East Carolina Falls To Tulane In Home Finale, 3-1

Saturday, November 19

Greenville, N.C.

Noon

East Carolina University

15-13, 5-13AAC

Tulane

17-13, 9-9AAC

Tulane

East Carolina

November 19, 2016 | Volleyball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

GREENVILLE, N.C. – Tulane won the first two sets and held off a late East Carolina rally to post a 3-1 (25-17, 25-22, 20-25, 25-22) American Athletic Conference volleyball victory Saturday afternoon inside Minges Coliseum.

Team Records: East Carolina: (15-13, 5-13 AAC) | Tulane: (17-13, 9-9 AAC)

Torbett's Take: "If you take out the first set during which we hurt ourselves with errors in serve-receive, it was a pretty even match. By the time we started to make a push, it was too late. Ashley McRae put together yet another dominating performance and was in my opinion the best player on the floor. We have a chance for a winning season if we take care of business in our last two matches."

The Rundown: ECU recorded 55 kills but committed 26 attacking errors to end up with a .206 hitting percentage. Conversely, the Green Wave hit .266 on the strength of 53 kills in 139 attempts and 16 errors. The Pirates out-dug Tulane 64-51, but the Green Wave racked up 12 blocks to East Carolina's four.

McRae tallied a match-high 19 kills, tying her career high, and hit .630 with just two errors in 27 attempts. Senior outside hitter I'Tiana Taylor followed with 16 kills of her own to go along with six digs and a .238 hitting percentage. Senior setter Sabrina Gonzalez notched her 16th double-double of the campaign to the tune of 50 assists and 17 digs. Senior outside hitter Sydney Darden also reached double figures defensively with 11 digs while freshman libero Brandee Markwith recorded 15 digs.

Tea Juric turned in a double-double for Tulane (13 kills, 11 digs) while Sarah Ray paced the visitors offensively with 14 kills.

Set 1: The teams battled to a deadlock at eight before the Green Wave scored seven of the next nine points to establish a 15-10 advantage. Following a Pirate timeout, Tulane kept the pressure on and moved ahead 21-13 thanks to a solo block by Sarah Strasner. The sides split the next eight rallies to give the Green Wave the eight-point margin of victory.

Set 2: With the score tied at nine, an ECU service error sparked a 3-0 run for Tulane that allowed the Green Wave to eventually build a 14-10 cushion. The Pirates battled back to within one point when a Tulane attacking error made the score 16-15, but the Green Wave held on the end the win the frame by three.

Set 3: East Carolina burst out of the locker room with a different attitude after the intermission, sending Tulane scurrying for a timeout when a McRae kill gave the Pirates a 7-2 lead. A block by Gonzalez and junior middle hitter Natalie Montini stretched the ECU advantage to 13-6 before the Green Wave made its move. A kill by Dayna Kern cut the East Carolina lead down to 21-18, but four of the last six points went the Pirates' way as a Darden kill clinched the stanza and extended the match to a fourth set.

Set 4: After Tulane pushed ahead 7-2, ECU scored six straight to gain a one-point edge. The Green Wave looked to pull away, leading 18-14 following a kill by Ray, but the Pirates made one last go at it. A kill by Montini pulled East Carolina to within 23-21 late. However, Tulane notched two of the final three points to secure the victory.

Bits and Pieces: ECU ended its 2016 home schedule with a 3-7 record ... The Green Wave improved to 17-4 in the all-time series with the Pirates, including 8-3 in matches played in Greenville ... Gonzalez' double-double gave her 29 in her East Carolina career with two contests left to play ... With one victory in its last two matches, ECU can record its first winning season since 2006.

Up Next: The Pirates return to the court Wednesday, Nov. 23, at Cincinnati. First serve at Fifth Third Arena is set for 12 noon.