Tulane University
Wichita State
Volleyball Opens Conference Play with Wichita State, Tulsa
Sep 20, 2018 | Women's Volleyball
Weekend Match Notes
NEW ORLEANS โ Following a 3-0 weekend at home to finish preseason with a 12-3 record, Tulane volleyball prepares to open conference play on the road, matching up against Wichita State (5-6) on Friday at 7 p.m. and Tulsa (7-4) on Sunday at 1 p.m.
"We improved throughout our non-conference schedule and won games in several different ways, which will be beneficial heading into conference play," head coach Jim Barnes said. "The AAC is very good, but we feel we match up well with the top teams in our league. Our defensive is rated number one in the league and our offense number two, so we have the ability to attack teams in different ways. The conference title is up for grabs."
The Green Wave head into AAC competition with a six-match winย streak and a third-place conference standing, leading the American in blocks per set with 2.49 and opponent hitting percentage with .144. Tulane also checks in at second among conference teams in kills and assists, with 13.89 and 13.17 per set, respectively.ย
Individually, sophomore middle hitter Markenzie Benoit leads Tulane in blocks with 61 this season, recording a second place conference standing with 1.33 per set. Senior middle hitter Dayna Kern follows right behind Benoit at third in the AAC with 1.29 per set and 49 so far in 2018. Junior libero Kaylie McHugh averages 0.51 service aces per set, topping Tulane's numbers with 27 total and taking the number two spot in the standings. Senior libero Lisa Mordell tallies 0.37 service aces per set, 14 this season, to take the third spot in the conference standings while freshman setter Taylor Henigsmanย hits 300 assists to stand at number nine in the American.
Wichita State Shockers
Tulane's first conference opponent, Wichita State, received the number one spot in the American Preseason Coaches' Poll after winning the championship title in 2017 and recording a 20-0 league record. The Shockers' challenging preseason schedule, featuring ranked opponents including Stanford, BYU, Creighton and Cal Poly, put the team at 5-6 heading into conference competition.ย
Senior outside hitter Tabitha Brown leads Wichita State in kills with 117, while sophomore libero Giorgia Civita posts a team-high 229 digs and ranks second in the American with 5.33 per set. Both Brown and Civita were named to the American Preseason All-Conference Team. Sophomore middle blocker Emma Wright tops the Shockers with 30 blocks and stands at seventh in the conference hitting percentage with .320.
Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Tulane finishes its opening weekend of conference competition with a match against Tulsa. The Golden Hurricane post a 7-4 record heading into American action, coming off an 0-2 record on the road last weekend against ranked opponents Illinois State and Marquette. Senior outside hitter Emily Thorson leads the team in kills with 133, checking in at fifth in the AAC standings with 3.41 per set. Junior libero Taylor Horsfall adds 226 digs this season, leading the American with 5.79 per set. Thorson and Horsfallย earned spots on the Preseason All-Conference Team.
Series History
The Green Wave have matched up twice against the Shockers, with each team taking a win to even the series record at 1-1. Tulane fell to Wichita State at home last season in three sets, while the Green Wave defeated the Shockers 3-1ย on the road in 1986.
Tulane went 1-1 against Tulsa in the 2017 season, defeating the Hurricane with a score of 3-1 in September, while falling to Tulsa at home in five sets in November. The teams also post an even record heading into this weekend series, at 15-15 in program history.
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