TULANE RALLIES PAST VOLLEYBALL, 3-1

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RADFORD, Va. – Tulane used a .312 attack clip and four players with double-figure kills to overcome a 1-0 deficit and prevail, 3-1, over Radford volleyball Friday night as part of the Highlander Classic inside the Dedmon Center.

Rachel Wiechecki charted her 24th career double-double behind 12 kills and 15 digs, in addition to four aces to lead the Highlanders (9-5). Jordan Watson and Emma Deininger nearly reached double figures as both finished with nine kills.

Jena Braden also notched a double-double, her fourth of the season, with 21 assists and 13 digs. Coming off her season-high performance against Savannah State, Rachel Flores delivered 17 assists.

Behind four players registering double-figure digs, Radford racked up 61 digs in the four-set contest. In addition to Wiechecki and Braden, Kelby Jackson (11) and Emma Wroblicky (10) also crossed the threshold. Deininger produced a team-high five blocks.

Tea Juric and Annie Shurtz both knocked down 16 kills to guide the Green Wave (11-1). Anna Wruck and Cori Martone pounded 13 and 11 kills, respectively. To go along with her kill ledger, Juric also chipped in 13 digs. Also posting a double-double for Tulane was setter Mel Mandelbaum, who tossed out 55 assists and accumulated 16 digs. Grace Weaver was credited with 19 of the Green Wave's 70 digs.

Cheyanne James was the catalyst in the first frame, hitting .500 en route to four kills to lift Radford to a 25-22 victory. After leading by as many as four in the beginning stages, the Highlanders saw Tulane tie the set at 13 off a Wruck swing. Ahead 19-18, Wiechecki blistered an attack that sparked a 4-0 spurt that created enough separation for RU to open with a 1-0 edge in the match.

The Green Wave hit .306 in the second stanza en route to a 25-17 triumph. Like the first set, the Highlanders were clicking offensively in the early going. With Radford on top, 15-12, momentum shifted on another Wruck kill that ignited a 7-0 surge. A Tulane service error and a Braden ace closed the gap to 19-17, but the Green Wave ended the frame on a 6-0 rally to square the match at intermission.

Tulane turned up its offense even more in the third set, as the squad hit .324 on its way to a 25-20 win. The Highlanders continued their trend of gaining an early advantage as three Wiechecki aces produced a 7-1 lead. Trailing 11-7, Wruck delivered another game-changing kill that engineered a 5-0 run to give the Green Wave the lead they would not relinquish.

Behind a .531 attack clip, Tulane saved its best performance for last. Wruck, who was the manufacturer of each momentum shift for the Green Wave in the previous three sets, hit 7-for-7 in the fourth to pace her squad to the 25-16 victory. Tulane opened with an 8-2 edge and never looked back in winning the first-ever meeting between the two programs.

After the Green Wave and Savannah State play a neutral-site match at 10 a.m. Saturday, the Highlanders take on SSU at 2 p.m. inside the Dedmon Center.

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