Volleyball Battles Rice Friday At Minges
October 29, 2010 | Volleyball
Oct. 29, 2010
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GREENVILLE, N.C. - East Carolina returns home Friday, beginning a quick two-game homestand with a match against Conference USA foe Rice. The Pirates (1-21, 0-10) seek their first league win of the season after dropping 3-0 results to Tulane and Southern Miss on the road last weekend.
Junior Jackie Varnum recorded eight kills to lead the offense against the Green Wave while classmate Nicole Jones picked up a team-best seven digs. Kasey Kavanaugh complemented the defense with two blocks. Additionally, Varnum posted a career-high three service aces.
Tulane tallied 48 kills on 82 attempts with a miniscule 10 errors to register a .463 hitting mark while ECU racked up 31 kills on 85 swings with 12 errors for a season-high percentage (.224). The Green Wave also held a slight 6-5 advantage in service aces.
On Sunday against the Golden Eagles, Jones and junior Amanda Lutzow combined for 33 digs while sophomore Kelly Derby racked up four blocks. Varnum paced the offense for the second-straight match, tallying seven kills. Southern Miss held the advantage in hitting (.260-.102), kills (44-30) and digs (62-56), but the Pirates did out-block the home team 6-5.
The Owls (12-11, 7-4) Friday's match having lost two-straight contests - a 3-1 affair at SMU and a 3-0 setback at Tulsa.
Junior outside hitter Ashleigh McCord leads the offense with 283 kills for a 4.10 kills per set average and ranks 33rd in the nation. She has reached double-digit kills in 18 matches in 2010. Running that offense is senior Meredith Schamun. She is averaging 10.54 assists per set with 875 total.
Senior libéro Tracey Lam holds the Rice career record for digs with 2,185. Last season she set the single season dig record with 633. Lam leads the team with 484 digs for a 5.76 average, which is fourth-best in the nation. She has been named C-USA Defensive Player of the Week three times this season (Sept. 20, Oct. 4, and Oct. 18) and 12 times during her career.
East Carolina leads the all-time series with the Owls 3-2 and are 1-1 against Rice in Greenville. Rice has taken the last two meetings by 3-0 scores after the Pirates claimed a 3-2 victory during the 2007 season in Houston.
UP NEXT FOR THE PIRATES: ECU closes the weekend with a home contest against Houston. The Pirates look to defeat the Cougars for just the second time in program history.
