Volleyball Set to Take on Tribe Friday Night
September 24, 2004 | Volleyball
East Carolina snapped a four-match losing streak when the Lady Pirates knocked off Atlantic Sun Conference favorite Georgia State in four games, 30-27, 19-30, 30-24, 30-19, last Saturday in the finale of the College of Charleston Invitational. Freshman outside hitter Mignon Dubenion put down a career and match-high 15 kills to lead three East Carolina players in double figures in the win, junior Erica Wilson added 12 kills while sophomore middle blocker Jaime Bevan hit .348 and chipped in 11 kills. Libero Johanna Bertini recorded 18 digs in the match. Junior middle blocker Paige Howell was named to the all-tournament team for East Carolina after finishing the weekend with 22 kills and seven blocks.
Wilson leads the team averaging 3.00 kills per game. She has a team-high 138 kills. Bevan ranks second on the team in kills (135), kills per game (2.93) and ranks first in total blocks (43). Howell hits .325 while averaging 2.81 kills per game. She has 121 kills thus far in the season. Sophomore setter Heidi Krug runs the offense with 513 assists. Defensively, Bertini controls the tempo with 178 digs in 13 matches played. The Pirates average 14.2 kills per game and 12.5 digs per game.
William & Mary improved to 7-4 Thursday night after sweeping through Norfolk State in three games, 30-18, 30-6, 30-17. Junior outside hitter Mandy Mayo led the Tribe with five kills as W&M finished the match hitting .313 (37 kills, 12 errors, 80 total attacks) and held the Spartans to a .000 total attack. The Tribe out-blocked the Spartans, 8-2.
William & Mary is on a three match winning streak and has won six of its last seven matches. Sophomore outside hitter Sarah Long has put down a team-high 98 kills while averaging 2.97 kills per game. Junior middle blocker Carly Huffman ranks second in kills (78) while averaging 2.00 kills per game. Defensively, middle blocker Caitlin Geraghty has posted 48 total blocks. Libero Erin Simmons has compiled 158 digs. Setter Amy Owens runs the Tribe offense with 303 assists.
East Carolina and William & Mary have met 37 times on the court. ECU last faced the Tribe during head coach Colleen Munson's first season in 2000. The Lady Pirates played W &M three times in 2000 with ECU taking two of the three matches. ECU won the first two meetings in four games, before dropping the last meeting in thre games.
After ECU's match with William & Mary, the Lady Pirates play their final nonconference match Tuesday when they host Campbell at 7 p.m. ECU opens up Conference USA play next weekend at UAB and at USF.
