Green Wave Volleyball Year in Review
Jun 21, 1999 | Women's Volleyball
NEW ORLEANS - The 1998 Tulane volleyball season was highlighted by individual achievement, that rewrote the Tulane record books, and laid the ground work for seasons to come. An overall record of 6-26, 2-14 in Conference play, does not reflect the effort and ability of the Green Wave squad. Between all of the players, 14 new records were added to the books, including three schools records in the catagories of assists, kills, and digs in a single match. With seniors Jill Fayard and Liz Kritza in front, the Wave rolled through the 1998 season.
Tulane started the 1998 season on the road, for the fourth season in a row, with a match at McNeese State followed by the United States Air Force Falcon Invitational in Colorado Springs, Co. Against McNeese, sophomore Liz Gruns recorded a school record for digs in a single match with 32, and Fayard recorded a career record for attacks in a single match with 68. After losing the first match of the season to the Cowgirls in five games, the Green Wave boarded a plane to Colorado. While at the 1998 Air Force Falcon Invitational, the Wave split four matches, defeating Nicholls State and East Carolina, and losing to the US Air Force Academy and Stephen F. Austin. Against East Carolina the squad recorded a season-high 32 blocks. Fayard was the only player from Tulane named to the all-tournament team. Back in New Orleans, the 98 home opener awaited the Green Wave.
The 1998 "Fill Fogelman" extravaganza marked the first home match for the Green Wave. With instate rival Louisiana State as the oppponent, a volleyball record crowd of 2686 fans piled into Fogelman Arena to watch the event. Tulane came on strong and defeated the Tigers in the first game 15-12, but lost the next three 7-15, 11-15, 7-15.
The weekend of September 11th was the weekend for Tulane to host the annual Kathy Trosclair Invitational. Traditionally, the tournament has been played in Fogelman Arena, but due to flooding caused by a tropical depression , the matches were moved to the Reily Student Center. This season's participants included Georgia State, Boise State, Louisiana Tech and the US Air Force Academy. Tulane went 0-3 in the invitational placing one player, Jill Fayard, on the all-tournament team. Boise State was the 1998 Kathy Trosclair Invitational Champions.
Tulane continued the 1998 campaign across town at the University of New Orleans before facing their first Conference USA opponent Southern Miss. Tulane was defeated by New Orleans in five games marking the first of two disappointing losses to the cross town rival. Sophomore Kim Sentmore recorded her first-ever triple-double match with 14 kills, 11 assists, a career high, and 10 digs. At Fogelman Arena, Tulane fell to Southern Miss in three games by the scores of 8-15, 15-17, 14-16. During the match, sophomore Liz Gruns suffered a severe sprain in her right ankle which caused her to miss the following four matches.
As the 2-9 Tulane Green Wave quickly approach the middle of the 1998 season they were despeatly trying to snap a six match losing streak. The Green Wave played it longest match during the seaosn against the Ragin Cajuns of Southwestern Louisiana. After two hours and 55 minutes of play, the Ragin Cajuns came out on top winning in five games. Despite the loss, freshman setter Jennifer Witte broke the school record for assists in a single match recording 84, Jill Fayard put down a program high 34 kills, and Kim Sentmore tied the school record for digs in a single match with 32. Junior Linda Hallberg recorded a career-high 15 digs, while senior Liz Kritza hit a career high 47 attacks and freshman Erin Dobyanski hit a career high 21 attacks.
Next on the Green Wave's schedule was a duel with C-USA rival South Florida, but with Hurricane Georges looming off of the coast of Florida, Tulane made plans to reschedule this match and decided to travel directly to Houston for that match-up. After losing to Houston, the team was stranded in Texas for an extra two days while they waited for the New Orleans International Airport to re-open after the city was brushed by Hurricane Georges. With the loss to Houston, the Wave tied the longest losing-streak in the program's history, eight matches, which was recorded in 1997.
Upon returning to New Orleans, Tulane took on instate rival Southern and snapped their losing streak at eight. The Green Wave held the Jaguars to a hitting percentage of .014, and added their third win of the season in just three games.
The Green Wave began the month of October with three conference losses to Memphis, University of Alabama-Birmingham and DePaul before snagging their first C-USA victory over Marquette at home. The middle of October was marked by four road matches against LSU, UNC- Charlotte, Saint Louis and Southern. Tulane went 1-3 on this stretch, once again defeating Southern. Against Southern, Erin Dobyanski served six aces, a career best, leading the team to a season team high of 15 service aces in a single match.
Rounding out the month of October, were one victory, three losses and an injury. Tulane dropped the three matches to nationally ranked Louisville, Cincinnati and New Orleans before finishing the month with their second C-USA victory over UAB in Birmingham, 15-8, 12-15, 15-8, 15-13. Sophomore Ashley Reese suffered a season-ending injury in the heated match against UNO, partially tearing her ACL coming down from a block. With Reese out for the rest of the season, freshman Marie Schenebeck stepped up and filled the role of outside hitter for the Wave.
Tulane finished the final stretch of the regular season with five straight losses, before entering the 1998 Confernce USA Tournament as the 11th seed. In the first round of the 1998 tournament, Tulane faced the sixth seed Southern Miss. I what would be their last game of the season, Tulane fought hard taking the Golden Eagles to four games before losing, 6-15, 16-14, 12-15, 9-15. With defensive specialist Linda Hallberg on the bench due to a hip injury, Erin Dobyanski took over her position. Senior Liz Kritza led the Green wave witha career high, 17 kills, and totaled six blocks. Kim Sentmore followed with 16 kills, five blocks and 13 digs. Marie Schenebeck recorded a season high, 17 digs. Tulane ended the season with and overall record of 6-26 and 2-14 in conference play.
