Graduate students at Rice University are proving that academic rigor and Division I athletics can go hand in hand. This season, six members of the Rice Owls women’s soccer team are also pursuing graduate degrees, balancing coursework with competition on the field.
Midfielder Kallie McKinney graduated in just three years with a business degree and is now enrolled in Rice’s one-year Master of Accounting program. She said the mix of academics and athletics motivates her to excel.
“Rice is the best place to be,” McKinney said. “You get motivated students and athletes who work hard, so it pushes you to do the same in the classroom and on the field.”
Olivia Duvall, a transfer from Wake Forest, is completing a visiting post-baccalaureate program while preparing for medical school. She said Rice offered the ideal combination of athletics and proximity to the Texas Medical Center.
“I wanted a school that checked my boxes, athletically and academically,” Duvall said. “Rice was the obvious choice.”
Forward Mariana Elizondo, from Monterrey, Mexico, earned dual undergraduate degrees in business and sport management at Rice before starting the accounting master’s program.
“I came into Rice because I wanted high academics and high athletics,” Elizondo said. “Here, it’s the best of both worlds.”
Graduate students in Master of Business Administration programs are also contributing to the team. Taylor Rish and Piper Biziorek are both enrolled in Rice’s MBA program. Rish said she chose Rice because it allowed her to continue playing soccer while earning a degree that will benefit her future career.
“Rice was probably the best of both worlds I could get, soccer-wise and school-wise,” Rish said.
Biziorek said the MBA provides her with tools she hopes to use to run a business one day.
“It was really important for me to get a master’s,” she said. “Most people wait until later in their careers, but to do it while playing soccer is incredible.”
Among the standout graduate athletes is Leah Chancey, a master’s student in data science who was named the 2024 American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year.
Head coach Brian Lee said Rice’s graduate programs have been a key factor in attracting top players.
“We’ve had 12 grad students come through, and six have been all-conference,” Lee said. “Rice grad programs are so attractive that we’ve been able to recruit some of the best players in the country.”
Lee said he hopes more graduate students at Rice, nearly half of the university’s student population, will support the team this season.
“Come on out and see college soccer,” he said. “There’s nothing like it anywhere else in the world.”
The Owls play their home games at Holloway Field, with several Thursday night and Sunday matches scheduled this fall.
All current and active Rice students receive free admission to all athletic events on campus. Students can gain admission to events simply by presenting their current and valid student ID at the student gate entrance at all venues and receive access to the General Admission seating areas.