Tulane University
Little Rock
Volleyball to Host Allstate Sugar Bowl Classic, Finishing Preseason Slate
Sep 13, 2018 | Women's Volleyball
NEW ORLEANS – After spending two weekends on the road, Tulane volleyball returns home on Friday to host the Allstate Sugar Bowl Collegiate Classic and close out the team's preseason play. The Green Wave will face Little Rock at 12:30 p.m. in their first match before going head-to-head with Villanova at 7 p.m. at Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse. Tulane is scheduled to face Clemson at 2 p.m. on Saturday to finish out the weekend tournament.
"This is going to be a very challenging tournament," head coach Jim Barnes said. "This is our last chance to see where we are before conference play starts. So far we have proven to be a very tough team and we can play a very quick style of offense and defense. We're looking forward to playing in front of our home crowd."
The Olive and Blue post a 9-3 record so far this season, earning a number five spot in the American Athletic Conference ranking while topping the stats in hitting percentage, assists, kills and blocks. Sophomore middle hitter Markenzie Benoit posts a team-high 51 blocks after 12 matches, leading the AAC and checking in at fourth in the nation with 1.59 blocks per set. Junior libero Kaylie McHugh adds offensive and defensive highs on the court, leading Tulane with 23 serving aces and 173 digs, ranking second and sixth in the conference, respectively. Sophomore outside hitter Lexie Douglas records 95 kills to lead the Green Wave statistics, while freshman setter Taylor Henigsman ranks eighth in the conference with 240 assists.Â
Little Rock, Tulane's first opponent this weekend, is 7-3 this season after going 2-1 this past weekend at the UCA Invitational, defeating Arkansas-Pine Bluff and South Dakota while falling to Central Arkansas in five sets. The Trojans currently hold the number one spot in the Sun Belt Conference, leading in hitting percentage, opponent hitting percentage and blocks. Senior middle blocker Veronica Marin tops the conference charts with a .428 hitting percentage in ten matches, recording 80 kills of 159 total attacks, and checks in at third in blocks with 1.38 per set.Â
Villanova posts a 7-2 record heading into the weekend tournament after going 2-1 in the Villanova Classic, beating AAC opponent Temple and No. 21 Utah while falling short to High Point. The Wildcats are currently ranked second in the Big East, with freshman right side hitter Sanaa Banes leading the team in kills with 81, junior setter Emma Decker posting 324 assists and junior libero Regan Lough adding a team-high 167 digs.Â
Clemson, Tulane's final preseason opponent, posts a 7-3 record after defeating UAB, Troy and North Dakota to win its Big Orange Bash Tournament last weekend. Earning a number six spot in the Atlantic Coastal Conference for their preseason performance, the Tigers check in at second in the conference rankings in kills with 14.11 per set and assists with 13.32 per set. Freshman outside/right side hitter Solei Thomas leads the team in kills with 104 and a hitting percentage of .324, while freshman setter Gabby Easton tops the AAC with 11.78 assists per set and a total of 436 in ten matches.
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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