Tulane University
Southern Illinois
Early Deficits Too Much for Volleyball Versus SIU
Sep 3, 2011 | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 3, 2011
Box Score (PDF) | Season Statistics (PDF)
NEW ORLEANS - The Tulane volleyball team fell behind early on in each set and Southern Illinois never relinquished their leads in a three-set sweep of the Green Wave in the finale of the Allstate Sugar Bowl Collegiate Classic. Tulane dropped the three-set decision by scores of 23-25, 10-25, 18-25 and finished in a tie for third place at the weather shortened event.
In the opening set, Southern Illinois built a 3-0 early lead on kills from Laura Thole and Jessica Whitehead and a service ace from Rachael Brown. The Green Wave would trail by as many as six points, at 22-16, but rallied to cut that deficit to one points at 24-23. A Whitehead kill made it 24-19 - giving SIU set point - but an Azarri Badawi posted a kill, Cori Martone added a pair of kills and the Green Wave defense forced an attacking error to trim that lead to one point, but Whitehead collected the final kill to give the Salukis the opening set, 25-23.
Grace Weaver was the lone bright spot in the second set for the Green Wave, collecting four kills in the frame, but eight Tulane errors allowed Southern Illinois to race out to a 15-5 lead early in the match. An Olivia Utt kill cut the Salukis lead to 15-6, but SIU would close the set on a 10-5 run and claim the set, 25-10. The SIU offense was very efficient in the second set, hitting .417 (11K-1E-24TA) as a team, and their tough play at the net forced the Green Wave into a -.081 hitting clip (7K-10E-37TA).
Tulane fell behind 3-0 again in the final set and Southern Illinois eventually built a 10-5 lead, in large part thanks to four errors by the Green Wave. A pair of Saluki errors and kills combined with kills from Badawi, Milica Jovic and Weaver pulled the home team within two points at 12-10. Southern Illinois would push their lead to six points, 23-17, late in the match and, after a service error, back-to-back SIU kills ended the first frame at 25-18.
Weaver led the way for Tulane with seven kills and a team-best .208 attacking percentage, with Cori Martone chipping in six kills on her way to All-Tournament team honors. Thole and Whitehead each had 14 kills to pace the Saluki attack - which finished the match with a .340 hitting percentage - and their blocking efforts held the Tulane attack to just a .093 attacking clip. Nikki Osuna had a match-high 16 digs and Martone tied for the match-high with three clocks.
San Diego State and Southern Illinois tied for the team championships with identical 1-1 records, with the two teams not meeting head-to-head, and each won five sets and lost three during their stay at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Collegiate Classic. The All-Tournament team was as follows,
Laura Thole, Southern Illinois (MVP)
Alysia Mayes, Southern Illinois
Paije Pearson, San Diego State
Johnna Fouch, San Diego State
Cori Martone, Tulane
Celine Alasomuka, William & Mary
The Green Wave will be in action next on Thursday, September 8 when they travel to Boca Raton, Fla. to take on Florida Atlantic at 4:30 p.m. Central time. A match versus FIU in Miami, Fla. will follow on Friday, September 9 at 6:30 Central time.
Season tickets for the 2011 volleyball season are currently available through the Tulane Ticket office for just $55 for the entire 16-game home schedule. Single game tickets are being sold, as well, and can be purchased by contacting the Tulane Ticket Office at 504-861-WAVE or visiting the Tulane Team Shop inside the James Wilson, Jr. Center between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday.
--TulaneGreenWave.com--
