March 27, 2007

The Tulane volleyball program opened its spring schedule with a sweep of UL-Lafayette, Louisiana Tech, Southern Miss and host LSU this weekend. Newcomer Stephanie Stromath made her unofficial debut for the Green Wave after transferring from Montana.

Stromath, a sophomore middle blocker, comes to Tulane from the University of Montana, where she did not appear in any matches as a true freshman on scholarship. The 6-1 graduate of Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach, California, will have four years of eligibility left. At Mira Costa, Stromath helped her school win a Division II and Division I state titles, while earning top 10 rankings in the nation for high school volleyball, as high as number two.

Her sister Hilary was an All-Horizon League middle blocker for Loyola-Chicago (2002-05) and helped the Ramblers to back-to-back NCAA tournaments (`04, `05) and her brother D.J. is a member of UCLA's 2006 NCAA champion men's volleyball team.

Tulane, coming off a 15-12 season in 2006, will continue spring competition against the University of New Orleans at Fogelman Arena on Saturday, at 1 p.m. The Green Wave will compete in a 24-team field at the Texas Tornadoes Spring Tournament April 13th and 14th. The field includes Alabama, Baylor, Houston, Lamar, LSU, Louisiana Tech, New Mexico, New Mexico State, North Texas, Oklahoma, Rice, USC, Stephen F. Austin, SMU, Texas A&M, TCU, UNLV, UTEP, Wichita State.

The Green Wave will play host to LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, UNO and Southern Miss for a home tournament on April 21.