East Carolina Caps 2015 Campaign This Week In Minges
November 24, 2015 | Volleyball
Match Notes 
UConn Match Coverage: Gametracker | Live Video (Free)
Temple Match Coverage: Gametracker | Live Video (Free)
GREENVILLE, N.C. - The East Carolina volleyball team will put the wraps on its 2015 campaign this week with a pair of American Athletic Conference matches against UConn and Temple. The Pirates will take on the Huskies Wednesday before battling the Owls Friday. Both matches are scheduled for a 1 p.m. start.
Links to live stats and a free video stream for both contests can be accessed through www.ecupirates.com.
ECU will honor its senior class Friday during a postmatch ceremony sponsored by the East Carolina Alumni Association. All Pitt County School District faculty and staff will also receive $2 admission to the match.
The Pirates own an 11-18 overall record and a 4-14 AAC mark heading into the final week of the season. East Carolina competed at Houston and Tulane over the weekend and fell to the Cougars in four sets before dropping a five-set affair to the Green Wave.
Sophomore outside hitter Ashton Mares leads the Pirate offense and ranks eighth in the American with an average of 3.11 kills per set. Running that offense is junior setter Sabrina Gonzalez who checks in at fourth in the league rankings averaging 8.86 assists per set. Defensively, senior libero Erika Figueroa is among the AAC and national leaders in digs per set as her 5.10 average is good for third in the league and 25th in Division I.
Figueroa set a new program single-season record for total digs over the weekend as her 566 surpassed Carrie Brne's mark of 541 set back in 1994. Additionally, Figueroa only needs 10 more to move digs to move into third on the ECU career chart.
As a team, East Carolina is averaging 12.02 kills, 11.04 assists, 1.06 aces, 16.25 digs and 1.82 blocks while hitting .195 over 111 sets.
About UConn
Overall Record: 16-14 (10-9 AAC)
Last Match: Tulsa 3, UConn 1 (Nov. 22 at Storrs, Conn.)
Head Coach: Kris Grunwald (Fourth season at UConn)
Current NCAA RPI Ranking: 129
Top Offensive Threat: Jade Strawberry (2.89 kills/set)
Top Defensive Performer: Kenne Arundel (3.76 digs/set)
Series: UConn leads East Carolina, 2-1
About Temple
Overall Record: 23-8 (14-5 American)
Last Match: Temple 3, SMU 2 (Nov. 22 at Philadelphia, Pa.)
Head Coach: Bakeer Ganesharatnam (Fifth season at Temple)
Current NCAA RPI Ranking: 71
Top Offensive Threat: Irem Asci (3.67 kills/set)
Top Defensive Performer: Alyssa Drachslin (5.02 digs/set)
Series: Temple leads East Carolina, 4-0
Last Time Against UConn
UConn 3, East Carolina 2 (25-23, 21-25, 21-25, 25-18, 15-11)
Oct. 16, 2015 - Gampel Pavilion (Storrs, Conn.)
ECU jumped out to a 2-1 lead over UConn but the Huskies rallied to take the final two sets. Mares tallied her fourth consecutive double-double to the tune of 16 kills and 11 digs while Kierra Lee-Dunson followed with 14 kills and six block assists. Gonzalez dished out 41 assists and Figueroa registered 26 digs. The Huskies out-hit East Carolina .243 to .216 and had the better of things in the digs column at 72-64. The Pirates came out on top at the net with 12 blocks as compared to UConn's six.
Last Time Against Temple
Temple 3, East Carolina 1 (25-18, 22-25, 12-25, 23-25)
Oct. 18, 2015 - Philadelphia, Pa. (McGonigle Hall)
East Carolina was unable to make a first set victory stand up in the end as Temple captured three consecutive frames to record the win. ECU hit .274 as McRae led the Pirates with 13 kills and fired at a .440 clip for the match. Sophomore middle hitter Natalie Montini also registered 13 kills, while Mares posted her fifth consecutive double-double with 12 kills and 18 kills. Figueroa also collected 18 digs while Gonzalez registered 12 digs to go along with 48 assists. East Carolina finished with 64 digs while Temple logged 59.
