NEW ORLEANS — The Tulane Green Wave women’s volleyball team extended its formidable winning streak to nine matches on Friday night, delivering a 3-0 sweep (25-20, 25-23, 25-16) over the visiting Charlotte 49ers inside a raucous Avron B. Fogelman Arena in Devlin Fieldhouse.
With the victory, Tulane improves to 13-2 overall and remains a perfect 5-0 in American Athletic Conference (AAC) play, marking the program’s best start to a league schedule since 2007. [1]
Burks Anchors a High-Powered Offense
The story of the night centered around senior outside hitter Avery Burks, who put together a career performance at the net. Burks tormented the Charlotte defense, racking up a match-high 16 kills on an astonishing .652 hitting percentage. [1]
Burks spearheaded a Tulane offense that has systematically dismantled opponents all autumn, leading the AAC in kills per set (14.04) and assists per set (13.17). Alongside Burks, Lauryn Mack also reached double-digit kills to keep the 49ers’ blockers continuously off-balance. [1, 2]
Resilient Niners Force Tight Frames
Despite the straight-sets result, the Charlotte 49ers made the Green Wave earn every point in a highly competitive, back-and-forth affair. [1]
- Set 1: Charlotte aggressively established its presence early, constructing a 7-2 run to challenge the hosts. After pushing Tulane to a tight 15-14 media timeout, the Green Wave responded with a decisive 5-0 burst out of the huddle to pull ahead and secure the opening frame, 25-20. [1]
- Set 2: The second stanza saw Charlotte stage a furious counter-attack. Trailing early, the 49ers orchestrated a massive 12-0 scoring run to build a commanding 15-8 advantage, forcing a pair of Tulane timeouts. Yet, the veteran composure of the Green Wave shone through; Tulane chip away at the margin, executing late-set executions to steal the frame 25-23. [1]
- Set 3: The structural toll of the Set Two collapse seemed to catch up to Charlotte in the finale. While the 49ers traded blows early, Tulane broke away late, utilizing an 8-0 match-ending run to shut the door on any potential comeback with a 25-16 line. [1]
SET SCORES 1 2 3 (TOTAL)
Charlotte 49ers 20 23 16 (0)
Tulane Green Wave 25 25 25 (3)
Defensive Standouts
Defensively, Charlotte found bright spots in their back row. Libero Chloe Maughan and outside hitter Sara Marinkovic split duties on the floor, each collecting 7 digs to slow down Tulane’s heavy hitters. Offensively, the 49ers were led by Jovanna Antic and Gia McGrew, who finished with 8 kills apiece. [1]
However, Charlotte struggled significantly at the net, recording just one block over the course of three sets, which allowed Tulane’s elite hitters to swing with high efficiency throughout the match. [1]
Looking Ahead
While Tulane’s historical streak would eventually reach ten before a narrow five-set loss at Florida Atlantic on October 16, the Green Wave firmly controls their destiny at the top tier of the AAC standings. [1]
Charlotte will get an opportunity for redemption next month. The 49ers are slated to host Tulane in a highly anticipated regular-season rematch on November 8, 2026, back home in North Carolina.
Photos by Gregory Guignon
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