Volleyball Defeats SLU, Records Ninth Preseason Sweep

Tuesday, September 11

Hammond, La.

7 pm

Tulane University

9-3

Southeastern Louisiana

1-9

Tulane

Southeastern

Photo by: Parker Waters

Volleyball Defeats SLU, Records Ninth Preseason Sweep

Sep 11, 2018 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

HAMMOND, LOUISIANA – Tulane volleyball tallied its ninth sweep of the season on Tuesday night, defeating Southeastern Louisiana in three quick sets to post a 9-3 preseason record so far in 2018. Senior middle hitter Dayna Kern led the Green Wave with ten kills of 11 total attacks, adding a hitting percentage of .818. The Olive and Blue ended the match with a .363 attacking percentage, holding the Lions to a final -.010.

"It was another great total team effort tonight," head coach Jim Barnes said. "Our game plan was to set our middle hitters with a new offensive play and we executed it nicely. It will help us moving forward in future matches."

Though SLU started the first set with a 4-1 run to get on top, four quick kills from sophomore middle hitter Markenzie Benoit helped the Green Wave to catch up and gain a 10-4 lead. Tulane stayed ahead for the remainder of the set, with back-to-back serving aces from junior libero Kaylie McHugh widening the gap to 22-11. A serve from sophomore outside hitter Lexie Douglas followed by a Lions attack error finished the set, with the Green Wave leading it 1-0.

A hard kill from Douglas to start off the second set sparked Tulane's offensive momentum, with the team adding 16 kills and recording a .355 hitting percentage to grab another win. Senior middle hitter Hannah Shaw led the Green Wave with six kills of nine total attacks and a .667 attack percentage, while McHugh controlled the defensive end of the court in marking seven digs.

The Green Wave ended its third and final set with 18 kills and a .593 hitting percentage, with Kern going seven for seven to record a 1.000 attack percentage. Freshman outside hitter Yvette Burcescu finished the set with four kills, while freshman outside hitter Makala Heidelberg added three kills and five digs in an all-around effort for the team. SLU's offense fell short in an effort to compete with Tulane, ending set three with four kills of 26 total attacks and a .000 hitting percentage. A service ace from sophomore libero Nicole Levine followed by a kill from Burcescu ended the match and solidified the sweep for the Wave.

Tulane returns home to New Orleans this weekend, hosting the Allstate Sugar Bowl Collegiate Classic on Sept. 14 and 15 at Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse. The Green Wave will face Little Rock in their first match on Friday at 12:30 p.m., followed by a 7 p.m. match-up against Villanova. The team will close out the weekend with a match against Clemson on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Single-game and season 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.

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