One Last Wave: Beach Volleyball’s McHugh, Mergener and Torruella to Return in 2020-21
Jun 10, 2020 | Women's Beach Volleyball
NEW ORLEANS — Tulane beach volleyball head coach Eyal Zimet announced on Wednesday that seniors Kaylie McHugh, Tarin Mergener and Eva Torruella will be returning next year for another season with the Green Wave.
Their decisions to return Uptown came after the NCAA granted an extra year of eligibility to all student-athletes in the spring sports whose seasons were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"We are elated to be able to return our seniors for One Last Wave," Zimet said. "The opportunity provided by Tulane for our seniors to experience their final season of their collegiate career is priceless and we are all grateful for it."
Guess who's back...
— Tulane Beach Volleyball (@GreenWaveBeach) June 10, 2020
Excited to announce that Kaylie McHugh will be returning next season to take care of some unfinished business 💥#OneLastWave pic.twitter.com/8JoxGug9c5
During her four years in New Orleans, McHugh left her mark on Tulane Athletics — both on the court and on the sand. As a beach volleyball standout, McHugh was named to the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association All-Conference Team three times, while also receiving AVCA Collegiate Beach All-American honors and winning the AVCA Top Flight Award as a sophomore.
The Davie, Florida, native was named to the Second Team All-American Athletic Conference and the Second Team All-Louisiana in her first season on the indoor volleyball team before going on to break the conference record for single-season service aces, the program record for single-season digs and become the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Libero of the Year in her junior year. To wrap up her indoor career, McHugh became the first player to surpass 2,000 digs, serving as the Green Wave's all-time leader in the category in her final season Uptown.
"We can't wait to have Kaylie rejoin us for a 'bonus' year and a full fall on the sand for the first time in her spectacular collegiate career both as indoor and beach standout student-athlete," Zimet said of McHugh. "Kaylie also brings tremendous poise and a think-outside-the-box type of presence that is going to be extremely beneficial for our growing roster. Super grateful that Tulane could make this dream come true for Kaylie."
We won't be saying goodbye to @tarinmergener just yet.
— Tulane Beach Volleyball (@GreenWaveBeach) June 10, 2020
We are so excited to announce that she'll be back on the sand for one more season 👏#OneLastWave pic.twitter.com/laR2Fp4Ld2
A four-year member of the beach volleyball team, Mergener also made an immediate impact for the Green Wave, demonstrating her skill and leadership from day one. The Midlothian, Texas native was named to the CCSA All-Tournament Team in her first season Uptown following a 3-1 record at the CCSA Conference Championship, becoming part of the first pair at Tulane to earn the distinction. In 2018, Mergener put together a 22-15 record, notching four wins against ranked opponents, later going on to be selected to the 2019 CCSA Preseason All-Conference Team. In her senior year, Mergener went 5-3 from the No. 2 position before going 3-0 from the No. 1 spot to close the season, sweeping her opponent in all eight wins.
"A returning captain and a team leader, Tarin brings a ton of maturity and drive within our TUBVB unit, and we are excited to see her complete her illustrious career with a full season," Zimet said of Mergener.
Making her way back to NOLA ⚜️
— Tulane Beach Volleyball (@GreenWaveBeach) June 10, 2020
We can't wait to have @eva_torruella back for one final year in Olive and Blue! #OneLastWave pic.twitter.com/ITLaxvSOBS
Joining the Green Wave roster as a transfer in the fall of 2018, Torruella made the most of her first two seasons on the sand in New Orleans. The San Juan, Puerto Rico native was selected to the CCSA All-Conference Team in 2019 after posting a 20-10 record from the No. 1 spot, finishing the season ranked the 20th best pair in the nation alongside McHugh. Torruella defeated six ranked opponents in her first year Uptown, sweeping her opponent on 16 occasions while putting together a 10-match winning streak. In a 2020 season that was cut short, Torruella went 4-4 from the No. 1 position and 7-4 from the No. 2 position, totaling six sweeps.
"Being able to come back for another year is a huge gift, not only for Eva but for us as a program," Zimet said of Torruella. "No doubt one of the most physical players on our roster as well as one of the more creative student-athletes we know. Eva's ability to relate to all our personalities on the roster and share her passion and fire for the sport of beach volleyball is priceless. Looking forward to having an exceptional final season with Eva as a TUBVB member."
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