North Texas Daily

Ehsan Azad / Staff Writer

With five matches left until the Conference USA tournament, the Mean Green volleyball team will try to lock up a spot in the tournament starting with two games this weekend against Louisiana Tech University and Tulane University.

The ultimate goal would be to earn a first round bye. For the best shot at that situation, the Mean Green (13-12, 5-4) needs to win the five remaining games and finish with a 10-4 conference record.

“Our schedule favors us by having three matches at home and two on the road,” head coach Andrew Palileo said. “We need to focus on getting better and making those little improvements.”

The team is optimistic that it can win out.

“Obviously, it’s not the place we wanted to be at, but we are trying to stay optimistic,” junior outside hitter Hanna Forst said.

One of the reasons there is optimism is because of the new-found trust the team has installed in each other that helped get their first road victory in a month.

“We went around in a circle and individually went to each one of our teammates and said you’re going to trust me because of this,” Forst said. “It really keyed in on the whole playing-as-one-team aspect.”

Palileo has two different game plans for the two teams that UNT will face this weekend since both are vastly different.  Louisiana Tech (7-17, 1-8) has more height, while Tulane (21-2, 7-1) has speed with its outside hitters.

Tulane is third best team in Conference-USA and currently in position to get a bye. Windham said that the team will be fine if it follows the gameplan.

Windham, who was out for three weeks due to an ankle injury but is back to full strength, believes that if the team can get a good start now, anything can happen for them.

“It’s never too late and the conference tournament is a new season in my mind, so I have no doubt in my mind that we can do it,” Windham said.

The Mean Green host Louisiana Tech Friday at 7 p.m. and Tulane comes into town Sunday for a match at 1 p.m.