Tulane Beach Volleyball Completes Fall Opener in Birmingham
The Green Wave beach volleyball team opened its fall slate of action this weekend in a pairs tournament hosted by UAB. Wave pairings played over 14 matches Saturday with over 10 total triumphs.
The tournament featured three teams, with the host UAB and Chattanooga joining Tulane. The event featured five pools of action, two of five pairings with the other three featuring four pairings.
“We are extremely excited to test ourselves for the first time this fall!” said head coach Eyal Zimet. “This unique group of dedicated student-athletes has put a great deal of intentional and intense work since the start of our journey in August. It was a privilege to finally compete against other schools and get a glimpse of where we are and what we can keep improving on. Fantastic opportunities for us to forge stronger bonds and trust that are so crucial for our campaign this season. Lots to be proud of, plenty to work on, and a ton to look forward to! Roll Wave!”
Unofficial statistical leaders for the Wave include Tawny Ensign, who recorded over 32 kills in her matches with 38 more digs. Amirah Ali approached 30 kills with at least 26 more digs added in. Gigi Gallegos and Lauren Mann each notched over 20 digs and kills apiece, and Molly Trodd added similar numbers. Ali was the team’s top server with double-digit aces as Gallegos and Mann each neared 10. Ali closed in on 10 blocks with McKenzie Cutler posting at least six.
Trodd posted one of the top single matches with 21 kills against Chattanooga, adding 19 digs. Mann recorded matches of 12 and 13 kills. Gallegos recorded two different performances of 13 digs and 11 kills, once against UAB and once against the Mocs. In a contest against Chattanooga, Ali recorded a team-best seven aces alongside her 14 kills. Tawny Ensign added a match of 15 digs and 16 kills as her sister Skylar Ensign recorded a high of 16 kills.
Tulane will be back in action next weekend in the Huntsville Qualifier. The event takes place in Huntsville, Alabama, over the course of Saturday, October 25, and Sunday, October 26.
Courtesy of Tulane Athletics
Doug has covered a gamut of sporting events in his fifty-plus years in the field. He started doing sideline reporting for Louisiana Tech football games for the student radio station. Doug was Sports Director for KNOE-AM/FM in Monroe in the mid-80s, winning numerous awards from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association for Best Sportscast and Best Play-by-Play. High school play-by-play for teams in Monroe, Natchitoches, New Orleans, and Thibodaux, LA dot his resume. He did college play-by-play for Northwestern State University in Natchitoches for nine years. Then, moving to the Crescent City, Doug did television PBP of Tulane games and even filled in for legendary Tulane broadcaster, Ken Berthelot in the only game Kenny ever missed while doing the Green Wave games. His father was an alumnus of Tulane in the 1940s, so Doug has attended Tulane football games in old Tulane Stadium, the Superdome, and Yulman. He was one of the 86,000 plus on December 1, 1973, sitting in the North End Zone to seeTulane shutout the LSU Tigers, 14-0. He was there when the Posse ruled Fogelman and in Turchin when the Wave made it to the World Series. He currently is the public address voice of the Tulane baseball team.