Volleyball Defeats SFA With Five-Set Exhibition Win

Saturday, August 24

Nacogdoches, TX

1 PM

Tulane University

Stephen F. Austin

Photo by: Parker Waters

Volleyball Defeats SFA With Five-Set Exhibition Win

Aug 24, 2019 | Women's Volleyball

NACOGDOCHES, Texas. – Paced by a trio of players producing double figure kills and a 32-dig match from senior Kaylie McHugh, the Tulane volleyball team defeated the Stephen. F. Austin Ladyjacks in five sets, 24-26, 25-16, 25-23, 18-25, 15-11, Saturday afternoon at HPE Complex in Nacogdoches.

Against the reigning Southland Conference champions the Green Wave hit .220 as a team offensively, while producing 10 total team blocks and earning 91 digs on the afternoon to earn a victory in the team's only exhibition of the preseason against outside competition.

"Our top two objectives today were to get a look at different lineups and personnel and find a way to win with the different lineups against a very good SFA team," head coach Jim Barnes said. "I think we were able to achieve both goals today."

Senior Erika Hansel led Tulane with 15 kills against the Ladyjacks, adding three blocks. Sophomore Makala Heidelberg produced a double-double with 13 kills and 12 digs, while Kayla Dinkins produced 10 kills on a blistering .643 hitting percentage and three blocks.

Six players had a minimum of five kills in the match, with Yvette Burcescu having nine and leading the team in blocks with four, while Markenzie Benoit had nine kills and three blocks, including one on the solo end.

McHugh begins her senior season right where she left off as a junior, starting four of the five sets and leading the squad with her 32 digs, with a service ace and five assists. Behind Heidelberg's 12 digs was junior Lexie Douglas with 10 to round out the players with double-digit digs in the match.

Jenna Ibieta led the setters with 21 assists against SFA Saturday, followed by sophomore Amanda Giardina's 20. Taylor Henigsman finished the afternoon with 12 assists, four digs and a service ace.

"Amanda played really well today as a first-time starter, and Kayla Dinkins dominated in the middle along with Yvette who had a solid match as well," Barnes said.

SFA needed extra points to take the first set, but Tulane rebounded in the second and ran away with the set after producing a match-high 18 kills on a .484 hitting percentage. Tulane produced 15 kills in a set for the second time on the afternoon in the third set, holding a side out percentage of 75 percent to go up 2-1 in the match.

The Ladyjacks rebounded to take the fourth set, but the Green Wave was able to see the match out getting seven kills in the fifth to aid in pulling out the victory.

"We had many moments where we dominated. We didn't play as well as we wanted in set four when we had our younger players in against their starters," Barnes said. "But overall, it was just what we needed to get ready for the real games that start next week."

The team will return home for the Olive & Blue Scrimmage on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at Fogelman in Devlin, before opening the regular season at the Doubletree Classic at Louisiana-Lafayette against UTEP on Friday.

Single-game and season tickets for the 2019 season 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.

Follow Tulane volleyball on social media at @GreenWaveVB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Follow Tulane Athletics on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.

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