Tulane University
Pairs Tournament
Beach Volleyball Dominates in First Home Tournament
Nov 23, 2024 | Women's Beach Volleyball
NEW ORLEANS – Tulane Beach Volleyball finished its first home tournament with a complete sweep of the top spots, placing each of its pairs in the first seven ranks of the tournament. Tulane excelled against the University of New Orleans and the University of Southern Mississippi to kick off their first home competition and project a season of excellence.
"We were grateful to culminate our fall campaign at home in White Sands. The journey we embarked on at the start of fall was all we hoped for. The team grew stronger together, worked hard and efficient to develop new tools and sharpen existing ones," Head Coach Eyal Zimet said. "Proud of our team for staying humble and hungry during this process of building chemistry with new partnerships this fall."
Tulane's seven competing pairs took places one through seven, shutting out the competition and decisively winning its two-day homestand. Four Tulane pairs went undefeated throughout the tournament and Tulane won 17 of 19 matches on Saturday.Â
Molly Trodd & Sara Hall had a productive outing against Southern Mississippi, defeating the Golden Eagles in two 21-10 and 21-19. Sara Hall had a staggering 15 kills, eight blocks, and 10 digs. Trodd followed up with nine kills and eight digs to finish the chances of USM.Â
Gigi Gallegos & Emily Heintzelman beat USM in three, 21-17, 21-18 (USM), and 15-8. Gallegos, a freshman, managed to have an equal number of kills and digs, with 18 of each. She also added four aces to her stat total. Heintzelman landed 12 kills, along with eight digs, a block, and a monumental five aces.Â
Skylar Ensign & Samantha Green toppled UNO 21-11 and 21-15. Green logged 12 kills, nine digs, and three aces, while Ensign hit 14 kills, three aces, four blocks, and seven digs. Ensign also had a remarkable match against USM, obliterating them 21-6 and 21-8 alongside Amelia Mullen.Â
Mullen & McKenzie Cutler also beat USM 21-9 and 21-13. Mullen drove in 13 kills and an ace, also picking up nine digs. Cutler had an impressive showing, driving 13 kills and three aces into the sand. She also picked up seven digs and put up five blocks.Â
Bella Griffin and Heintzelman took on UNO and beat them 21-12 and 21-13. Griffin administered 16 kills and 13 digs, while Heintzelman provided two aces, nine kills, and 11 digs. Mullen and Gallegos cleared UNO 21-10 and 21-5, with Gallegos contributing eight kills toward the win. Mullen distributed five aces and 10 kills to lead the pair to victory.Â
USM placed second, while UNO placed third. Seven Tulane players (Trodd, Heintzelman, Cutler, Sara Hall, Tara Gaspar, Bella Griffin, and Alexandra Hennessey) never dropped a match this weekend.Â
Tulane Beach Volleyball will host four more home events during the 2025 season. Coach Zimet anticipates a promising season based on today's performances.
"We have seen our players demonstrate, throughout this tournament, adaptability, resourcefulness, and resilience, " Zimet said. "Thankful for this year's unique group of young leaders who are the driving force of our journey. A ton to be proud of, lots to work on, and plenty to look forward to! Roll Wave!"
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