Friday, May 1
Gulf Shores, AL
3:00 PM
Tulane University
vs
UCLA
Photo by: Wyatt Streett
No. 20 Tulane Set for NC Beach Volleyball Championship
Apr 30, 2026 | Women's Beach Volleyball
GULF SHORES, Ala. – Fresh off the first Conference USA championship in program history, the Tulane beach volleyball program will compete in the 2026 National Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championship beginning tomorrow at Gulf Place. The Green Wave, seeded No. 14 and ranked No. 20, will face UCLA, No. 3 in both seeding and ranking, at 3:00 p.m. in a first-round match-up.
Tulane earned its way into the 16-team field by winning the CUSA championship last weekend at Sugar Beach in Youngsville, Louisiana. The Wave defeated No. 19 and top-seeded Florida Atlantic in the title tilt last Saturday by way of a 3-0 sweep. Molly Trodd and Skylar Ensign were named the CUSA Pair of the Tournament. Katie Hansen, Emma Morris, Amirah Ali, and Tawny Ensign all joined them on the CUSA All-Tournament Team. Both the conference championship and NC Beach Volleyball Championship appearance are firsts for the program.
The Wave will meet UCLA in the opening round of the single-elimination bracket on Friday, May 1, at 3:00 p.m. The contest will be air on ESPN2 with live results available here. Separate broadcasts specific to each court will also be available on ESPN+. Should Tulane defeat the Bruins and advance, the Wave will play its second-round dual on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. against the winner of No. 6 Cal Poly and No. 11 Grand Canyon.
Head coach Eyal Zimet along with Molly Trodd and Skylar Ensign were featured on the latest episode of THE CURRENT presented by Brayn Subaru. The episode released yesterday and is available on both Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Trodd and S. Ensign come into the tournament with a 29-8 record together this season. They are 17-4 since moving up to the top flight. With 46 career win together, they are the winningest pair in program history. Morris and Hansen have been on a tear through April, owning 12 consecutive victories for the longest win streak by a Wave tandem this season. Ali and T. Ensign are 20-8 together at flight three on the campaign, and they were the pair that clinched the conference championship last weekend behind Ali's match-winning kill in set three against the Owls. Their 20 wins are the most in program history by a pair at the third flight for a season, and Ali's 25 total flight three wins are the most by an individual at that flight for a campaign in program history.
With a trio of sweeps in the conference tournament last weekend, Tulane's sweep total for the campaign elevated to 16. This is a new program record for sweeps in a single season.
The Wave entered the AVCA coaches poll at No. 20 this week, returning to the top 20 for the first time since the preseason rankings. The team was tabbed No. 20 entering the campaign, and despite falling out of the rankings after week one, Tulane has been receiving votes every week this season. Tulane's opponent, UCLA, is ranked No. 3 in the latest poll. This is tied for the highest-ranked opponent on the schedule this season (No. 3 Texas). Should Tulane pull the upset, it will be the highest-ranked victory in program history. The current high is a 3-2 triumph over No. 8 Georgia State on April 9, 2016.
Tulane is looking to be the first CUSA team to claim a win in the NC Beach Volleyball Championship since 2022. That season, both FAU and Georgia State notched triumphs with the Panthers advancing all the way to the semifinals. Coincidentally, Georgia State lost that match-up to UCLA, also seeded third that season. The last CUSA victory in the tournament was the Panther triumph in round two over Grand Canyon, a potential second-round opponent for Tulane in this edition of the bracket.
The 2026 campaign will conclude this weekend. After round one tomorrow, Saturday's slate features round two in the morning and the semifinals in the afternoon. The championship dual is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. on Sunday. All duals this weekend will air on ESPN2 except for the championship, which will be on ESPN.
TICKETS
Tickets for the football, volleyball, and men's and women's basketball, and baseball campaigns can be purchased by calling 504-861-WAVE (9283), logging on to TulaneTix.com or visiting the ticket office at the James W. Wilson Jr. Center.
DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL TULANE ATHLETICS APP
Download the official mobile app of Tulane Athletics. Now, you can stay in touch with the Green Wave anytime and anywhere on your Android or iOS mobile device.
FOLLOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow Tulane beach volleyball at @GreenWaveBeach on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
GREEN WAVE CLUB
Giving to the Green Wave Club provides Tulane Athletics with the resources student‑athletes need to excel in competition and in the classroom. Your support directly improves the lives of current and future Green Wave student‑athletes and enhances Tulane's competitiveness in intercollegiate athletics. Make a gift today by calling (504) 865‑5356, emailing greenwaveclub@tulane.edu, or visiting GreenWaveClub.com.
Tulane earned its way into the 16-team field by winning the CUSA championship last weekend at Sugar Beach in Youngsville, Louisiana. The Wave defeated No. 19 and top-seeded Florida Atlantic in the title tilt last Saturday by way of a 3-0 sweep. Molly Trodd and Skylar Ensign were named the CUSA Pair of the Tournament. Katie Hansen, Emma Morris, Amirah Ali, and Tawny Ensign all joined them on the CUSA All-Tournament Team. Both the conference championship and NC Beach Volleyball Championship appearance are firsts for the program.
The Wave will meet UCLA in the opening round of the single-elimination bracket on Friday, May 1, at 3:00 p.m. The contest will be air on ESPN2 with live results available here. Separate broadcasts specific to each court will also be available on ESPN+. Should Tulane defeat the Bruins and advance, the Wave will play its second-round dual on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. against the winner of No. 6 Cal Poly and No. 11 Grand Canyon.
Head coach Eyal Zimet along with Molly Trodd and Skylar Ensign were featured on the latest episode of THE CURRENT presented by Brayn Subaru. The episode released yesterday and is available on both Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Trodd and S. Ensign come into the tournament with a 29-8 record together this season. They are 17-4 since moving up to the top flight. With 46 career win together, they are the winningest pair in program history. Morris and Hansen have been on a tear through April, owning 12 consecutive victories for the longest win streak by a Wave tandem this season. Ali and T. Ensign are 20-8 together at flight three on the campaign, and they were the pair that clinched the conference championship last weekend behind Ali's match-winning kill in set three against the Owls. Their 20 wins are the most in program history by a pair at the third flight for a season, and Ali's 25 total flight three wins are the most by an individual at that flight for a campaign in program history.
With a trio of sweeps in the conference tournament last weekend, Tulane's sweep total for the campaign elevated to 16. This is a new program record for sweeps in a single season.
The Wave entered the AVCA coaches poll at No. 20 this week, returning to the top 20 for the first time since the preseason rankings. The team was tabbed No. 20 entering the campaign, and despite falling out of the rankings after week one, Tulane has been receiving votes every week this season. Tulane's opponent, UCLA, is ranked No. 3 in the latest poll. This is tied for the highest-ranked opponent on the schedule this season (No. 3 Texas). Should Tulane pull the upset, it will be the highest-ranked victory in program history. The current high is a 3-2 triumph over No. 8 Georgia State on April 9, 2016.
Tulane is looking to be the first CUSA team to claim a win in the NC Beach Volleyball Championship since 2022. That season, both FAU and Georgia State notched triumphs with the Panthers advancing all the way to the semifinals. Coincidentally, Georgia State lost that match-up to UCLA, also seeded third that season. The last CUSA victory in the tournament was the Panther triumph in round two over Grand Canyon, a potential second-round opponent for Tulane in this edition of the bracket.
The 2026 campaign will conclude this weekend. After round one tomorrow, Saturday's slate features round two in the morning and the semifinals in the afternoon. The championship dual is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. on Sunday. All duals this weekend will air on ESPN2 except for the championship, which will be on ESPN.
TICKETS
Tickets for the football, volleyball, and men's and women's basketball, and baseball campaigns can be purchased by calling 504-861-WAVE (9283), logging on to TulaneTix.com or visiting the ticket office at the James W. Wilson Jr. Center.
DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL TULANE ATHLETICS APP
Download the official mobile app of Tulane Athletics. Now, you can stay in touch with the Green Wave anytime and anywhere on your Android or iOS mobile device.
FOLLOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow Tulane beach volleyball at @GreenWaveBeach on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
GREEN WAVE CLUB
Giving to the Green Wave Club provides Tulane Athletics with the resources student‑athletes need to excel in competition and in the classroom. Your support directly improves the lives of current and future Green Wave student‑athletes and enhances Tulane's competitiveness in intercollegiate athletics. Make a gift today by calling (504) 865‑5356, emailing greenwaveclub@tulane.edu, or visiting GreenWaveClub.com.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
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