Shocker VB Heads to New Orleans

[1972Shocker]

Shockers Head to NOLA for Key Matches at Tulane

https://goshockers.com/news/2021/3/1...at-tulane.aspx

Match 1: Wichita State (8-3, 3-3 American) at Tulane (5-8, 3-3 American)
Friday, March 12 | 6 p.m. | TV: ESPN+

Match 2: Wichita State at Tulane
Saturday, March 13 | 1 p.m. | TV: ESPN+

Scouting Tulane: The Tulane University Green Wave enter the weekend at 5-8 overall and 3-3 in The American after splitting two matches at SMU March 4-5 in Dallas, Texas, winning on March 4, 3-1, before falling March 5, 3-1 ... Through 13 matches, Tulane is led by senior outside hitter Lexie Douglas (169 kills, 3.84 kills/set, 13 service aces, 116 digs, 2.64 digs/set, 1 block solo, 22 block assists), junior setter Amanda Giardina (208 assists, 5.47 assists/set, 10 service aces, 89 digs, 2.34 digs/set), freshman libero Sophia Ervanian (163 digs, 4.66 digs/set) and junior right side hitter Yvette Burcescu (4 block solos, 29 block assists, 0.69 blocks/set, 89 kills, 1.85 kills/set) ... As a team, the Green Wave are averaging 13.1 kills, 12.2 assists, 16.8 digs and 2.2 blocks per set ... Tulane was picked to finish second in The American West Division preseason poll.

What will the Shockers have in store for us this weekend? Hopefully, it's a lot better than what we got last week against Memphis. If not this season will have gone from promising to disappointing in a span of 10 days.

[flyingMoose]

Match One - Set One

Starters for the Shocks in numerical order are Brylee, Lily, Kayce, Sina, Natalie, Sophia, and Megan. Natalie gets a shot again. Will we see a 5-1? Kayce has been the first setter on the court for a while now, so cannot tell yet.

[1972Shocker]

Match One

Starters for the Shocks in numerical order are Brylee, Lily, Kayce, Sina, Natalie, Sophia, and Megan.

Who will come of the floor to start the match. My guess is LIly. Brylee, Natialie and Sophia on he front row. Kayce, Sina and Megan on the back row.

[flyingMoose]

Mckayla and Brooke rotate in. In a 6-2.

2-8. Three attack errors for the Shocks but none of them are via a block.

Now 3-7. Must have been an overruled call.

6-8. Two attack errors and a service error come to the aid of the Shocks. Sina has a kill for 7-8.

The Shockers take their first lead at 13-12.

Media Timeout. 15-14 Shocks. .190 v .409, but three service errors by the Green Wave have helped.

A second kill by Sina. Getting lucky from the back row?

From 16-16, Tulane gets three in a row. 16-19 and TO by the Shocks.

[1972Shocker]

Now 3-7. Must have been an overruled call.

Yes, the Shockers challenged for a tip on a ball hit long by Brylee and replays showed a clear tip (ball changed directions). Brylee called for the challenge.

[flyingMoose]

Nothing but sideouts from 16-19 until 21-23. Morgan in to serve.

22-23 after a Tulane attack error and they take a TO.

Kill by Brylee. Service ace by Morgan. 24-23 and another TO by the Green Wave. Emma in for blocking.

Tulane kill and service ace, but Brooke and Sina get a block. Sina is playing front row, and Lily must be the libero.

But a kill and another ball-handling error by Mckayla.

25-27 Green Wave.

.175 v .310

[1972Shocker]

Shocks were outhit .310 to .175. Fortunate to have had a shot to win that set although they could not cash in one their one set point.

[flyingMoose]

Set Two

Same starters for the Shocks.

Two early kills by Brylee with no assists. Overpasses.

6-2 and a Tulane timeout. Other kills by Megan(2), Sophia, and Natalie.

11-4. Shocks are 10-0-11 for .909!

18-10 and another Tulane TO. Three-point run for the Shocks.

15-1-19 for .737 in this set.

Tulane returns the three-point favor. 18-13 and a Shocker timeout.

[1972Shocker]

Set TwoTwo early kills by Brylee with no assists. Overpasses.

At first I thought the second one was a replay.

[flyingMoose]

20-15 and Morgan is serving. Four kills in this set for Natalie with seven total.

Five in a row to tie it. Finally, a kill by Sina.

Kill by Sophia and a service ace by Kayce makes it 23-21.

Exchange of service errors. 24-22.

Block error by Sina? Not possible. Kill credited to Sophia.

Shockers 25-23.

Shocks hit .567 for the set, now .343 for the match.

Nine kills for Megan, seven for Natalie and Sophia, and six for Brylee. All of those match totals, of course.

[1972Shocker]

Tulane scores on a bit of a lucky play to make 24-23. So-so pass by Lily but Kayce delivers a nice back set to Sophia who drills the set winner.

Shocks really need that set but blowing the 18-10 lead doesn't exactly inspire great confidence.

Shocks really are a below average passing team and when Megan is on the back row other teams are attacking her when they are serving. That's pretty much a given.

Each team with only 1 block each at 2 sets. Unusually low.

Now we have a best of 3 match.

[flyingMoose]

Set Three

Same starters. No Nicole and only roles for Emma and Morgan to this point.

3-3, 3-7, 7-12, 10-12. TO by the Green Wave.

At 14-15, Morgan subs in. Serve and play some back row?

Mostly sideouts back and forth. Each team with a back-to-back.

Another Shocker back-to-back (both blocks) brings the score to 20-21. Timeout Tulane.

A kill and a block by the Green Wave. 20-23 and a Shocker TO.

Another block and an attack error.

20-25 Green Wave.

Now .267 v .347. Eleven kills for Natalie and Megan, nine for Sophia.

[1972Shocker]

Shocks getting their blocking going a little bit. Probably are going to have to have that working as Tulane is probably the more skilled team as a group.

Shocks need to find a way to get this to a 5th set.

[flyingMoose]

Set Four

Emma and Mckayla are on the court first.

Natalie and Kayce rotate in.

A three-ball makes it 4-8 Tulane.

The Shocks do the same. 9-11 and a Tulane timeout.

Going downhill fast. 12-19 and a Shocker TO.

16-25 Tulane


Shockers 1-3 Tulane

.245 v .358 - hard to win allowing that kind of hitting percentage

Megan 16-4-30 for .400
Natalie11-4-18 for .389
Sophia 11-3-23 for .348

[1972Shocker]

I thought the Shockers played hard for the most part but Tulane was clearly the better and more skilled team on the floor tonight.

Not sure LIly is the answer at LIbero but Lambo is clearly operating in search mode. Still searching.

Thought Natalie did pretty well in the middle. Megan and Sophia also had decent performances.

I'm not sure the things we need to improve are things that can be fixed overnight. But we'll see what tomorrow brings.