ECU Volleyball Season Preview: Part V - Outside Hitters
September 03, 2014 | Volleyball
GREENVILLE, N.C. - The fifth and final installment of the 2014 East Carolina volleyball season preview concludes with the Pirate outside hitters. This season, head coach Julie Torbett will have four primary outside hitters in returning junior Torre Blake, sophomore transfer Sydney Darden, and freshmen Ashton Mares and Aileen Hnatiuk.
"We have a lot of competition in those areas," Torbett said. "They are all touching high above the net and have big verticals and big jumps. We have some really powerful outside hitters who I think will make a great impact on the court."
Blake is coming off of a successful sophomore campaign in which she started in 19 of East Carolina's 32 matches. The Austin, Texas native finished third on the squad with 197 kills for an average of 1.88 per set. She also ranked third in service aces with 16 as she averaged 0.15 per set. Blake recorded 72 digs to average 0.69 per set and concluded the year with 240.5 points which was good for third on the team.
Additionally, Blake was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Black and Gold Challenge at Appalachian State after registering a career-high 14 kills versus Denver at the tournament. She notched a career-best 10 digs at conference foe Louisiana Tech and tallied double-digit kills on five separate occasions.
"Torre is one of our solid outsides from last year," Torbett said. "She saw a lot of playing time after minimal playing time as a freshman. She's definitely one of the leading contenders for a spot there."
Darden comes to ECU from UNC Greensboro where she saw action in 52 sets for the Spartans as a freshman. She was third on the team with 2.33 kills per set after knocking down 121 kills. The product of Virginia Beach, Va., added 48 digs for an average of 0.92 per set, while collecting 17 total blocks to average 0.33 per set. She finished her freshman campaign with 137.5 points and tallied seven service aces.
"We had Sydney in the spring, so we were able to see a little of what she is able to do," Torbett explained. "She's a fierce competitor. She was really better in our spring scrimmages than she was every day on the court, so that's good because we want them to step it up a level when they're competing. I look for her to be really solid on the outside."
Mares is a freshman from Fort Collins, Colo., where she was a four-year letterwinner at Rocky Mountain High School. During her prep career, Mares was a two-time First Team All-Conference selection as well as a two-time Academic All-Conference honoree. She finished her senior year with 369 kills and a .340 hitting percentage, while adding 198 digs, 50 service aces and 38 total blocks.
"Ashton is a really strong kid," Torbett said. "She played in six rotations all the way around, as does Sydney."
Hnatiuk was a three-year letterwinner at Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School in Florida where she helped the Hurricanes to an 18-7 record in 2013. She was named a 3A Regional Semifinalist, All-North Suncoast Second Team, All-Pasco County Honorable Mention, and was chosen for the 2013 FACA All-Star team. She concluded her prep career with 352 kills and 120 blocks her senior year.
"Our outsides are not really big in size and they're not really tall," Torbett said. "But I think it's going to come down to passing and defense in that spot as to who is going to win out. At the net, they all look really solid and about the same."
The Pirates open the 2014 season Friday, September 5 when they host the East Carolina Invitational. The tournament begins Friday at 10 a.m. with UNC Wilmington and Morgan State. The Pirates welcome Tennessee Tech at 1 p.m., before the Golden Eagles return to the court to take on Norfolk State at 4 p.m. ECU and Norfolk State conclude the first day of the tournament with a 7 p.m. match.
