Tulane University
Temple
Volleyball Looks to Earn 10 Consecutive Wins, Hosts Temple and UConn
Nov 8, 2018 | Women's Volleyball
Match Notes
NEW ORLEANS – Coming off a 2-0 weekend on the road with wins over Houston and SMU, Tulane volleyball brings action back home and looks to extend its nine-match winning streak against Temple and UConn this Friday and Sunday, at 7 p.m. and 1 p.m. respectively, at Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse.
"We play two very capable opponents this weekend who make you earn every point," said head coach Jim Barnes, who is three wins away from 400 in his career. "We have been playing the best volleyball in the AAC over the last five weeks but we have to go out and prove ourselves each and every week. We look forward to the homecoming fans giving us a great home court as we go for win number 10 in a row."
The Green Wave are now tied with Tulsa for a third-place standing in The American and are one of four teams (UCF, Cincinnati and Tulsa) still in contention for the conference title.
Tulane's defense leads the AAC, with the team recording a .150 opponent hitting percentage to earn a No. 7 national ranking. The Olive and Blue are ranked second in the conference in assists, blocks and service aces with 13.12 per set, 2.57 per set and 1.47 per set, while ranking third in kills with 13.68 per set.
The team, owning an 11-2 record at home, makes additional appearances in the NCAA Top 25, at No. 23 in assists per set (13.12), No. 14 in total team assists (1,338), No. 25 in team kills (1,395) and No. 15 in team total blocks (262.5).
Junior right side hitter Erika Hansel leads Tulane offensively, recording 248 total kills this season while averaging 2.73 per set. Junior libero Kaylie McHugh leads tops the defensive stats, earning 444 digs and 48 service aces, checking in at sixth and first in the conference, respectively. Freshman setter Taylor Henigsman has tallied 586 assists, followed by sophomore setter Jenna Ibieta with 493.
Senior middle hitter Dayna Kern leads the Green Wave with 109 total blocks this season, taking the second-place spot in the conference with an average of 1.27 per set, while also ranking fifth in the conference with an overall .305 hitting percentage.
Temple Owls (5-20, 2-11)
Temple's two conference wins this season against Houston and Memphis put the Owls at seventh in the conference, with a 2-11 record in The American. The team stands at fourth in the conference in digs, recording 1,578 total and an average of 16.61 per set.
Graduate middle blocker Iva Deak checks in at second in the AAC standings with a .315 hitting percentage, recording 169 kills while leading Temple with 69 total blocks. Sophomore outside hitter Katerina Papazoglou posts a team-high 196 kills, with senior libero Mia Heirakuji leading the team with 379 total digs.
UConn Huskies (12-14, 4-9)
A 1-1 home weekend against USF and UCF put the Huskies at sixth-place in the conference standings, tied with Memphis and ECU with 4-9 records in The American. UConn checks in at fourth in the AAC in total assists and kills, with an average of 12.54 and 13.27 per set, respectively.
Senior setter Emma Turner leads the conference with an average of 9.28 assists per set, while freshman outside hitter Caylee Parker checks in at third in kills with 3.89 and fourth in total points with an average of 4.28 per set.
Series History
The Green Wave swept Temple on the road earlier this season, owning a 3-6 series record against the Owls. Tulane is 1-3 on its home court against Temple, defeating the Owls in four sets in 2015 for the Green Wave's solo win against the team in New Orleans.
Tulane owns a 3-7 series record against the Huskies, defeating UConn for the first time on the road earlier this season. The Green Wave are even against the Huskies on their home court, going 2-2 since their first match-up in 2014.
Mental Health 'Green' Game
Tulane's match against Temple on Friday night is the Green Wave's Mental Health 'Green' Game. The team is partnering with Hilinski's Hope, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting mental health awareness among student-athletes in memory of former Washington State quarterback Tyler Hilinski.
Single-game tickets can be purchased by calling 504-861-WAVE (9283), logging into TulaneTix.com or visiting the ticket office at the James W. Wilson Jr. Center.
Follow Tulane volleyball on social media at @GreenWaveVB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Follow Tulane Athletics on Twitter, FacebookÂ, Instagram.
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