hailing from the greater Houston area.
Houston's schedule provides a challenge with eight opponents reaching the NCAA Tournament a year ago and four playing in the regional semifinals.
The Cougars rank second in the Big 12 and 13^th nationally in hitting percentage (.306)
Setter Kalei Edson ranks second in the Big 12 in assists per set (10.62)
Outside hitter Sydney Jones sits fourth in the Big 12 in kills per set (4.23)
Edson's 55 assists against Wake Forest (Aug. 29) ties for the most assists in a match among Big 12 players

SERIES HISTORY
COOGS vs. Purdue

All-time: Purdue leads series 7-2
Sets: 7-19
In Houston: Purdue leads 2-0
In West Lafayette: N/A
Neutral: Purdue leads 5-2
Last meeting: Houston Lost 0-3 | Lexington, Ky. | Sept. 13, 2025
Houston Streak: L2
Rehr's UH career vs. Purdue: 0-2
UH's Last 5: LLWLL
Houston's Longest Win Streak: 1
Houston's Longest Losing Streak: 5

COOGS vs. Kentucky

All-time: Kentucky leads series 11-3
Sets: 14-31
In Houston: Kentucky leads 7-1
In Lexington: Kentucky leads 3-1
Neutral: Tied 1-1
Last meeting: Houston lost 0-3 | Lexington, Ky. | Sept. 14, 2025
Houston Streak: L3
Rehr's UH career vs. Kentucky: 0-2
UH's Last 5: LLLWL
Houston's Longest Win Streak: 1
Houston's Longest Losing Streak: 4

COOGS vs. SMU

All-time: SMU leads series 24-19
Sets: 76-86
In Houston: Houston leads 10-9
In Dallas: SMU leads 15-8
Neutral: Houston leads 1-0
Last meeting: Houston Lost 1-3 | Dallas, Texas | Sept. 14, 2024
Houston Streak: L1
Rehr's UH career vs. SMU: 5-3
UH's Last 5: LWWWL
Houston's Longest Win Streak: 7
Houston's Longest Losing Streak: 6

SUPPORT YOUR COOGS
Fans can make a direct impact on the success of Houston Volleyball by providing NIL opportunities or by joining the Point Houston Club which provides financial support directly to Houston Volleyball for needs beyond its operating budget.

STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarVB on X, formerly known as Twitter, and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at UHCougarVB. Fans also can follow the team on Instagram at @UHCougarVB.

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