GULF SHORES, Ala. -- Senior Madeline Mertz and junior Anna Chin teamed up to win five matches, as Tulane beach volleyball opened its preseason schedule, Saturday, at the Gulf Shores Collegiate Clash. The Green Wave went 26-30 in tournament play, battling against some of the nation's top teams, including No. 4 Florida State, No. 6 LSU, No. 11 GSU, No. 13 TCU, No. 15 Stetson and Spring Hill.

Playing as the No. 1 duo, Mertz and Chin went 5-1, earning Tulane's best pair record of the tournament. Last season, Mertz, a preseason all-conference selection and a member of the CCSA All-Tournament Team, posted a 23-14 record, finishing the year on a five-match winning streak. Chin played in 20 matches last season, going 11-9 on the year with seven of her wins coming in straight sets.

The Green Wave won three matches against FSU, four matches against LSU, five matches against GSU, three matches against TCU, six matches against Stetson and five matches against Spring Hill. Tulane went 1-1 against FSU's top pairing in flight one.

Quote
"Overall, I thought it was a fantastic starting place for us," head coach Wayne Holly said. "It was the first time that eight of our 14 players suited up. It was great test for us against many of the top teams in the country, and we collected a lot of info about ourselves and opponents, which we'll use in our training to improve."

Follow Tulane beach volleyball on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram for updates and news. Follow Tulane Athletics on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and @TulaneAthletics on Snapchat.
---------------------
Stats
Overall: 26-30
Flight 1: 6-2
Flight 2: 5-3
Flight 3: 2-6
Flight 4: 4-4
Flight 5: 2-6
Flight 6: 2-6
Flight 7: 5-3
 
vs. No. 4 FSU – 3-9
vs. No. 6 LSU – 4-8 
vs. No. 11 GSU – 5-5
vs. No. 13 TCU – 3-1
vs. No. 15 Stetson – 6-6
vs. Spring Hill – 5-1