Tulane Beach Volleyball Falls Twice on Opening Day of Tourney

The Green Wave lost to No. 12 LSU and Texas A&M – Corpus Christi on the first day of the Green Wave Invitational.

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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The 2026 beach volleyball season began for No. 20 Tulane on Friday at the Green Wave Invitational, where the team lost dual matches to No. 12 LSU and Texas A&M – Corpus Christi by 4-1 scores. Tulane's only wins on the day came from the second flight duo of Skylar Ensign and Molly Trodd against LSU, and the third flight pair of Amirah Ali and Sam O'Connor against TAMU-CC.

Why it matters

Tulane is looking to build on a successful 2025 season where they finished ranked No. 20 in the nation. These early season losses against ranked opponents will provide valuable experience and insight as the Green Wave aim to make a deep run in the postseason.

The details

Against LSU, Tulane's second flight duo of Ensign and Trodd earned a straight-set victory, but the Tigers swept the remaining four matches. In the second dual against TAMU-CC, Tulane's third flight pair of Ali and O'Connor picked up the lone win for the Green Wave, while the first and second flight duos suffered close losses.

  • The 2026 beach volleyball season began for Tulane on Friday, February 21, 2026.
  • Tulane played two duals on the opening day of the Green Wave Invitational.

The players

Skylar Ensign

Preseason All-Conference USA selection for Tulane beach volleyball.

Molly Trodd

Preseason All-Conference USA selection for Tulane beach volleyball.

Amirah Ali

Member of the third flight pair that earned a win for Tulane.

Sam O'Connor

Member of the third flight pair that earned a win for Tulane.

Katie Hansen

Member of the first flight pair for Tulane.

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What they’re saying

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee (Instagram)

What’s next

Tulane will play three more matches on Saturday, the final day of the Green Wave Invitational. They will face Oregon at 8:30 a.m., followed by matches against South Florida at 1:30 p.m. and New Orleans at 4:00 p.m.

The takeaway

Tulane's early season losses to ranked opponents LSU and TAMU-CC will provide valuable experience for the Green Wave as they look to build on their successful 2025 campaign and make a deep postseason run in 2026.