Volleyball Continues Play At Jefferson Cup
August 31, 2011 | Volleyball
Aug. 31, 2011
| Matches 2-3: Virginia and Long Island | |
| Date | Friday, September 2 |
| Times | vs. Virginia 11:00 a.m. | vs. Long Island 5:00 p.m. |
| Location | Charlottesville, Va. (Memorial Gymnasium) |
| Match Notes | East Carolina Match Notes  |
| Statistics | East Carolina Statistics |
| Internet Coverage | Tournament Live Stats | Jefferson Cup Day One Live Chat |
| Pirate Volleyball Central | Gameday Central | Roster | Conference USA Volleyball | NCAA Volleyball | 2011 Interactive Guide |
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Following a season-opening four-set win over Gardner-Webb at Minges Coliseum last Friday, East Carolina begins an 11-match road swing by taking on host Virginia and Long Island on day one of the Holiday Inn Jefferson Cup at Memorial Gymnasium. The Pirates will face the Cavaliers at 11 a.m., before returning to battle the Blackbirds at 5 p.m.
ECU was slated to play three matches as part of the East Carolina Classic last weekend, but Florida Atlantic and Presbyterian canceled trips to Greenville on account of the threat of inclement weather from Hurricane Irene.
Jackie Varnum and Britney Roper produced 13 kills each in the victory while sophomore Shelby Beasley, earning the starting nod at the libero position, racked up 17 digs to pace the back row. Falling just short of a double-double, senior Amanda Lutzow collected 10 digs to go along with eight kills and a career-best five blocks.
Sophomore Kasey Kavanaugh ran the offense to the tune of 35 assists and also recorded a career-high two aces as Roper contributed three scores from the service line. Varnum turned in the most efficient hitting effort by an ECU player, committing just four errors on 26 attempts for a percentage of .346 which complemented a team-high six blocks.
The Bulldogs put down 42 kills as compared to 41 for the Pirates, but East Carolina held the upper hand in hitting percentage with a .101 mark (.074 for the Bulldogs). Gardner-Webb also posted more digs (62-50) and total blocks (12.0-11.0).
ECU holds a 4-3 series lead against Virginia but fell to the Cavaliers in the teams' last meeting in 2006 - a four-set decision in Charlottesville. The Pirates and Blackbirds have never met on the volleyball hardwood.
OPENING WITH A BANG: With the four-set victory against Gardner-Webb, East Carolina won its season-opening match for the first time since 2008 when it swept East Tennessee State. The Pirates have also won two-straight contests at Minges Coliseum dating back to a 3-2 triumph over Conference USA rival Marshall in the 2010 season's home finale.
IT'S NICE TO HAVE YOU BACK: The Pirates have the luxury of returning nearly all of last season's roster. Marina Gusman-Brown was the lone senior on the 2010 team while would-be sophomore Amy Shelton is no longer part of the squad. Numerically, ECU returns 11 players who accounted for 97 percent of the team's kills, assists and digs as well as 99 percent of its total blocks.
SOME NEW BLOOD: Indiana native Zarah Cecich joins the program this season as the Pirates' only newcomer. The setter from Crown Point looks to add depth to the roster and compete for immediate playing time. Additionally, Jackie Simpson and Jeri Estes have accepted positions as assistant coaches. Simpson earned All-America accolades as a setter at Big Ten member Wisconsin while Estes has turned in a variety of elite coaching stints during his career - most notably with the Russian and American national teams.
SIZING UP VIRGINIA: The Cavaliers are 2-1 after their first weekend of play, defeating Western Carolina and USC Upstate in straight sets while falling to Western Michigan and former ECU head coach Colleen Munson 3-1 at the Cavalier Classic. Juniors Jessica O'Shoney and Beth Wildermuth were named to the all-tournament team.
CHECKING IN ON LONG ISLAND: In dropping their first three matches of the season, the Blackbirds are also looking for their first set win of the year - suffering sweeps against Fresno State, Cal Poly and nationally-ranked San Diego at the Fresno State Classic. Junior Jessica Rice tallied 72 assists and 13 blocks (seven solo) to earn all-tournament honors.
ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS: Jackie Varnum and Shelby Beasley were named to the abbreviated East Carolina Classic All-Tournament Team. Varnum posted a team-best .346 hitting percentage in the win over Gardner-Webb and tied teammate Britney Roper with a match-high 13 kills. On the other hand, Beasley earned the start at the libero position and racked up a match-best 17 digs.
THE BEST OF YOUR CAREER: A few Pirates excelled personally in the season opener, setting new career highs. Amanda Lutzow tallied five blocks (four assists) while Kasey Kavanaugh contributed two service aces.
TRACKING SIDEOUT PERCENTAGE: An important factor for ECU in the four-set win over the Bulldogs was sideout percentage. The Pirates edged Gardner-Webb .560 to .540 and sided out at more than 60 percent in two of the sets - including a match-best 64% in the momentum-swinging third frame.
UP NEXT FOR THE PIRATES: East Carolina closes out its participation in the Jefferson Cup with a match against No. 1 California. It is the first time in program history that the Pirates are slated to face the nation's top team.
