Beach Volleyball Tops No. 18 FAU in First Day at Surf 'N' Turf

Friday, March 30

Miami, Fla.

4:50 pm

Tulane University

FAU

Beach Volleyball Tops No. 18 FAU in First Day at Surf 'N' Turf

Mar 30, 2018 | Women's Beach Volleyball

Tournament Central

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. - Tulane beach volleyball earned its second conference win of the season on Friday evening with a 3-2 victory over No. 18 FAU, rebounding from a 4-1 loss to No. 9 Georgia State earlier in the afternoon to finish the first day at the Surf 'N' Turf Invitational with a 1-1 record. The Green Wave's season record moves to 11-8 overall, 2-4 CCSA.

QUOTES
"We dropped a very important match against Georgia State that we could very well have won, just because we didn't play aggressively enough. To the players credit, we changed that against FAU by serving and attacking to score. Maddy and Kaylie were incredibly tough-minded competing with the dual on the line, playing deep into overtime. It was nice to have our best players playing when it mattered the most." -Head Coach Wayne Holly

HOW IT HAPPENED
#9 Georgia State 4, Tulane 1
Tulane and Georgia State were tied at one apiece before the Panthers took control of the dual, defeating the Green Wave by a score of 4-1.

Georgia State picked up a win in flight two to open the dual. Senior Lan Nguyen and sophomore Tarin Mergener fell in straight sets (21-14, 21-10), putting Tulane in an early hole.

Tulane fired back, however, as senior Madeline Mertz and sophomore Kaylie McHugh recorded the Wave's lone flight win of the dual. Tulane's No. 1 pair took down Georgia State's top pair in straight sets - 21-19, 21-12 - to earn their 14th win of the season.

It was all Georgia State from there on out, though, as the Panthers won flights three, four and five to seal the dual win. Junior Anna Chin and freshman Lauren Orlich, playing as Tulane's No. 3 pair, lost in three sets (24-22, 22-24,12-15), as did the Green Wave's No. 4 duo of freshmen Ashley Delgado and Addison Hermstad, who lost 19-21, 21-17, 11-15.

Tulane 3, #18 FAU 2
The Green Wave got back on track later in the day with a 3-2 win over FAU.

FAU jumped out to an early 2-0 lead after earning wins in flights two and three. The pairs of Chin and Orlich, playing at the three, and Mergener and Nguyen, playing at the two, lost in straight sets, giving the advantage to FAU.

Tulane's No. 4 pair - Hermstad and Delgado - helped the Wave get rolling by winning in straight sets (21-14, 21-18) to give the team its first flight win of the dual. Frohoff and freshman Gabriella Becerra played together at the five and knotted the dual at two after winning by a score of 21-14, 21-19.

All eyes turned to the action in flight one, where Mertz and McHugh battled FAU's top pair. After dropping the first set, the Wave's duo fought tooth and nail to win the flight and earn Tulane a dual win.

Mertz and McHugh won the second set by a score of 27-25 before taking the third set, 20-18, to clinch the dual win.

UP NEXT
The Green Wave jump right back into action tomorrow morning with a tripleheader. Tulane plays No. 4 Florida State at 6:50 a.m. and #13 FIU at 11:50 before concluding the weekend at 1:50 p.m. in a non-conference dual against TCU.

ROLL WITH THE WAVE
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RESULTS FROM DAY ONE AT SURF 'N' TURF INVITATIONAL
DUAL ONE: #9 Georgia State 4, Tulane 1
No. 1 – Madeline Mertz/Kaylie McHugh (TLN) def. Teegan Van Gunst/Annika Van Gunst (GSU) 21-19, 21-12
No. 2 – Tiffany Creamer/Brooke Weiner (GSU) def. Tarin Mergener/Lan Nguyen (TLN) 21-14, 21-10
No. 3 – Olivia Stasevich/Georgia Johnson (GSU) def. Anna Chin/Lauren Orlich (TLN) 22-24, 24-22,15-12
No. 4 – Kate Novack/Amie Held (GSU) def. Ashley Delgado/Addison Hermstad (TLN) 21-19, 17-21,15-11
No. 5 – Eden Hawes/Ashley McGinn (GSU) def. Rio Frohoff/Kendyl Brennan (TLN) 21-13, 21-18
Exh. – Maddie Gordon/Allie Elson (GSU) def. Christina McAfee/Gabriela Becerra (TLN) 21-12, 21-19

Order of Finish – 2,1,5,3,4

DUAL TWO: Tulane 3, #18 FAU 2
No. 1 – Madeline Mertz/Kaylie McHugh (TLN) def. Carly Scarbrough/Amanda Silva (FAU) 14-21, 27-25, 20-18
No. 2 – Gabby Dischler/Jess Kinlaw (FAU) def. Tarin Mergener/Lan Nguyen (TLN) 21-18, 21-18
No. 3 – Erica Brok/Mackenzie Morris (FAU) def. Lauren Orlich/Anna Chin (TLN) 21-14, 21-16
No. 4 – Addison Hermstad/Ashley Delgado (TLN) def. Nicole Navarro/Kaila Dorish (FAU) 21-14, 21-18
No. 5 – Rio Frohoff/Gabriella Becerra (TLN) def. Ashlan Cunningham/Nicole Grant (FAU) 21-14, 21-19

Order of Finish – 3,2,5,4,1