Volleyball Hits the Road for Conference USA Openers
October 01, 2004 | Volleyball
East Carolina (6-9) dropped a heart-breaker to Campbell Tuesday night. Campbell's Tabitha Turner recorded a double-double with a match-high 23 kills and 11 digs and the Fighting Camels overcame a two-game deficit by hitting .357 as Campbell rallied to defeat East Carolina in five games, 24-30, 23-30, 30-25, 30-24, 15-13, in Williams Arena. Paige Howell led the Lady Pirates with a team-high 16 kills while hitting .364. Kelley Wernert and Pam Ferris each added 14 kills while Jaime Bevan chipped in 13 kills for ECU. Sophomore setter Heidi Krug recorded 63 assists in the match for ECU. East Carolina finished with 16 service aces in the match, but Campbell out-hit the Pirates .357-.276.
Erica Wilson continues to lead the team with 156 kills averaging 3.00 kills per game. Bevan has 155 kills while hitting .272 and contributing 49 blocks. Howell still ranks among the top of C-USA in hitting percentage (.348) while posting 151 kills this season. Junior libero Johanna Bertini has 213 digs thus far in the season and averages 3.87 digs per game.
UAB (1-9) earned its first win of the season when the Lady Blazers defeated cross-town rival Samford in four games. UAB had 57 kills on 174 attempts and 32 errors. Cassie Ociesa led the Blazers with 15.0 points on 12 kills and six block assists. Freshman outside hitter Charli Lindley leads the team with 70 kills averaging 2.26 kills per game. Nicole Bowland has 66 kills. UAB only hits .079 as a team and averages 11.3 kills per game.
USF (2-8) hosts Charlotte Friday night before playing host to the Lady Pirates Sunday. The Bulls are looking to snap to a seven-match losing streak this weekend when they play at home for the first time this season. USF dropped matches to Florida Atlantic and UCF last week. Newcomers will lead the Bulls into their conference-opening battle. Junior Flavia Silveira leads the team in both kills (4.42/game) and digs (3.13/game), and is followed closely by freshmen Kristina Fabris and Michelle Stalbaum, who are averaging 3.00 and 2.94 kills per game, respectively. Sophomore Johari Williams is fresh off a career-match against UCF last Friday night. Williams posted only her second career double-double with career highs in both kills (20) and digs (16).
Last time against UAB: UAB's Breanne Swenson and Martina Shields both posted double-doubles to lead the Lady Blazers by East Carolina, 17-30, 30-26, 29-31, 30-23 and 15-11 in Conference USA volleyball action at Williams Arena. Swenson scored a game-high 25.5 points putting down 19 kills, four aces , one solo block and three block assists. She added 13 digs. Shields added 20.5 points with 17 kills, two aces, three block assists and chipped in 13 digs on defense.
Jaime Bevan led five Pirates in double figures. Bevan scored a team-high 19 points with 16 kills, one ace, one solo block and two block assists. Sophomore Erica Wilson aded 17 points after tallying 13 kills two aces, one solo block and two block assists. Pam Ferris added 16 points chipping in 12 kills, three aces, one solo block for the Pirates and recording 14 digs on defense. ECU outhit the Lady Blazers .242-.201 and out-dug UAB, 61-58, but the Pirates committed 18 service errors in the match. UAB's front line combined for 12 blocks.
Last time against USF: Erica Wilson scored a match and career-high 27 points on 24 kills, two solo blocks and two block assists, but USF's Shameka MItchell posted her second double-double in two nights with 22 kills and 11 digs as USF rallied from a two-game deficit to defeat East Carolina in five games, 27-30, 26-30, 31-29, 30-24 and 15-13, in Conference USA volleyball action at Williams Arena. Sarah Vick scored 19.5 points for the Pirates on 17 kills two solo blocks and one block assist. She added 15 digs on defense.
Sophomore libero Johanna Bertini set a career-high with 19 digs while junior setter Jessica Vick also had a career-night with 72 set assists and four kills. Wilson hit .513 and led five PIrates in double figures. Pam Ferris added 15 kills and freshman middle blocker Jaime Bevan put down 13 kills for the Pirates. Senior middle blocker Alexis Jones hit .556 tallying 11 kills on 18 attacks. Fran Pozzi posted USF's second double-double with 16 kills and 15 digs. Johari Williams had 13 kills and six blocks for the Bulls while Bonnye Glover chipped in 10 kills and five blocks. USF outhit ECU .275-250 and held the advantage in digs, 59-57. The Bulls' front line combined for 15 blocks while ECU only posted nine blocks.
UAB leads the all-time series with East Carolina, 3-2. The Lady Pirates last defeated the Lady Blazers during the 2001 season. USF leads the all-time series with ECU, 3-0, winning every meeting since the 2001 season.
After its first -CUSA road trip, East Carolina returns home next weekend when the Lady Pirates host Houston and TCU in its C-USA home openers.
