Tulane Beach Volleyball Splits on First Day of Green Wave Invite

Saturday, February 25

NEW ORLEANS

9:30 A.M. & 10:45 A.M.

Tulane University

LSU

Savka Popovic (left) and Lara Torruella

Tulane Beach Volleyball Splits on First Day of Green Wave Invite

Feb 25, 2023 | Women's Beach Volleyball

ELMWOOD, LA – The Tulane beach volleyball team earned a split of its two competitions on the first day of action at the 2023 Green Wave Invitational at White Sands Volleyball Courts in Elmwood.

The Olive and Blue's fifth flight of Savka Popovic and Lara Torruella defeated Amber Haynes and Cassidy Chambers in a three-set battle, 21-16, 15-21, 15-12 to put TU on the scoreboard in the morning match versus LSU. The duo combined for 26 kills and both had service aces. The fifth-ranked Tigers, however, took the top four matches. Tulane did win two exhibition flights: Simone Gibson/Ainsley Patrick at No. 7 (22-20, 21-14) and McKenzie Cutler/Samantha Green (21-19, 21-14) at No. 9. Samantha Mehlman and Emily Heintzelman lost a narrow affair at No. 3 (16-21, 21-16, 15-10), but Mehlman racked up 21 kills and two aces in the process. Heintzelman added two blocks, two aces and four additional kills.

In the afternoon, the Green Wave earned a 5-0 sweep of New Orleans. Tulane got wins by: Molly Ebertin/Kendall Peters at 1 (21-14, 21-19), Sara Hall/Maddie Speicher at 2 (21-17, 21-16), Samantha Mehlman/Emily Heintzelman at 3 (21-12, 21-15), Ashton Mares/Abby Jackson at 4 (21-12, 21-15) and Popovic/Torruella at 5 (21-11, 21-9). Molly Trodd and Sam O'Connor (21-9, 21-14) also won the exhibition flight.

Another full day of matches is on the docket for Sunday as well. Tulane-North Alabama is scheduled for 9:30, LSU-Nicholls and New Orleans-North Alabama are on at 12:15 and Tulane-Nicholls and LSU-New Orleans will take place at approximately 2:45.

The live stream links for Tulane's matches are as follows:
Tulane-North Alabama:
Court 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-v-8_1f6VOA
Court 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FObzNOInVvw
Court 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6GwlytjmTM

Tulane-Nicholls
Court 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72Kd4wUVI3I
Court 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CTJo7Qsbpk
Court 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Sr_xgCr5-U

A full list of the day's complete results can be found here:

#5 LSU 4, Tulane 1
1. Ellie Shank/Kylie Debert (LSU) def. Mollie Ebertin/Kendall Peters (TU) 21-18, 21-14
2. Parker Bracken/Grace Seits (LSU) def. Sara Hall/Maddie Speicher (TU) 21-14, 21-15
3. Reilly Allred/Hannah Brister (LSU) def. Samantha Mehlman/Emily Heintzelman (TU) 16-21, 21-16, 15-10
4. Ella Larkin/Lara Boos (LSU) def. Ashton Mares/Abby Jackson (TU) 21-17, 21-11
5. Savka Popovic/Lara Torruella (TU) def. Amber Haynes/Cassidy Chambers (LSU) 21-16, 15-21, 15-12
(Exh.) Melia Lindner/Brooke Blutreich (LSU) def. Molly Trodd/Sam O'Connor (TU) 21-14, 19-21, 15-12
(Exh.) Simone Gibson/Ainsley Patrick (TU) def. Elizabeth Masters/Kelly McCloskey (LSU) 22-20, 21-14
(Exh.) Josie Vondran/Paige Flickenger (LSU) def. Kara Griffin-Ruwin/Alexandra Hennessey (TU) 21-15, 21-11
(Exh.) McKenzie Cutler/Samantha Green (TU) def. Aubrey O'Gorman/Madison Meyers (LSU) 21-19, 21-14

North Alabama 5, Nicholls 0
1. Taylor Seney/Paula Klemperer (North Alabama) def. Aspen Steele/Kennedi Steele (Nicholls) 21-12, 21-10
2. Mackenzie Martin/Katy Floyd (North Alabama) def. Katie Jones/Luciana Chuong (Nicholls) 21-10, 21-9
3. Selma Robinson/Martha McLaurin (North Alabama) def. Alisha Wischkaemper/Bethanie Durant (Nicholls) 21-13, 21-13
4. Natalie Kordt/Jelena Girod (North Alabama) def. McKenna Malone/McKay Wilson (Nicholls) 21-9, 21-18
5. Katie Gerig/Sarah Larkin Lewis (North Alabama) def. Ja'Mya Holmes/Hailey Mason (Nicholls) 21-15, 21-8
(Exh.) Abby Robertson/Kati Anderson (North Alabama) def. Taylor Heeb/Kendall Battistella (Nicholls) 21-15, 21-12

New Orleans 5, Nicholls 0
1. Maria Ozaeta/Ania Esarte (UNO) def. Aspen Steele/Kennedi Steele (Nicholls) 21-9, 21-18
2. Alexa Spartz/Trinity Jackson (UNO) def. Katie Jones/Luciana Chuong (Nicholls) 21-8, 21-9
3. Ashley Salazar/Valerie Vujnovich (UNO) def. Alisha Wischkaemper/Bethanie Durant (Nicholls) 21-13, 21-12
4. Serena Baumgart/Ivana de Carvalho Peixe (UNO) def. McKenna Malone/McKay Wilson (Nicholls) 21-18, 21-14
5. Valentina Echeverri/Sydney Gott (UNO) def. Ja'Mya Holmes/Hailey Mason (Nicholls) 21-8, 21-12
(Exh.) Renata Dykstra/Rita Zecchin (UNO) def. Taylor Heeb/Kendall Battistella (Nicholls) 21-10, 21-18

#5 LSU 5, North Alabama 0
1. Ellie Shank/Kylie Debert (LSU) def. Taylor Seney/Paula Klemperer (North Alabama) 21-15, 15-21, 15-11
2. Parker Bracken/Grace Seits (LSU) def. Mackenzie Martin/Katy Floyd (North Alabama) 21-15, 21-19
3. Reilly Allred/Hannah Brister (LSU) def. Selma Robinson/Martha McLaurin (North Alabama) 21-11, 21-9
4. Ella Larkin/Lara Boos (LSU) def. Natalie Kordt/Jelena Girod (North Alabama) 21-11, 21-5
5. Amber Haynes/Cassidy Chambers (LSU) def. Katie Gerig/Sarah Larkin Lewis (North Alabama) 21-19, 21-17
(Exh.) Melia Lindner/Brooke Blutreich (LSU) def. Abby Robertson/Kati Anderson (North Alabama) 21-7, 21-1

Tulane 5, New Orleans 0
1. Mollie Ebertin/Kendall Peters (TU) def. Maria Ozaeta/Ania Esarte (UNO) 21-14, 21-19
2. Sara Hall/Maddie Speicher (TU) def. Alexa Spartz/Trinity Jackson (UNO) 21-17, 21-16
3. Samantha Mehlman/Emily Heintzelman (TU) def. Ashley Salazar/Valerie Vujnovich (UNO) 21-12, 21-15
4. Ashton Mares/Abby Jackson (TU) def. Serena Baumgart/Ivana de Carvalho Peixe (UNO) 21-12, 21-15
5. Savka Popovic/Lara Torruella (TU) def. Valentina Echeverri/Sydney Gott (UNO) 21-11, 21-9
(Exh.) Molly Trodd/Sam O'Connor (TU) def. Rita Zecchin/Savannah Moberly (UNO) 21-9, 21-14