Tulane beach volleyball made history twice in two days, with a CUSA title and its first-ever NCAA Tournament selection.
Tulane Green Wave beach volleyball made history twice in one weekend, capturing the program’s first CUSA title and first-ever NCAA Tournament bid in program history. With their 3-0 sweep over Florida Atlantic Owls, the Green Wave punched their ticket to Gulf Shores as the No. 14 seed. They will be No. 14 in the 16-team field, and will open against No. 3 UCLA Bruins on Friday, May 1 at 3:00 pm in Gulf Shores, Ala. The tournament is a single-elimination bracket that will run through the championship dual on Sunday, May. All the duals will air on ESPN2 with the championship match airing on ESPN.
The Wave entered the CUSA Championship as the No. 5 seed, looking to avenge their last three straight years heading to the championship, where they made it twice to the title match the last two seasons. They made it through this year’s tournament without dropping a single dual. In the championship dual, they swept the No. 1 seeded Owls – avenging last season’s title-match loss and capturing their first conference title in program history.
Tulane held the edge with a 3-0 run through the tournament, while FAU had to beat the UAB Blazers in an elimination bout that morning to face the Wave for the title. They set the tone in each match by winning the first set across all five against the Owls. Avery Burks and Lauren Mann were the first to finish in the fifth flight, where they won in two sets (22-20, 21-19). Top flight Molly Trodd and Skylar Ensign clinched the lead for the Wave with a 2-0 sweep in their dual, winning their opening set 21-17 and their second set 23-21. The third flight for Tulane put their name in program history, as Amirah Ali and Tawny Ensign won in three sets. They started with a 21-13 victory but were defeated 21-15 in their second frame. They clinched the match, dual, and title on their third set, where a big final swing by Ali sealed the 15-9 win.
The dynamic duo of Trodd and S. Ensign were named CUSA Pair of the Tournament for their efforts, leading a trio of pairs that secured honors. The second flight of Emma Morris and Katie Hansen and the third flight of Ali and T. Ensign joined them on the CUSA All-Tournament team upon the conclusion of the title dual.
Tulane is now looking to make more beach volleyball program history, as they head to Gulf Shores with a lot of momentum as they hope to upset the No. 3 Bruins on a national stage.