This past weekend, the Tulane University Green Wave volleyball team went unbeaten in Avron B. Fogelman Arena in Devlin Fieldhouse and improved to 4-2 on the year. Tulane continued to amplify their play after a slow start to the season, and with exceptional play from veteran leaders and young talented freshmen, Tulane was able to dominate the court.
The Green Wave Classic, which is hosted by Tulane, brings teams from across the state of Louisiana and the south to face up against one another. The first game of the weekend for the Green Wave was against the Lamar University Cardinals on Friday, Sept. 5.
The teams produced a highly competitive matchup. After winning the opening set 16-25, the Green Wave proceeded to drop the following two sets and encountered an early test in the match. Lamar’s outside hitter, Kinley Elms, proved to elevate the Cardinals’ performance and challenged the Tulane defense. Elms finished with 12 kills, two block assists and two digs.
The Green Wave’s Dayla Ortiz helped establish a reliable resistance to Lamar’s offensive campaign, boasting a career-high 24 digs. Offensively, Avery Burks and Lauryn Mack propelled the Green Wave to the win over the Cardinals by winning the fourth and fifth set handily.
Mack’s 17 kills showcased her ability to play a supporting role for the Tulane offense; ultimately, Burks’ 20 kills along with a pair of aces drove the Green Wave to the win. The match ended after five sets and favored the Green Wave 3-2.
The second game for the Green Wave of the weekend vs. the Louisiana Tech University Bulldogs on Sept. 6 indicated a growing connection among the Tulane players. The Green Wave jumped off to an early lead in the first set, but the Bulldogs quickly launched a counter, which evened the match at nine.
Tulane went to work and ended the set with a closely-contested 19-25 win. The following sets ended in similar fashion. Both the second and third sets ended with the Green Wave on top 19-25. Tulane’s capacity to overcome pressure and win tight contests will hopefully remain prevalent as the Green Wave continues on this season.
Burks persisted as a reliable offensive weapon and led both teams with 13 kills. Along with 13 digs and two aces, Zoe Rachow provided a remarkable 35 assists which helped facilitate the offensive effort.
After sweeping Louisiana Tech, the Green Wave gained a tremendous amount of momentum heading into the final match of the weekend vs. the Southern University Jaguars on Sunday, Sept. 7. Tulane exhibited their ability to overwhelm defenses with a quick start to the first set, and soon overtook the Jaguars in the first set with a decisive 25-17 victory.
The second set began with an early lead for the Green Wave, but efforts from the Jaguars kept the set increasingly tight. The set ended with back-to-back points from the Green Wave to put Tulane ahead by two with only one set remaining to secure another sweep on the weekend.
The Green Wave offense continued to fire on all cylinders with contributions from various players. Burks, Lauren Macks and Ava Derbes all totaled nine or more kills throughout the match.
The third set was all Tulane from the beginning and ended with the Green Wave on top 25-19. With the third set win, Tulane took the win over the Jaguars and secured its fourth straight win.
Tulane hopes to carry this streak to Mobile, Alabama as they compete in the Jaguar Invitational this coming weekend. The Wave will begin against Southeastern Louisiana University and play the University of South Alabama the following day.