Tulane University
26-8
Arkansas State
19-4
Volleyball Defeats Arkansas State in Five-Set Thriller, Advances to NIVC Second-Round
Nov 29, 2018 | Women's Volleyball
NEW ORLEANSย โย The Tulane Green Wave volleyball team defeated Arkansas State in a five-set thriller (23-25, 27-25, 22-25, 25-8, 15-13) on Thursday, earning the team a spot in the second round of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship.
"Arkansas State played a great game," head coach Jim Barnes said. "Hats off to them. They really made us earn every point and they played great. We found a way to come together because we weren't playing our normal ball. We had a lot of pressure, I felt as we were playing the match, but we started really coming together and turned it around right when we needed to."
Tulane is set to matchup against California Baptist in round two of the NIVC on Friday at 7 p.m. at Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse.
Junior right side hitter Erika Hansel led the team offensively with 15 kills, hitting .314, while also adding two blocks. Senior middle hitter Dayna Kern and freshman outside hitter Yvette Burcescu also tallied double-digit kills in the match, recording 12 and 10 while hitting .286 and .348, respectively.
Freshman outside hitter Makala Heidelberg earned 23 digs, followed by junior libero Kaylie McHugh with 20. Sophomore setter Jenna Ibieta earned a double-double, tallying 19 assists and 10 digs.
Though the Green Wave held the Red Wolves to a .093 hitting percentage in the first set, Tulane was not able to pull out the win and fell to Arkansas State with a 23-25 score. An early 5-1 run from the visiting team gave the Red Wolves an initial lead, which the team would hold until Tulane tied it up at 12-12. With Tulane behind by two with a 21-23 score, a kill from freshman middle hitter Kayla Dinkins followed by an opponent attacking error evened the score at 23, but the Red Wolves were able to finish it out to take the first set and a 1-0 lead in the match.
Tulane came back fighting in the second set, pulling out a 27-25 win to even the match at 1-1.The Green Wave dominated offensively from the start, with kills from sophomore outside hitter Lexie Douglas, Hansel and Burcescu putting the Green Wave on top with a 7-4 score. A 4-1 run from the Red Wolves tied the score at 19, spurring continuous tied scores for the remainder of the set, until a block from Kern and Burcescu at match point solidified the win for the home team.
The Green Wave's .303 hitting percentage in the third set was not enough to earn the team a win, as the Red Wolves would go on to take set three with a tight 25-22 score. Ten tied scores and six lead changes marked an even competition between the two teams from start to finish, but Arkansas State was able to break away from a 20-20 tie and take a 5-2 run to finish it out and gain a 2-1 match advantage.
Tulane completely turned the match around in the fourth set, controlling the court to earn a 17-point win with a 25-8 score. Holding the Red Wolves to a team -.167 hitting percentage, the Green Wave grabbed an early 9-3 lead and would eventually stay on top to close it out and even the match at 2-2. A 15-0 run from Tulane shut down Arkansas State, sparking a comeback and forcingย a fifth set.
Eighth tied scores and three lead changes in the final set marked a competitive last clip, with Tulane ultimately grabbing a 15-13 win. The Green Wave were ahead with an 8-6 score until the Red Wolves eventually tied it up at 9-9. Down by three with a 10-13 score, crucial kills from Burcescu sent Tulane on a 5-0 run to close the match and earn the NIVC first-round victory.
"[California Baptist] won a five set match, we won a five set match, so we'll be ready for them," Barnes said ofย Friday night's competition. "They're a good team, a solid strong strong, so we're going to have to be ready for them and play better than we did today for sure."
Tickets for the second round of theย NIVCย Tournament at Avron B. Fogelmanย Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouseย will be available for $5 and can be purchased here.
Follow Tulane volleyball on social media at @GreenWaveVB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Follow Tulane Athletics on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.
WE ARE NOLA BUILT
Tulane University is located in the city of New Orleans. It is a city built on tradition and resiliency. The lessons Green Wave student-athletes have learned through their connection with this university and city have BUILT doctors, lawyers, business leaders, conference champions, all-conference players, all-Americans, professional athletes and NCAA tournament teams. The city of New Orleans has shaped us into who we are today. We are One City. We are Tulane. We are NOLA BUILT. Check out our story at NolaBuilt.com.
