Golden Hurricane Improve in 2003
12/29/2003 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Dec. 29, 2003
Tulsa, Okla. - The University of Tulsa volleyball team concluded one of its most successful seasons in many categories in 2003. TU finished the season by qualifying for its second ever Western Athletic Conference Tournament. The Golden Hurricane, 11-17 overall, improved in six statistical categories over the 2002 campaign, not including the improvement in 14 more categories for WAC matches only.
Also included in the highlights of 2003 is Lindsay Eaves earning TU's first WAC Player of the Week since the 2000 season. Eaves also led five other players named to all-tournament teams during the year. Tulsa had at least one player earn post-tournament honors in all four events in 2003. Eaves earned Most Valuable Player honors at the Ewing-Grover Olds/GMC Truck Invite to go along with all-tournament honors at the Stephen F. Austin Invitational. Freshman Brie Penaluna earned all-tournament honors twice as well, at the Stephen F. Austin Invitational and the Kathy Trosclair Memorial Tournament. Senior Nathalia Araujo and juniors Kristin Bailey and Vanessa Thon also earned all-tournament accolades. Araujo was named to the Dayton Flyer Classic All-Tournament squad, while Bailey earned MVP honors at the SFA Invitational. Thon was named to the Ewing-Grover Olds/GMC Truck Invite team.
Playing in five fewer matches and 14 fewer games, the Hurricane still made improvements over 2002. Tulsa averaged 15.43 kills and 14.04 aces per game in 2003, compared to only 15.13 and 13.68 the season before. In addition to more service aces in 2003, TU committed fewer reception errors this season, 148 in 2003-169 in 2002. An increase in solo blocks (57-56) and blocks per game (1.95-1.92), also meant an increase in points per game for the Hurricane (19.27-19.18).
Although the Hurricane only won two conference matches, Tulsa won just as many games as it did in 2002, while improving in nearly every statistical category. The biggest jumps in production came on the offensive side of the net, where TU recorded 123 more kills in 2003 (734-611) and averaged over a kill a game better than in 2002 (14.98-13.89). The Hurricane also improved its hitting percentage by nearly 40 points (.173-.139).
Due in large part to Thon's record-setting assist performance, Tulsa posted an advantage in assists and assists per game during WAC play (681-568 and 13.90-12.91). The Houston, Texas, native broke the career-assist record at TU, by becoming the first ever Golden Hurricane to record over 2,800 assists in their career.
Tulsa also posted more aces, average more aces per game and committed fewer reception errors during WAC matches in 2003 than it did in 2002. Team blocks increased from 69.0 in 2002 to 101.0 in 2003, as did solo blocks (28-15), block assists (146-108) and blocks per game (2.06-1.57).
The Hurricane's point production during conference contests also increased from 742 total points and 16.82 points per game in 2002 to 906 and 18.48 per game in 2003.
After leading the conference at various time during the regular season in aces and digs, Tulsa finished tied with Louisiana Tech for the top spot in aces per game with a 1.89 average. TU finished third in digs per game with a 17.45 average. While playing in the fewest games of any conference opponent, the Hurricane managed the third highest total aces on the season in the WAC with 187.
Expectations will again be high, heading into 2004 as the Golden Hurricane will again have five returning starters. With only one senior on the roster this season, Tulsa will also return over 80-percent of its 2003 offense.
