ECU Volleyball Hosts Memphis in Sunday Matinee
October 25, 2014 | Volleyball
| Match 19: ECU vs. Memphis | |
| Date | Sunday, October 26 |
| Time | 1:00 p.m. (EDT) |
| Location | Greenville, N.C. | Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum |
| Match Notes | East Carolina  |
| Coverage | Live Stats | Video |
GREENVILLE, N.C. - East Carolina plays host to the Memphis Tigers Sunday, October 26. First serve is set for 1 p.m. at Williams Arena inside Minges Coliseum. The Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) will host a safe Trick or Treat one hour prior to first serve. All kids wearing a costume will receive FREE admission to the match with an accompanying adult. A costume contest will be held during intermission.
The Series vs. Memphis
The Pirates and the Tigers will meet for the 21st time in program history and Memphis leads the all-time series 17-3. In their last meeting, Memphis defeated East Carolina, 3-1 [25-20, 15-25, 22-25, 21-25], in Memphis, Tenn. on November 4, 2012. ECU is looking for its first victory over Memphis since 2006, when the Pirates held off the Tigers in four sets [30-23, 30-17, 24-30, 30-24] in Memphis, Tenn.
Last Time Out
East Carolina was solid at the net as the Pirates posted 16.0 total team blocks en route to a 3-2 [21-25, 25-21, 14-25, 25-22, 15-13] victory over Cincinnati Friday night. The victory marks the first time in program history the Pirates have defeated the Bearcats on the volleyball court. Despite falling behind Cincinnati in the first set, the Pirates fought to stay in the game and put together a rally in the fourth set to come from behind and force a fifth and deciding set. East Carolina was led by freshman Natalie Montini's career-high 10 total blocks as she finished the contest with two solo blocks and eight block assists. She also added seven kills, one dig and one assist for 13.0 points. In addition to Montini's 10 blocks, the Pirates had three scorers in double-figures and a pair of double-doubles in the match. Sydney Darden notched a team-high 14 kills, while Ashley McRae collected 13 and Torre Blake recorded 10. Darden also registered 10 digs for a double-double, while Zarah Cecich tallied a double-double of her own with 42 assists and 10 digs. Junior libero Erika Figueroa paced the defense with a career-high 20 digs.
About the Pirates
East Carolina owns a 10-8 overall record and is 3-6 in American Athletic Conference action. The Pirates defeated Cincinnati, 3-2 [21-25, 25-21, 14-25, 25-22, 15-13] Friday night to snap three consecutive loses. As a team, East Carolina is hitting .200 to rank seventh in the American Conference. The Pirates are also averaging 11.85 kills per set, 10.94 assists per set, 13.37 digs per set and 1.75 blocks per set. Sophomore middle hitter Ashley McRae leads the Pirates and is fourth in the conference with a .368 hitting percentage. McRae has also contributed 153 kills (2.28 per set) and 51 total blocks (0.76 per set). Her blocks per game average also leads the team. Junior outside hitter Sydney Darden is the team leader in kills as she averages 2.88 per set after accumulating 190 on the year. Darden also leads the Pirates with 177 digs for an average of 2.68 per set. Senior setter Zarah Cecich owns 585 assists to average 8.60 per set to rank eighth in the league. She has posted 2,456 total career assists to rank her third at East Carolina all-time.
Scouting the Tigers
Memphis comes into Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum with a 17-6 overall record and a 7-2 American Conference mark which ranks the Tigers second in league standings. The Tigers have won six out of their last seven matches and they most recently defeated Cincinnati, 3-1, last Wednesday. The Tigers are hitting .209, while averaging 13.02 kills per set and 12.33 assists per set. Defensivley, Memphis averages 17.17 digs per set and 2.21 blocks per set. Lauren Wright leads Memphis offensively as she averages 2.90 kills per set and has posted 235 kills on the year. She is also leading the squad with a .341 attack percentage, while contributing 0.80 blocks per set. Veronica Zimmerman is the Tigers' setter with 951 assists for an average of 10.57. She also adds 2.54 digs per set and 0.48 blocks per set. Aleksandra Petronijevic has posted a team-leading 493 digs to average 5.48 per set on defense, while Alexis Wesley owns 106 total blocks for an average of 1.18 per set.
Movin' on Up
Senior setter Zarah Cecich has registered a total of 2,456 assists in her career to rank fourth in East Carolina's all-time record book. She has dished out 585 assists this season to average 8.60 per set to rank eighth in the conference. She notched a season-high 58 assists in the Pirates' 3-2 win over Eastern Illinois to open the Penn State Alumni Classic before helping ECU to a 2-2 showing in State College.
A Time to Kill
Sophomore Sydney Darden is the team leader in kills with 190. She is averaging 2.88 per set after leading the Pirates in kills in 10 matches this year. She has notched nine double-doubles for East Carolina this season. Freshman Ashton Mares is second on the squad with 158 kills for an average of 2.39 per set. Darden and Mares have helped the Pirates average 11.85 kills per set this year while hitting .200 to rank seventh in the American Conference.
Setting the Standard
Senior Zarah Cecich leads East Carolina in assists with an average of 8.60 per set after dishing out 585 this season. Cecich is the lone senior on the squad and has accumulated 2,456 career assists to rank third all-time. She recorded a season-best 58 against Eastern Illinois Friday, September 19, to help ECU capture a 3-2 win over the Panthers at the Penn State Alumni Classic. As a team, the Pirates average 10.94 assists per set as sophomore setter Bella Borgiotti has also contributed to East Carolina's assist average with 47 assists of her own (1.24 per set).
Can You Dig It?
Sydney Darden owns a team-best 177 digs to average 2.68 per set. She tallied a career-high 17 digs on two occasions against Morgan State and Eastern Illinois, as she helped guide East Carolina to a pair of 3-2 wins over the Bears and Panthers. Junior defensive specialist Erika Figueroa is second on the squad with 171 digs for an average of 2.51 per set. Figueroa tied her career-high with 20 digs in the Pirates' 3-2 win over Cincinnati on Friday. Darden and Figueroa have helped East Carolina average 13.37 digs per set as a team this season.
Block Party
Sophomore middle blocker Ashley McRae has been solid at the net for the Pirates this season. She owns 51 total blocks this year (4 solo blocks, 47 block assists) for an average of 0.76 per set. Freshman Natalie Montini is second on the team as she averages 0.72 per set. As a team, the Pirates are averaging 1.75 blocks per set. ECU's opponents have been limited to putting up 1.43 blocks per set this season.
All-Tourney
At the East Carolina Invitational, two Pirates were named to the All-Tournament Team. Senior setter Zarah Cecich and junior middle blocker Kierra Lee-Dunson picked up the honors after helping lead ECU to a 3-0 record to start the season. Cecich finished the weekend with 84 assists (7.64 per set), 15 kills, 11 digs, five blocks and four service aces. Lee-Dunson was solid at the net as she posted a team-best 14 total blocks (1.27 per set) to go along with 10 kills, two digs and one ace. Two weeks later, Sydney Darden collected All-Tournament Team Honors after being named to the Penn State Classic Team. Darden finished the weekend in State College, Pa., with 64 kills to average 3.76 per set, 47 digs for an average of 2.76 per set, nine total blocks (0.53 per set), seven assists (0.41 per set) and three service aces. She knocked down a career-high 26 kills while hitting .317 in the Pirates' 2-3 setback against UIC. She also added a career-best 17 digs in ECU's 3-2 win over Eastern Illinois.
The American
East Carolina joins the American Athletic Conference for the 2014 season along with Tulane and Tulsa. The Pirates will compete against common foes from their Conference USA years in Houston, Memphis, SMU and UCF, while meeting new opponents such as Cincinnati, Temple, UConn and USF.
All in the Family
There are a few East Carolina family connections on the roster again this season. Junior Torre Blake, who has played in 22 sets this season and owns 12 kills and six digs, is the daughter of Jeff Blake who played football at ECU and proceeded to enjoy a lengthy NFL career. She is also the cousin of Isaiah Jones, a sophomore receiver on the Pirate football team. Additionally, Kierra and Sierra Lee-Dunson return to the Pirates this season and Kierra has an impressive .349 attack percentage, while Sierra has seen action in three sets thus far. The last time East Carolina had a pair of twins on the court was in 2003 when Sarah and Jessica Vick donned purple and gold from 2001-03.
Coming Up
East Carolina hosts Maryland Eastern Shore in a mid-week, non-conference contest Tuesday, October 28. First serve is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Williams Arena inside Minges Coliseum. Live stats and video will be available on ECUPirates.com.
