Tulane University
21-7, 9-4AAC
SMU
9-14, 6-7AAC
Volleyball Earns Ninth Consecutive Win, Hands SMU First Conference Loss at Home
Nov 4, 2018 | Women's Volleyball
DALLAS – The Tulane volleyball team earned its ninth consecutive conference win on Sunday, defeating SMU in three sets (25-17, 26-24, 25-18) to hand the Mustangs their first home loss against an AAC opponent this season.
"We really played at a very high level against a quality opponent who hasn't lost a conference match at home," head coach Jim Barnes said. "Our serve receive was nearly perfect, which led to our strong offense, and our blocking and defense was really strong. Another great team effort."
The Green Wave's winning streak is the longest the team has had since 2008, when Tulane won 13 straight to win the Conference USA title and make a second round appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Tulane's defense played a large role in the team's 13th sweep this season, with the Green Wave recording a season-high 15.5 total blocks. Senior middle hitter Dayna Kern led the Olive and Blue with nine blocks, tying her career record, while also adding eight kills and hitting .444.
Sophomore outside hitter Lexie Douglas topped the team with ten kills while hitting .294. Freshman setter Taylor Henigsman recorded a team-high 18 assists, while junior libero Kaylie McHugh led the team's defense with 17 digs.
Tulane recorded 17 kills and hit .371 in the first set, holding SMU to a .108 hitting percentage. Douglas and Dinkins led the Green Wave, each tallying four kills while hitting .333 and .500, respectively. A 6-1 run put Tulane on top with a 12-4 score, with the team ultimately staying ahead for the remainder of play to earn a 1-0 advantage in the match.
The second set was a tight race up until the finish, with the teams recording 13 tied scores and six lead changes. A kill from Douglas broke a 12-12 tie and put Tulane in the lead, with an ace from McHugh and kills from Douglas and Kern keeping the Green Wave ahead. SMU eventually caught up, and the teams exchanged leads until tying again at 24, until back-to-back blocks from Heidelberg and Kern at set point earned the team a win and a 2-0 match lead.
The Mustangs grabbed an early lead in set three before the Green Wave tied it up at 10-10. A 4-1 run put Tulane ahead with a 15-11 score, with the team staying ahead for the remainder of the match. A 6-0 run put the Olive and Blue at match point, 24-16, ultimately finishing it off to avoid a fourth set and solidify the sweep.
The Green Wave bring play back to their home court next weekend, matching up against Temple in Tulane's Mental Health Awareness Green Game on Friday at 7 p.m. and UConn on Sunday at 1 p.m.
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