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Full Game Notes (PDF)
GREENVILLE, NC
– After its maiden win at the American Athletic Conference last Sunday in South Florida, East Carolina is looking to throw its way into the top half of the league when it welcomes SMU and Memphis to Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum for Homecoming weekend. Entry is free.
Friday’s game will be streamed live via ESPN +, while Sunday’s competition will be streamed via Pirates All-Access.
After losing in three sets to reigning AAC champion UCF last Friday in Orlando, the Pirates (5-6, 1-1 AAC) defeated the Bulls in a 3-1 thriller at The Corral in Tampa. Three of the four movements were decided in extra points, including a 32-30 marathon in the fourth and final stanza.
Senior right side Bri Wood is at the top of the squad and fifth in the league for kills per set (3.37), while she also ranks eighth for points per set (3.50). In addition, first-semester intermediate blockers Amelia Davis checks seventh among the American Conference players in blocks per set (1.03), freshman libero Tia Shum is seventh in digs per set (3.82) and senior outside hitter Natalie Tyson is eighth in kills per set (2.97). As a team, the Pirates are fourth in the opposing hit rate (0.195).
Wood moved up to seventh place on the ECU career list for kills over the weekend, scooping 25 in the two Florida games, bringing their total to 1,109. In addition, she only needs 85 more excavations to be the sixth player in the program’s history to record 1,000 kills and excavations.
SMU carries a 6-6 overall record and 2-0 AAC mark to Greenville, defeating Memphis and Temple last week to open its league plan. Hannah Jacobs and Rachel Woulfe have a combined total of 243 kills while Alex Glover steps up the American Conference in terms of hit rate (0.418). Overall, the Mustangs rank fourth in the league in terms of hit rate (0.213).
Memphis is 8-6 overall and 1-1 in conference play ahead of a road match against Cincinnati on Friday. The Tigers defeated Temple in their last game at home in four sets, but also have a 3-0 loss to SMU in the ledger. Sabrina Bianco leads the league in assists per set (10.83) while Bailey Houlihan ranks second in the AAC players in digs per set (4.76). As a unit, Memphis ranks at the top of the league’s stats list, progressing the round in kills per set (13.33) and assists per set (12.47), ranks second in ditch per set (16.78) and ranks third in the opponent’s hit rate (.188).
East Carolina is 2-1 at home so far, defeating Gardner-Webb and Appalachian State in the Pirate Invitational a few weeks ago.
The SMU series
SMU leads the series with East Carolina by 15: 5 and has won 14 of the last 15 games. The last ECU win came in Greenville in 2018, when the pirates beat the Mustangs 3-1 at Minges Coliseum.
The Memphis series
East Carolina follows Memphis on the series between programs 22-9. The Pirates have won three of the last five encounters, but dropped the last encounter in five sets on October 27, 2019 in Greenville.
Next
East Carolina stays home next week, hosting Cincinnati Wednesday and Temple Friday.
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