Tulane University
Charlotte
Volleyball Wins Fourth Straight, Defeats Charlotte 3-0
Sep 29, 2001 | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 29, 2001
NEW ORLEANS, La. - Junior outside hitter Britney Hurst (Baton Rouge, La.) had 15 kills and 15 digs, and the Green Wave defense limited Charlotte to a .008 attack percentage, as the Tulane University volleyball team defeated the 49ers, 3-0, in Conference USA action Saturday evening in Fogelman Arena.
Hurst hit .306 for the match with just four errors in 36 attempts, and freshman setter Katie Case (Naperville, Ill.) led the squad with a .455 attack percentage (7-2-11). With the victory, the Green Wave's fourth consecutive 3-0 win, Tulane improved to 10-5 on the season and 4-1 in C-USA play. Charlotte, meanwhile, fell to 7-6 overall and 1-3 in league activity.
"We often use the theme 'Sea of Galilee' where everyone is unselfish," head coach Betsy Becker said. "After a little research, we decided that we wanted to play like the Leopard Moray Eel. Its bite is very painful and it's very patient in attacking its pray. We had to play like eels tonight, be patient and persistent. I felt my staff properly prepared our team for anything that Charlotte might have tried against us tonight, and our team responded in a professional manner."
The Green Wave came out red-hot, jumping out to an early 10-5 lead, and never looked back throughout the match. Tulane had better statistics in nearly every category at the end of the match, but what Becker was most proud of was her team's consistent performance.
"We set the tone early and carried that momentum through the entire match," Becker said. "Even in rough spots, we maintained our composure and were able to sustain our high level of play. Our team capitalized on runs tonight. We made huge runs, and in rally scoring, that's going to deflate teams.
"And above all, I think our team played unselfishly, and a lot of credit goes not only to the players on the court, but also the seven players that push them every day in practice. I've always said as a coach that if your practices are already competitive, then your games are just a show. We proved that theory to be true this evening."
Case joined Hurst in the double-double category with a match-high 32 assists and a career-best 17 digs. Hurst was next in digs with 15, and senior middle hitter Erin Dobyanski (Alvin, Texas) chipped in12. Redshirt-freshman Anastasia Kenon (San Antonio, Texas) had 11 kills, while Dobyanski added eight and both Case and fellow freshman Deva Fowler (San Diego, Calif.) had seven.
Game one was all Green Wave as Tulane got up on the 49ers early and was able to push through to a 30-21 win. Game two was a different story, though.
Green Wave errors gave Charlotte a 2-0 lead to open the stanza, and the 49ers kept Tulane off balance throughout most of the game. But finding themselves on the wrong end of a 22-16 score, the Green Wave settled down, went on a 7-0 run to cut the lead to 22-21, tied the score at 25-all on a 49er miscue, and scored the final five points of the match to take the second stanza, 30-25.
Game three was a back-and-forth battle as the teams traded points early on. With the score tied at 6-6, Tulane went on a three-point run, but Charlotte would not go away as the score was tied at 14 midway through the game. Then, Tulane got into an offensive groove and went on a 15-1 run to put the game away en route to a convincing 30-17 win.
Kathleen Ramos led Charlotte with nine kills, followed by Courtney Burg with eight. Burg led the 49er defense with 15 digs, and Ramos added 11.
The Green Wave will return to action on Tuesday, Oct. 2, when Tulane travels to Baton Rouge, La., where it will take on the Lady Jaguars of Southern University at 7 p.m. The match will be the first of a five-contest road swing as the Green Wave will play at Southern Miss on Oct. 5, at Saint Louis on Oct. 12, at Memphis on Oct. 13 and at UNO on Oct. 16. Tulane's next home match is on Friday, Oct. 19, when the Green Wave takes on C-USA foe Marquette in the first day of "Parent's Weekend" in Fogelman Arena at 7 p.m.
