Tulane’s beach volleyball squad earned a split decision in the first day of the FIU Surf & Turf Invitational, playing two top-15 teams and upsetting No. 12 Arizona State in the process. Going 1-1 on their first day in Miami, the Green Wave move to 14-6 on the season and 3-6 against Coastal Collegiate Sports Association foes.
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“We played very good volleyball today and were consistent from match to match against two very good opponents. Our wind play was much better than the last time we played on a real beach, which was just the second week of the season in Gulf Shores. We’re looking forward to playing several more very good teams tomorrow to close out the weekend.”
— Tulane head coach Wayne Holly
#4 FLORIDA STATE 5, TULANE 0
Tulane faced its most challenging opponent to date in the 2017 season to open up the FIU Surf & Turf Invitational on Friday morning, taking on CCSA foe No. 4 Florida State. The Green Wave battled on every court but could not string together multiple set victories, falling 0-5 to the Seminoles.
Sarah Strasner and Anna Chin were the first Tulane pair to square off against their FSU counterparts, dropping the first set 10-21 on court five. The duo bounced back in the second set but fell 17-21 to Hailey Luke and Eva Torruella for FSU’s first win of the day.
Tulane would also fall in straight sets on courts four, two and three as the Seminoles sealed a match victory, but Madeline Mertz and Lan Nguyen battled to three sets on court one on scores of 10-21 and 21-11 in the first two sets. With the match evened at one win apiece, FSU took the final set 15-8 for the dual sweep.
TULANE 4, #12 ARIZONA STATE 1
The Green Wave’s second contest of the day resulted in a handy win over No. 12 Arizona State, Tulane’s first victory over a ranked team this year. The Tulane women pulled off straight-set victories on every court but one to defeate the No. 12 Sun Devils 4-1 on Friday.
Hannah Holmes and Briana Correa were the first Tulane pair to turn in a final score, posting identical 21-17 decisions on court three for the Green Wave’s first win of the afternoon.
After winning a 21-19 set-one battle on court five, Sarah Strasner and Christina McAfee then gave Tulane a 2-0 advantage in the match, pulling out a quick 21-10 victory in the second set.
Up 2-0 and looking to seal a match victory over the Sun Devils, No. 2 pair of Kaylie McHugh and Tea Juric took one step closer to the 20-win margin, tallying their 17th win of the season. The straight-set victory over Oluoma Okaro and Madison Berridge was Tulane’s third of the day to seal a dual win over No. 12 ASU.
Tulane added another match win to the 3-0 total on court four, as Annie Shurtz and Tarin Mergener also posted straight-set victories over their ranked opponents on hard-fought scores of 21-19 and 21-17.
The Green Wave fell just short of sweeping the Sun Devils, as Madeline Mertz and Lan Nguyen came away with a close 21-19 decision in the first set before dropping the second on an identical score of 19-21. Tied at 1-1, the No. 1 pair faltered on an 8-15 final in the third set for Tulane’s only match loss of the dual.
UP NEXT
Tulane will play its three remaining duals of the FIU Surf & Turf Invitational on Saturday, opening up the morning at 8:00 a.m. against No. 15 FIU. The Green Wave will face UNO for the first time this season at 11, concluding their weekend in Miami with a 2:00 match-up against No. 3 UCLA.
Results from Day One of the FIU Surf & Turf Invitational
#4 FLORIDA STATE 5, TULANE 0
No. 1 Leigh Andrew/Brooke Kuhlman (FSU) def. Madeline Mertz/Lan Nguyen (TUL) 10-21, 21-11, 15-8
No. 2 Macy Jerger/Victoria Paranagua (FSU) def. Tea Juric/Kaylie McHugh (TUL) 21-15, 21-16
No. 3 Vanessa Freir,e/Francesca Goncalves (FSU) def. Hannah Holmes/Briana Correa (TUL) 21-12, 21-13
No. 4 Katie Horton/Molly McBain (FSU) def. Tarin Mergener/Annie Shurtz (TUL) 21-19, 21-17
No. 5 Hailey Luke/Eva Torruella (FSU) def. Sarah Strasner/Anna Chin (TUL) 21-12, 21-17
Order of Finish: 5, 4, 2, 3, 1
TULANE 4, #12 ARIZONA STATE 1
No. 1 Bianca Arellano/Whitney Follette (ASU) def. Madeline Mertz/Lan Nguyen (TUL) 19-21, 21-19, 15-8
No. 2 Tea Juric/Kaylie McHugh (TUL) def. Oluoma Okaro/Madison Berridge (ASU) 21-16, 21-15
No. 3 Hannah Holmes/Briana Correa (TUL) def. Kwyn Johnson/Frances Giedraitis (ASU) 21-17, 21-17
No. 4 Tarin Mergener/Annie Shurtrz (TUL) def. Cassidy Pickrell/Katelyn Carballo (ASU) 21-19, 21-17
No. 5 Sarah Strasner/Christina McAfee (TUL) def. Katie Cross/Mia Rivera (ASU) 21-19, 21-10
Order of Finish: 3, 5, 2, 4, 1
News courtesy of Tulane Athletics.
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