No. 15 Sand Volleyball Opens 2015 Season This Friday
Mar 4, 2015 | Women's Beach Volleyball
NEW ORLEANS - The Tulane sand volleyball program will open its 2015 season this Friday, when the Green Wave head to Tucson for the Arizona Invitational. The two-day event features dual matches against LSU, Arizona State, TCU and No. 16 Arizona.
The Green Wave will attempt to capture their first program victories over Arizona and Arizona State, after facing both for the first time last year, dropping, 5-0, and 3-2 decisions, respectively. On the flip side, Tulane will look to remain unblemished against in-state foe LSU, previously 2-0 against the Tigers after consecutive victories in 2014.
The Wave square off with the Tigers first on Friday at Noon CT, followed by Arizona State at 4 p.m. Tulane then battles TCU on Saturday at 2 p.m., before wrapping invitational play vs No. 16 Arizona at 5:30 p.m.
"I know the players are relieved we'll finally be able to compete against another team," Tulane head coach Wayne Holly said. "We're going into this event really excited and hopeful that we'll perform to the level of our ability, and that's exactly what I expect."
Sand volleyball enters its fourth year of existence at Tulane and second under head coach Wayne Holly. Last season, the Green Wave produced an 8-7 overall record and 3-0 mark at home. In addition, junior Jackie Wegner and sophomore Tea Juric were the first pairs team from Tulane to qualify for the AVCA College Sand Volleyball National Championship.
The Olive and Blue return eight of 11 letter-winners from last year's squad, including the Wegner/Juric combo that finished with the most wins in 2014 at 19-15 overall. The duo also tied returnees junior Courtney Liddle and sophomore Hannah Holmes with 8-7 dual records. Also returning to the fold are senior Grace Weaver and sophomores Annie Shurtz, Miah Diirell and Sarah Strasner.
Infusing youth and giving the 2015 lineup a boost will be the four-member freshmen class of Lan Nguyen (Won the Interscholastic Beach Volleyball League Pairs Championship in 2013), Christina McAfee (2014 AVCA High School All-America Honorable Mention), Madeline Mertz (Won the AAU U18 Beach Volleyball National Championship this past summer) and Liz Hurring (Finished in the top-5 in assists in Mississippi in last three seasons).
"We're really expecting this team to accomplish a lot of great things, and not just in terms of results," Holly stated. "We've already grown tremendously as a team. It's been a priority for us to develop a culture of togetherness and appreciation and love for the game. I really credit the players with growing a lot in the two months we've had to train since Jan. 12."
This weekend marks the start of a 2015 slate that features 28 dual matches spanning six tournaments. The 15th-ranked Green Wave will also look to topple six different opponents this season ranked inside DiG Magazine's Top-20.
After this weekend, the Olive and Blue return for their lone home tournament of the season - the Tulane Pelican Classic, March 13-14, at Coconut Beach in Kenner.
