Volleyball Closes Regular Season Saturday vs UTEP
Nov 13, 2009 | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 13, 2009
NEW ORLEANS - The Tulane University volleyball team will close its 2009 regular season Saturday at Fogelman Arena in the Conference USA finale against the UTEP Miners at 1 p.m. Following the contest, Tulane will honor its five seniors: Rachel Lindelow, Jaye Loyd, Jenn Miller, Stephanie Stromath and Ksenija Vlaskovic.
At 16-8 overall and 11-4 in Conference USA, Tulane has locked up berth in the C-USA Tournament next week in Houston. The Green Wave currently sit in third place, one game behind 12-3 Tulsa. UTEP, however, at 4-11 in C-USA and 11-17 overall, sits on the outside looking in.
"We definitely want to finish strong at home against UTEP," head coach Sinisa Momic said. "We'll wait to see the outcome from Tulsa and SMU to see where out seeding will be, but we really want to finish strong at home for our seniors, gain momentum for the conference tournament, and then take the tournament a match at a time."
Earlier this season, the Green Wave defeated the Miners, 3-2, in a tight, five-set match in El Paso on Sept. 17. That match featured 32 ties and 12 lead changes before Tulane emerged with the victory by scores of 18-25,26-24,25-20,25-27,15-12.
In that meeting, senior setter Rachel Lindelow racked up 59 assists, as sophomore outside hitter Visnja Djurdjevic tallied 27 kills, senior outside Ksenija Vlaskovic and freshman middle blocker Marija Milosavljevic each posted 12.
UTEP enters the regular season final seventh in C-USA in hitting percentage at .204 (1222-542-3339). The Miners are the top blocking team in the conference, with 2.60 blocks per set.
This season, Tulane is averaging 13.6 kills per set, while swinging at a .226 clip (1221 kills, 480 errors on 3274 total attempts), which ranks fourth in C-USA. Djurdjevic paces the Green Wave with 4.23 kills per set, second in C-USA, while Vlaskovic is 11th in the conference with 3.26 per set. Lindelow is third in C-USA in assists with 10.88 per set. Miller checks in at ninth in C-USA in digs with 3.96 per set.
The Tulane senior class of Lindelow, Miller, and Vlaskovic have been a part of 87 victories and counting for the Green Wave, and have not finished out of the top three in C-USA. Stromath has chipped in 32 blocks in 33 matches the last three seasons after transferring into the program from Montana prior to 2007. Loyd has 111 digs and 32 assists this season after spending the previous three at the University of Tennessee.
Vlaskovic ranks third all-time in team history in kills with 1,475 entering Saturday's match. Miller ranks as Tulane's all-time digs leader with 1,936. Lindelow ranks fourth in Tulane history in assists with 3,038, and has 976 this season after splitting time in Tulane's two-setter system the last three years.
"This senior class the most successful in terms of what our team has done while they've been on the court for Tulane," Momic continued. "In their four years here, we've been in the top three of the conference every single year. Along with last year's class, they are the biggest reason why our program has been at the top of the conference, and why we've become a program with national recognition. They have done an amazing job as the program has grown over their time here at Tulane. And Jaye, while not being all four years, has help us this season immensely. She's played two roles for us, both as a setter and defensive specialist, and she's really done a great job. They will be tough to replace. We're going to miss them after this season."
For ticket information for the Wave's final home match, contact the Tulane Athletics Ticket Office. Tickets can be purchased in person on the first floor of the James W. Wilson, Jr. Center, over the phone at 504-861-WAVE or via the internet at www.TulaneGreenWave.com. Tickets can also be purchased on the day of the match at the ticket counter in Fogelman Arena.
