Volleyball Begins C-USA Road Trip At SMU
October 02, 2009 | Volleyball
Oct. 2, 2009
ECU Volleyball Gameday Central
Complete Match Notes in PDF Format
DALLAS, Texas - The East Carolina volleyball team continues Conference USA play this weekend, traveling to SMU and Tulsa for a pair of contests. The Pirates currently stand at 1-2 in league action and are in eighth-place in the standings. The Mustangs and Golden Hurricane are highly successful on their home courts, owning a combined 7-2 ledger this season. ECU defeated SMU, 3-2, in Greenville last season while dropping a pair of contests to Tulsa, including the first round of the C-USA Tournament.
Looking Back: The Pirates regrouped after trailing 2-1 to UNC Wilmington, rallying for a 3-2 triumph inside Minges Coliseum on Tuesday night. The win marked the 13th-straight for ECU over the Seahawks and extended its midweek unbeaten streak to 15.
Seniors Melissa Zentner and Hannah Fenker each set new career-high marks in the contest, Zentner pounding down 25 kills and Fenker distributing 68 assists. Fenker matched Rachel Lindelow of Tulane for the most single-game helpers this season. Defensively, sophomore Amanda Lutzow and junior Lizzy Bruin picked up personal-bests in digs with 22 and 16, respectively. Senior Stephanie Turner also notched 17 kills to move into 10th-place on the ECU career ledger.
Scouting the Opposition: SMU is led offensively by Dana Powell, who has collected 245 kills for an average of 3.89 per set. Defensively, Sidney Stewart paces the squad with 292 digs. The Mustangs are 0-2 in C-USA play, dropping a pair of contests at UTEP and Tulane.
SMU: The Series
The Pirates have found a good bit of success against SMU, as they are 4-1 in meetings with the Mustangs and have won four-straight contests. The most notable win for ECU in the series was a 3-0 decision in the first round of the 2007 Conference USA Tournament.
Arriving at the Top:
With some key performances against UNCW, Stephanie Turner and Hannah Fenker remained the ECU career digs top 10 ledger. Turner grabbed a total of 3 to remain 10th while Fenker picked up an impressive 15 to move to ninth. Additionally, Turner notched 17 kills, good for a 10th-place spot on the career chart.
Midweek Magic
With the win over UNCW, East Carolina has now compiled a 16-match winning streak in contests that fall between Monday and Thursday. The last loss occurred at home on September 28, 2004, a 3-2 loss to Campbell.
.200 or Better
If the Pirates have compiled a .200-plus hitting percentage in 2009, they have been unstoppable, racking up a 7-0 record. In two of those contests, East Carolina has surpassed the .400 plateau, firing at .442 and .434 clips against Savannah State and Winston-Salem State, respectively.
Diggin' It
It is a widely held mantra that defense wins championships. For the Pirates in 2009, it also means winning games during the season as ECU owns a 7-0 mark when out-digging its opponents. In four of the victories, the Pirates have surpassed 40 (UNC Asheville 45, St. John's 58, Campbell 72, UNCW 76).
Picking it up on Both Sides of the Net
ECU enjoyed one of its most efficient efforts of the season, collecting 74 kills and 76 digs vs. the Seahawks. The totals are both new season highs for the squad.
Way Down Low
In the match with Savannah State, the Pirates allowed just two points to the Tigers in the first set. It is the fewest given up by East Carolina since rally scoring went into effect in 2001. Only UAB has matched this feat nationally this season, holding Alcorn State to a pair of scores in the first set of a 3-0 decision on Sept. 4 at the Magnolia Invitational in Oxford, Miss.
Queens of the Ace
Giving opponents trouble this season with their serving, the Pirates have notched an impressive 79 aces for an average of 1.44 per set, a mark which currently leads C-USA. ECU has taken advantage of some good placement and poor passing by its opposition, having recorded 11 aces each against VCU and Savannah State.
Non-Conference Notes
With the triumph Tuesday, the Pirates solidified a streak in which it has produced a winning non-conference record for five-straight seasons. Over that time, the team has garnered a 46-25 ledger outside of C-USA.
A Good Start is Essential
Just as breakfast is a good start to a day, the Pirates winning the first set of a match has proven quite beneficial. When taking the first frame this season, East Carolina is 7-1.
