Tulane University women’s beach volleyball was on a roll this past week, winning four of their first five matches at home. They hope to continue their early season success after beating Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. The Islanders were ranked No. 18 coming into the match for Tulane, and Tulane asserted its dominance, beating them 3-2.

Sophomore team captain Skyler Ensign spoke about her keys to success for the upcoming season. Ensign was chosen for the role of captain leading up to this season by coaches and the rest of her teammates. She emphasized the team’s true bond; one of her favorite parts of playing beach volleyball for the Green Wave is the connections she shares with the other players. It is a “really healthy relationship amongst the girls,” Ensign said, and it leads directly to their success on the sand.

Ensign went into detail about how their roster includes girls from all over the country who have played in various conditions. Each teammate’s background and experiences can help lead the team to succeed in any condition they face. She touches on how this experience gives the team “a lot of depth,” and with most of the roster already having experience playing at this level, it leads me to believe that the sky is the limit for them.

The Green Wave struggled away with a record of 2-4 last year, and when asked what the mindset is for their away schedule this year, Ensign said that they have to “minimize [their] errors and just not [get] in [their] heads too much when [they’re] away.”

It seems as if the strong bond that the Green Wave have this year will lead them to success both home and away. The rest of the season will be exciting to witness.