Tulane University
Wichita State
Volleyball to Host Wichita State in Final Home Matchup
Mar 11, 2021 | Women's Volleyball
| TULANE GREEN WAVE (5-8ย OVERALL, 3-3 AMERICAN) | |
| When: | Friday, March 12 | 6ย p.m. vs. Wichita Stateย (8-3ย Overall, 3-3ย American) Saturday, March 13 | 1 p.m. vs. Wichita Stateย (8-3ย Overall, 3-3ย American) |
| Where: | New Orleans, La. | Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse |
| Stats: | Wichita State (Match 1) | Wichita State (Match 2) |
| Watch: | ESPN+ (Match 1) | ESPN+ (Match 2) |
| Notes: | Week 7 Game Notes |
| Social: | Twitterย |ย Instagramย |ย Facebook |
NEW ORLEANS โ The Tulane volleyball team (5-8, 3-3 AAC) brings American Athletic Conference action back home this weekend, welcoming Wichita State (8-3, 3-3 AAC) to New Orleans for back-to-back matches.
The Green Wave are set to face the Shockers on Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m. in the Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse. Both matches will be broadcast live on ESPN+, with Andrew Beyer serving as the play-by-play commentator and five-time Olympian Danielle Scott servingย as the color analyst. Tulane will celebrate the team's five seniors in its final home match of the season on Saturday.
In the team's last time out, Tulane split with SMU on the road, earning a 3-1 win on Thursday before falling to the Mustangs in a 3-1 decision on Friday. Tulane and Wichita State are currently tied for second place in the West Division, with each team holding a 3-3 record heading into this weekend's series.
Leading the Green Wave's offense this year is senior outside hitter Lexie Douglas, who has recorded 181 kills in 2021 to average 3.77 per set, ranking fifth in the conference in kills per set and fourth in points per set (4.29). Douglas has notched double-digit kills in 11 of Tulane's 13 matches this season, totaling seven double-doubles in her final season Uptown. The Plano, Texas, native was named to the AAC weekly honor roll on Monday after tying her career-high with 22 kills in consecutive matches last weekend in Dallas.
Defensively, freshman libero Sophia Ervanian ranks sixth in the conference with an average of 4.66 digs per set in her first season Uptown, totaling 163 digs in 35 sets of action. The Green Wave newcomer has recorded double-digit digs in six straight matches, recording 30 or more digs in two matches.
A force for the Green Wave at the net in 2021 is junior middle hitter Kayla Dinkins. Dinkins has totaled 62.0 blocks this season, averaging 1.24 to rank second in the conference. The third-year middle tied her career-high with nine blocks in the Olive and Blue's win over the Mustangs last weekend, earning five or more blocks in six matches this year.
Junior setter Taylor Henigsman stepped up big for the Green Wave against SMU, notching a career-high 52 assists in the Green Wave's win before totaling 47 in match two. Henigsman also added nine kills, 16 digs and three blocks in two matches on the road. The junior ranks eighth in the conference with an average of 6.75 assists per set, totaling 297 this season.
The Green Wave were picked to finish second in the West Division in the American Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. Dinkins and Douglas were both named to the Preseason All-Conference Team.
Wichita State is 8-3 overall and 3-3 in The American in 2021, most recently dropping two matches to Memphis at home. The Green Wave are 2-3 all time against the Shockers, owing an 0-2 record against them at home. Tulane earned a five-set win over Wichita in 2019 on the road before falling to the AAC opponent at home in the team's last meeting.
Wichita State leads the conference in opponent hitting percentage (.131) and ranks second in blocks (2.37 per set), third in digs (17.74 per set) and third in service aces (1.48 per set). Sophomore opposite hitter Sophia Rohling leads the Shockers offensively with 133 total kills and 31.0 blocks in 2021, while sophomore outside hitter Sinalauli'i Uluava tops the stats defensively with 187 digs and 40 assists.
Follow Tulane volleyball on social media at @GreenWaveVBย onย Twitter,ย Instagramย andย Facebook. Follow Tulane Athletics onย Twitter,ย Facebook,ย Instagram.
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