Tulane Beach Volleyball History
Tulane beach volleyball is one of the most experienced programs in the country as it enters its 15th full season in 2017-18. First announced in 2010, Tulane beach volleyball was among the few pioneering programs nationwide to participate in the sport's inaugural 2012 season. That leadership continues today. Through innovative training, global recruiting, principled teaching and a growth-oriented approach to player development, Tulane beach volleyball continues to pursue excellence as an elite level program capable of achieving sustained competitive excellence.
Below is a list of key moments in Tulane beach volleyball history:
July 9, 2010:Â Tulane Director of Athletics Rick Dickson announces the addition of women's beach volleyball as the Green Wave Athletics Department returns to full NCAA Division I compliance. Beach volleyball was one of two programs introduced as new programs beginning play for the 2011-12 season, joining women's bowling.
Nov. 14, 2011: Four high school seniors - Sophie Asprey of Southlake, Texas, Courtney Liddle of Spring Hill, Fla., Mackenzie Moore of Arlington, Texas and Jackie Wegner of Clearview, Fla. - sign National Letters of Intent to play for the Green Wave in 2013, becoming the first beach-only signees in Tulane beach volleyball history.
March 5, 2012:Â The Tulane beach volleyball team takes to the dunes for the first time as a varsity program when the Green Wave square off against Florida State at The Dock in Slidell, La. The Wave, however, come up short in the contest as the Seminoles cruised to a 5-0 victory.
March 14, 2012: Tulane picks up its first win in program history as the Green Wave post a 3-2 decision over Stetson in DeLand, Fla. Lilly Wolfe and Anna Wruck joined forces to post a 21-18, 21-17 win in No. 3 play while the tandems of Cori Martone and Grace Weaver along with Shefalie Arora and Amber Bennet rally for three-set decisions at No. 1 and No. 5, respectively.Â
March 9, 2013: The second edition of the Tulane beach volleyball team opens the 2013 season in fine fashion with a 4-1 win over Mercer in Birmingham, Ala. The Green Wave posted straight-set wins on Courts 3, 4 and 5, and the No. 1 team of Sophie Asprey and Cori Martone posted a three-set decision en route to the victory.
March 30, 2013:Â The Green Wave earned their first-ever win over a nationally-ranked team as Tulane downed then-No. 6 Florida International, 4-1, in the Doctor's Hospital FIU Surf & Turf Tournament in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The win over the Panthers was the fourth in a row for Tulane as the Green Wave had previously defeated UAB (3-2 on March 16) and Stetson (3-2 on March 17) in the Tulane Pelican Classic at Coconut Beach in Kenner, La., and downed Florida Atlantic (4-1 on March 29) in the opening round of the FIU Surf & Turf. The four-game winning streak is the longest in Tulane history to date.
April 4, 2013:Â Tulane makes its first-ever appearance in the national rankings as the Green Wave claimed the No. 9 spot in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Sand Volleyball Poll.
April 12, 2013:Â The Green Wave wrapped up the 2013 season on a high note as Tulane defeated Florida Gulf Coast, 5-0, and College of Charleston, 3-2, in the Fiesta at Siesta Key in Siesta Key ,Fla. The two wins pushed the Wave's overall record to 9-4.
April 18, 2013:Â Tulane earns a spot in the season's final AVCA national rankings, finishing the year at No. 10.
June 22, 2013: Wayne Holly is named head coach of the Tulane beach volleyball program. Prior to his arrival in uptown New Orleans, Holly was an integral part of the USA Volleyball Beach program, serving as an assistant coach for the USA Volleyball Beach National U19 Team as well as the national camp coach for USA Volleyball Beach High Performance.
April 22, 2014:Â Tea Juric and Jackie Wegner are selected to compete in the AVCA National Pairs Championship in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
April 30, 2015:Â Maddy Mertz and Lan Nguyen set the Freshman class record with 46 combined wins.
May 3, 2015: Tea Juric and Jackie Wegner are selected to compete in the AVCA National Pairs Championship for the second year in a row. The second time around, the pair became the first in program history to reach the Round of 16 Bracket. Juric/Wegner defeated pairs from the University of Arizona, FIU, and the College of Charleston en route to a top 16 finish.
Oct. 22, 2015:Â Tulane accepts an invitation to compete in the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) Beach Volleyball conference beginning with the 2016 season.
April 20, 2016:Â Jackie Wegner is named CCSA Scholar Athlete of the Year.
April 30, 2016:Â Tulane eclipses 20 win mark for the first time in program history.
April 20, 2017: Tea Juric and Kaylie McHugh are named to the CCSA All-Conference team, and McHugh is named to the CCSA All-Freshman Team. Following the CCSA Conference Tournament, Maddy Mertz and Tarin Mergener are named to the CCSA All-Tournament team.
June 5, 2017:Â Kaylie McHugh breaks the single season freshman win record with 28 wins. McHugh and Tarin Mergener break the Freshman class record with 54 combined wins.
April 10, 2018: Madeline Mertz and Kaylie McHugh were named Coastal Collegiate Sports Association Pair of the Week.
April 18, 2018: Madeline Mertz was named to the 2018 CCSA Beach Volleyball All-America Team.
April 19, 2018: Madeline Mertz and Kaylie McHugh were named to the CCSA Beach Volleyball All-America Team. Addison Hermstad earned a spot on the conference’s All-Freshman Team.
May 3, 2018: Madeline Mertz and Kaylie McHugh both were named 2018 American Volleyball Coaches Association Top Flight Awards.
May 17, 2018:Â Madeline Mertz and Kaylie McHugh were named Collegiate Beach All-Americans by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.
April 18, 2019: Kaylie McHugh and Eva Torruella earned a spot on the CCSA All-Conference Team.
July 1, 2019: Eyal Zimet is named as the new head coach of the Tulane beach volleyball program.Â
Feb. 19, 2020:Â Kaylie McHugh was named to the 2020 Coastal Collegiate Sports Association Preseason All-Conference Team.
April 22, 2020: The Tulane beach volleyball team was No. 6 in community service among all Division I beach volleyball programs.
Oct. 12, 2020:Â Samantha Mehlman was named Scholar Athlete of the Month for the month of September.
April 22, 2021: Tarin Mergener was named to the 2021 Coastal Collegiate Sports Association All-Academic Team.
May 5, 202:Â Addison Hermstad and Samantha Mehlman were named American Volleyball Coaches Association Top Flight Award.
April 30, 2022:Â Maddie Speicher and Kendall Peters were both named to the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association All-Tournament Team.
July 7, 2022: The entire Tulane roster was named to the 2021-22 Academic Honor Roll.
Aug. 5, 2022:Â Tulane and Conference USA announced the addition of the Green Wave beach volleyball program as an affiliate member of the league beginning with the 2023 campaign.Â
April 26, 2023:Â Emily Heintzelman and Samantha Mehlman both were named to the Conference USA Beach Volleyball All-Academic Team.
May 5, 2023: Mollie Ebertin and Kendall Peters earned All-Conference First Team Pairs. Molly Trodd was named All-Freshmen Team. Abby Jackson and Ashton Mares both received American Volleyball Coaches Association Top Flight Awards.
May 24, 2023: Ashton Mares, Samantha Mehlman, and Emily Heintzelman were all named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Women’s At-Large Team. Mehlman and Heintzelman were also honored on the Conference USA Beach Volleyball All-Academic Team.
July 14, 2023: The Green Wave earned the USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award.
April 22, 2024: Samantha Green was selected to the Conference USA Beach Volleyball All-Academic Team.
April 27, 2024: The Green Wave advanced to the Conference USA Championship final for the first time, finishing as the runner-up in the tournament.Â
May 2, 2024: Samantha Green and Skylar Ensign were awarded the American Volleyball Coaches Association Top Flight Award at Flight 4. McKenize Cutler and Ameila Mullen also earned this award at Flight 5.
May 3, 2024:Â Head coach Eyal Zimet was named CUSA Coach of the Year.
July 24, 2024:Â Samantha Green was selected as the Conference USA Scholar Athlete of the Year.
May 1, 2025: Seven members of the Tulane beach volleyball program were honored by Conference USA. Skylar Ensign was named to the All-CUSA First Team. Gigi Gallegos was named to the CUSA All-Freshman Team. Emily Heintzelman, McKenzie Cutler, Sara Hall, Molly Trodd, and Samantha Green each earned All-CUSA Second Team nods.Â
July 21, 2025: The Tulane beach volleyball program earned the AVCA Team Academic Award.Â
