Tulane University
20-7, 8-4AAC
Houston
14-13, 1-11AAC
Volleyball Wins Eight Straight, Sweeps Houston on the Road
Nov 2, 2018 | Women's Volleyball
HOUSTON – Tulane volleyball extended its winning streak to eight conference matches on Friday night, defeating Houston in three sets (25-20, 26-24, 26-24) on the road.
"Houston plays hard and plays everyone close. We had a great effort tonight to win some close sets on the road. We will need to execute better on Sunday against SMU," head coach Jim Barnes said. "Kaylie [McHugh] did a great job tonight leading this team and anchoring our serve receive."
The Green Wave's eighth consecutive AAC win also marks the team's 12th sweep of the season. The last time the program had an eight-match winning streak and earned 12 sweeps was in 2013 in Conference USA play.
Junior right side hitter Erika Hansel continued to dominate the court offensively, tallying 12 kills to record her fourth consecutive match with double-digit kills. Sophomore outside hitter Lexie Douglas also had a strong presence on the court, adding nine total kills, while senior middle hitter Dayna Kern tallied eight with only one error to earn a .389 hitting percentage.
Junior libero Kaylie McHugh and freshman outside hitter Makala Heidelberg led the team defensively, each recording seven digs, while freshman setter Taylor Henigsman posted a team-high 19 assists.
Tulane recorded a .294 hitting percentage in the first set, holding Houston to .171. Kills from Douglas, Hansel and Kern started the match off for the Green Wave, putting the team ahead 4-1 early on. Tulane stayed ahead for the entire first set, with Hansel and freshman outside hitter Yvette Burcescu leading the way with four kills each. A kill from Burcescu closed out the first portion of the match, earning the Green Wave a 1-0 lead with a 25-20 score.
The second set was a tight race all the way until the end, with 12 tied scores, until the Green Wave ultimately pulled away with a 26-24 win. Sophomore outside hitter Lexie Douglas tallied six kills while hitting .500, giving the team an early 10-8 lead. A 5-1 run put the Cougars ahead with a 12-10 score, before another quick kill from Douglas tied it up at 12. Tied scores at 18, 19, 20 and 21 were broken when Tulane eventually took the lead, with a Houston attack error at set point giving the Green Wave a 2-0 advantage in the match.
A kill from Hansel and a service ace from McHugh gave the Green Wave an early 3-0 lead in set three before Houston went to tie it up at 4-4. A kill from Kern gave Tulane a five-point advantage with an 11-6 score before a 5-0 run from the Cougars closed the gap and made it a one-point game at 12-11. Tulane stayed ahead until Houston eventually tied it up at 23, but three consecutive kills from freshman middle hitter Kayla Dinkins, Hansel and Kern finished it out for the Green Wave to avoid a fourth set.
Tulane is set to head to Dallas next for the team's second match-up in its Texas roadtrip against SMU on Sunday at 1 p.m.
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