Volleyball Closes Out Homestand Against Tulsa and SMU
October 29, 2015 | Volleyball
Tulsa Match Coverage: Gametracker | Live Video (Free)
SMU Match Coverage: Gametracker | Live Video (Free)
GREENVILLE, N.C. - East Carolina remains at home this weekend as the Pirates close out a four-match homestand with a pair of American Athletic Conference contests against Tulsa and SMU.
ECU faces off with the Golden Hurricane Friday at 7 p.m. before entertaining the league-leading Mustangs Sunday at Noon.
Live stats via Gametracker will be available for both matches while each contest will also be streamed free of charge through Pirates On Demand. Links are accessible at www.ecupirates.com.
As always, admission to all home volleyball matches is free for students. The team will also sign autographs for fans following each contest. Children attending Friday's match in a Halloween costume will receive admission for just $1. On Sunday, the ECU club volleyball team will be in attendance and scrimmage during the intermission between sets two and three.
The Pirates enter the weekend with a 10-11 overall record and 3-7 AAC mark after dropping a pair of tough matches to UCF and South Florida last weekend. ECU is in 10th place in the conference standings with 10 matches to play but sits just two matches back of a quintet of teams that are tied for fourth at 5-5. The Pirates have wins already this season over two of the teams in that group - Houston and Memphis.
Sophomore outside hitter Ashton Mares, who has recorded a double-double in seven-straight matches, paces the ECU offensive efforts with a 3.13 kills per set average that places her eighth among AAC players. Senior libero Erika Figueroa and junior setter Sabrina Gonzalez both rank fourth in the league in digs per set (4.93) and assists per set (9.52) respectively. Figueroa also checks in 32nd nationally in digs per set.
Figueroa needs just 80 more digs to pass Jo Bertini for fourth on the program career top 10 chart as she currently sits at 1,167. Additionally, Figueroa is just 20 digs away from moving into the top 10 for a single season.
Collectively, the Pirates average 12.16 kills, 11.12 assists, 1.17 aces, 15.35 digs and 1.80 blocks per set.
Tulsa and SMU played Wednesday evening in Tulsa as the Mustangs came away with a 3-0 (25-23, 25-18, 25-21) victory over the Golden Hurricane. Tulsa hit just .107 in the match and committed 26 errors (14 unforced). A big difference in the match was the blocking efforts of SMU as the Mustangs racked up 12 as compared to the Golden Hurricane's six. Erica Bohannon led Tulsa with a match-high 14 kills while Kristen Stehling tallied 11 for SMU.
About Tulsa
Overall Record: 10-13 (5-6 American)
Last Match: SMU 3, Tulsa 0 (Oct. 28 at Tulsa Okla.)
Head Coach: Ryan Wills (Second season at Tulsa)
Current Pablo Ranking: 155
Top Offensive Threat: Erica Bohannon (3.87 kills/set)
Top Defensive Performer: Brooke Berryhill (4.98 digs/set)
Series: Tulsa leads, 13-1
About SMU
Overall Record: 20-3 (10-1 American)
Last Match: SMU 3, Tulsa 0 (Oct. 28 at Tulsa, Okla.)
Head Coach: Lisa Seifert (20th season at SMU)
Current Pablo Ranking: 24
Current AVCA Ranking: Receiving Votes (No. 29)
Top Offensive Threat: Abbey Bybel (3.01 kills/set)
Top Defensive Performer: Morgan Heise (5.78 digs/set)
Series: SMU leads, 9-4
Last Time Against Tulsa
Tulsa 3, East Carolina 2 (23-25, 25-20, 25-10, 19-25, 15-11)
Oct. 4 - Reynolds Center (Tulsa, Okla.)
ECU battled perennial league powerhouse Tulsa to five sets but the Pirates came up just short on the road. Kierra Lee-Dunson and Mares led the offense with 14 and 13 kills, respectively, while Mares added 15 digs to complete her fourth double-double of the campaign. Lee-Dunson also posted eight block assists and hit .379. Gonzalez tallied her sixth double-double of the season after dishing out 37 assists and 16 digs and also recorded seven blocks and three kills. East Carolina held the edge on defense with 15.0 total team blocks and 90 digs while Tulsa held the upper hand with 67 kills, 62 assists and 10 service aces.
Last Time Against SMU
SMU 3, East Carolina 0 (25-12, 25-14, 25-8)
Oct. 3 - Moody Coliseum (Dallas, Texas)
East Carolina took on the top team in the league in SMU and fell in three sets to the Mustangs on their home court. The powerful SMU side hit .429 in the match and held the Pirates to .032 efficiency. Ashley McRae was a bright spot for ECU as she notched seven kills on 14 attempts without an error for a .500 hitting percentage. Gonzalez posted the first of her two double-doubles of the weekend to the tune of 18 assists and 10 digs. The Mustangs held a slight edge in total blocks, collecting five to the Pirates' four.
Up Next
East Carolina will head to Florida next weekend for AAC showdowns with USF and UCF. The Pirates will battle the Bulls Friday in Tampa at 7 p.m. before tangling with the Knights Sunday in Orlando at 1 p.m.
