Next Up: VB Hosts Senior Weekend
Nov 18, 2011 | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 18, 2011
Season Statistics | Conference USA Weekly Release
11/18/11 & 11/20/11
Tulane Green Wave hosts Houston Tigers and Rice Owls
Start Times: 7:00 (Friday), 1:00 (Sunday)
Vs. Houston: Houston Leads 24-10
Vs. Rice: Tied at 12-12
Looking at the Green Wave
The Olive and Blue are looking to snap a season-long five game losing streak when they opener a two-match weekend against Houston on Friday. Tulane dropped a 3-2 decision to Marshall on October 30 and since them have a pair of 3-0 losses against Tulsa, a 3-1 defeat at Memphis and a three-set loss at UAB on their record. Overall, the Green Wave enter the weekend at 9-19, which includes a 4-13 mark in Conference USA play.
Cori Martone averaged over four kills per-set last weekend, totaling 33 kills (4.71 kps) and 14 digs (2.00 dps) at Memphis and UAB. The sophomore now has 336 kills on the year, good for a 3.43 per-set average, to go along with 135 digs and 70 total blocks. She has surpassed the totals from her rookie season in kills, total attacks, assists, service aces and points.
Senior Nikki Osuna will play in her final collegiate home matches over the weekend and is closing in on a milestone that has been reached only twice before at Tulane. The Bellflower, Calif. native needs only 42 total digs in her final three matches of 2011 to become the second player in school history to record 500-plus digs in a single season. Osuna sits in fifth on the season charts with 458 digs, just 36 more to move into third, behind Jenn Miller who boasted 507 digs in 2006 and 609 in 2007.
Scouting the Cougars
Houston continues to be in contention for a second place finish in Conference USA, but will need to have a solid showing this weekend. The Cougars followed a six game winning streak with a 1-5 record in their last six contests, putting their record at 17-10 overall and 10-7 in C-USA play. UH took a 3-1 decision against Tulane in their first meeting in Houston.
Lucy Charuk is having a solid junior season in the middle, leading Conference USA in attacking percentage (.397), while ranking second in total blocks (147), fifth in total points (433.5) and ninth in total kills (338). Setter Caitlin Ogletree has been among the best rookies in the conference this season, ranking fifth in assists per-set (10.75) and total assists (1140). Houston has just one senior on their squad this season, losing only defensive specialist Krysta DeAngelis, and complement Charuk with juniors Katie Norris (314 kills), Stephanie Nwachukwu (235 kills) and Chandace Tyron (234 kills).
Scouting the Owls
Rice enters the weekend in a two-way tie for second place in Conference USA with an 11-6 mark in conference play. The Owls are 16-12 overall and tied with UAB for the second spot in C-USA and enter the weekend 3-1 over their last four matches, with their only loss coming against conference leading Tulsa.
Junior Nancy Cole is one of the top scorers in the conference this season, ranking eighth in points per-set (3.96 pps). The middle blocker also sits among the league leaders in attacking percentage (.323, 7th), kills (3.22, 10th) and blocks (1.01, 11th). Megan Murphy guides the offense with 10.81 assists per-set, ranking fourth in C-USA, and Megan White is the defensive stalwart on the squad with 4.31 digs per-set, sitting eighth on the conference charts.
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