ECU Volleyball Looks to Remain Unbeaten
September 03, 2003 | Volleyball
ECU is off to its best start since the 1999 season at 4-0 and its best start under head coach Colleen Munson. Sophomore outside hitter Pam Ferris and freshman middle blocker Jaime Bevan lead the team with 37 kills each. Ferris also leads the team with 12 service aces in four matches while Bevan has recorded 19 blocks. Ferris, Bevan and sophomore outside hitter Erica Wilson all were named to the City Hotel & Bistro Pirate Invitational's all-tournament team last weekend with Ferrris earning the tournament's most valuable player honor.
The Pirates have not lost a game sweeping UNC Greensboro, Lipscomb and Radford in three straight sets in last weekend's tournament. ECU took three straight games from UNC Wilmington Tuesday in Wilmington. Against the Seahawks, sophomore outside hitter Katie Jannusch led three players in double figures with 12 kills. Senior middle blocker Alexis Jones chipped in 10 kills while Bevan added 11 kills. As a team, ECU is hitting .332 with 176 kills in its four matches. The Pirates have out-dug opponents 148-106 and have recorded 44 service aces.
The Pirates continue their 14-match road trip this weekend. ECU faces Birmingham-Southern (1-2) for the first time ever. The Panthers dropped matches to Jacksonville, 3-2 and Xavier, 3-0, but defeated Maryland-Baltimore County, 3-0. Jenny Thomasson recorded 32 kills in three matches for the Panthers. Junior setter Kyndall Waters led BSC with 111 set assists and 39 digs.
Gardner-Webb enters the tournament 3-1 after knocking off Alabama State twice and High Point before falling to Jacksonville State. Maggie Carnwell averages 3.78 kills per game and leads the team with 34 kills and 27 digs.
Furman (0-3) looks for its first win of the season after dropping matches to Morehead State, DePaul and IUPUI in last weekend's Morehead State Invitational. Julia Frederickson recorded 25 kills in three matches last weekend, but the Paladins were out-dug 133-103 and out-hit .360-103.
Furman leads the all-time series against the Pirates, 6-1, with Furman winning last season's match, 3-0. ECU and Gardner-Webb also meet for the first time in the program's history.
After the Furman Invitational, ECU continues its road swing when it travels to Duke next Tuesday.
