Mertz, McHugh Selected to Compete in Bridgestone USA Volleyball Collegiate Beach Championships

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NEW ORLEANS - A historic season rolls on for senior Madeline Mertz and sophomore Kaylie McHugh.

Tulane beach volleyball's top duo will hit the sand in Hermosa Beach, California, for the Bridgestone USA Volleyball Collegiate Beach Championships, part of the 2018 Team USA Summer Champions Series, on May 10-12. Mertz and McHugh, playing out of Pool G, open the competition at 1 p.m. Thursday against Grand Canyon's pair of Hannah Towne and Molly Turner.

"We had a very good practice today in Hermosa Beach and are looking forward to the challenge of competing against a very good field of teams from across the country," head coach Wayne Holly said.

Mertz and McHugh played as Tulane's No. 1 duo throughout the regular season, posting a 30-7 record with 11 victories against ranked opponents. The pair dominated for much of the year, with 24 of their 30 wins coming in straight sets.

The Green Wave's top pair was named to the 2018 CCSA Beach Volleyball All-Conference Team in a unanimous selection and earned the conference's Pair of the Week honors once during the regular season. Mertz and McHugh were also named to the CCSA All-Tournament Team at the 2018 CCSA Championship after going 3-1 with a win over No. 9 FIU's top pair.

The dual-gendered pairs event features a 30-team women's bracket, as well as an eight-team men's competition. The action begins on Thursday morning with pool play and continues on Saturday with the women's semifinals and medal matches. The finals will be televised on NBCSN from 4-6 p.m. ET on May 12.

Women's and men's teams are playing for a spot to represent the United States at the 2018 FISU World University Championship.

Along with Tulane's Mertz and McHugh, women's pairs hail from the 2018 NCAA Championship runner-up Florida State, Cal Poly, Cal, Long Beach State, Florida Atlantic, Georgia State, Grand Canyon, Houston Baptist, Louisiana State, Pepperdine, St. Mary's, South Carolina, TCU, UAB, UNCW, Hawaii and Washington.

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Mertz, McHugh Selected to Compete in Bridgestone USA Volleyball Collegiate Beach Championships

Live Stream | Pools | Results/Schedule

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Kaylie McHugh

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