Next Up: Tip to South Beach Awaits Volleyball
Sep 7, 2011 | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 7, 2011
Season Statistics | Conference USA Weekly Release
9/8/2011 - 9/9/2011
Tulane Green Wave at FAU Owls (Boca Raton, Fla.)
Tulane Green Wave at FIU Panthers (Miami, Fla.)
Start Times: 4:30p.m. & 6:30 p.m.
Looking at the Green Wave
After splitting a pair of matches in the Allstate Sugar Bowl Collegiate Classic - which was shortened due to Tropical Storm Lee - the Green Wave will hit the road for a pair of matches in South Florida. The Olive and Blue enter the weekend with a 3-3 overall record on the season and will look to find a bit of consistency on the court.
Consistency has been a bugaboo for the Green Wave over the last two seasons and last weekend was a microcosm of that. After claiming a hard-fought five set victory over San Diego State - who was receiving votes in the AVCA Top-25 - they dropped a three-set decision to Southern Illinois. The loss to SIU dropped them from potential tournament champions into a tie for third place.
Cori Martone was honored as one of the five members named to the Allstate Sugar Bowl Collegiate Classic All-Tournament Team. The sophomore posted 26 kills in two starts and posted an attacking percentage of .300. She added five assists and nine blocks, while pacing the team with 32 total points inn eight sets played. Of her 26 kills, 20 of them came versus the Aztecs on Friday evening and she chipped in five blocks - one solo - in the team's home opener.
Freshman Anna Wruck continues to lead the team in kills and blocks this season. The rookie has started all six matches and has 37 kills in 20 sets played, but her play at the net on defense has been, maybe, her biggest addition to the team. Wruck has 21 total blocks - two solo and 19 blocking assists - to pace the team and rank seventh in Conference USA with a 1.05 blocks per-set average.
Martone peppers the C-USA rankings entering the third weekend of play, ranking among the top ten in four of the six major categories. The Baton Rouge, La. native sits fourth on the service aces charts (0.44 saps), eight in blocks (1.00 bps) and hitting percentage (.338) and is tenth in kills (3.18 kps).
Scouting the Owls
This should have been FAU's second match versus a Conference USA opponent, but Hurricane Irene canceled their trip to the East Carolina Classic. Last weekend, the Owls played three matches, losing all three by scores of 3-0, as part of the Campus USA Credit Union Invite hosted by the University of Florida. Their three losses came at the hands of Clemson, host Florida and Jacksonville.
Their offense was limited to just a .028 hitting percentage in three matches last weekend. Thacilli Pereira led the attack with 20 kills and Georgia Robinson added 16 kills. On the flip side of things, FAU's opponents are attacking at a .324 clip and the Owls front line has just 11 blocks in nine sets of play. Opponents have 118 kills, over 50 kills more than the Owls have, and are averaging almost two blocks per set.
Scouting the Panthers
The Panthers posted a 2-2 record last weekend at the Blue Raider Bash, bookending losses to Auburn and Missouri with victories over Austin Peay and East Tennessee State. Overall on the season, FIU owns a 4-3 record and is attacking at a .233 clip and limiting their opponents to just a .181 hitting percentage.
Jovana Bjelica has played in all 24 sets this season and leads the team with 106 kills, while ranking third on the team with 15 blocks and 56 digs. Bjelica is the only player with over 100 kills this season for the Panthers, with Andrea Lakovic posting 56 kills and Sabrina Gonzalez having 55 kills to rank second and third on the team, respectively. Libero Chanel Araujo leads the team with 93 digs - averaging 4.43 digs per set - to lead the team and setter Renele Forde has handed out 207 assists on the season.
--TulaneGreenWave.com--
