Gameday: ECU Travels North For AAC Matches At UConn And Temple

Matches 25-26: at UConn/Temple
Schedule	Nov. 11: at UConn \\\ 2 p.m. \\\ Storrs, Conn. \\\ Live Stats \\\ Live Video Nov. 13: at Temple \\\ 1 p.m. \\\ Philadelphia, Pa. \\\ Live Stats \\\ Live Video
Venue	Gampel Pavillion \\\ McGonigle Hall
Social Media	@ECUVB (Twitter) \\\ Instagram \\\ Facebook \\\ @ECUScoreboard (In-Match Updates) \\\ #ECUndaunted \\\ #14Strong \\\ #PirateNation

Weekly Release No. 12 (PDF)

GREENVILLE, N.C. – The East Carolina volleyball team looks to get back on track this weekend as the Pirates hit the road to play UConn and Temple Friday and Sunday.

Coverage: Live stats and a live video stream of each match are available and can be accessed in the informational box at the top of the page or through www.ecupirates.com.

ECU (14-10, 4-10 AAC) most recently dropped a pair of home matches to Tulsa and current American Athletic Conference leader SMU, falling 3-0 in each contest. The Pirates search for their first victory since downing UConn in a five-setter back on Oct. 23 in Greenville.

Senior middle hitter Ashley McRae proved a bright spot in last Sunday's match against the Mustangs as she tallied 16 kills on 24 attempts with no errors. She is the first East Carolina player since 2010 to record at least 12 kills with no errors in a match.

ECU is the top blocking team in the conference, averaging 2.26 stuffs per set. The Pirates are also holding their opponents to a .173 hitting percentage – good for second in the league. McRae is second among AAC players in hitting percentage at .357 while junior middle hitter Natalie Montini ranks fourth in blocks per set (1.05).

About UConn: The Huskies (15-10, 6-8 AAC) are currently in a three-way tie for sixth place in the conference standings after splitting a pair of matches on the road last weekend at Tulane and Houston. UConn fell to the Green Wave 3-1 before taking a four-set victory over the Cougars. Freshman Kayla Williams paces the offensive efforts for the Huskies with an average of 3.60 kills per set while also leading the defense with a 2.83 digs per set mark. After winning the season's earlier meeting, the Pirates hold a 3-2 lead in the series with the Huskies.

Last Meeting: East Carolina 3, UConn 2 (26-24, 25-23, 19-25, 18-25, 16-14) – Oct. 23, 2016 (Greenville, N.C.)

Talking Temple: The Owls (18-6, 11-3 AAC) are in the thick of the race at the top of the AAC standings, sitting just one match back of SMU for first place. Temple enjoyed a successful road trip last weekend, picking up sweeps over Tulane and Houston. Junior Irem Asci owns a team-high 4.45 kills per set average while sophomore Mia Heirakuji is putting up a squad-best 3.53 digs per set. The Owls have won all five matches with the Pirates since ECU joined the AAC.

Last Meeting: Temple 3, East Carolina 1 (25-15, 25-22, 26-28, 25-17) – Oct. 21, 2016 (Greenville, N.C.)

News and Notes

McRae is making a big push for all-conference honors this season and would be the first all-league representative for ECU since the Pirates joined the American Athletic Conference prior to the 2014 campaign.
In last year's trip up to UConn and Temple, ECU fell to the Huskies in five sets before dropping a 3-1 decision to the Owls in Philadelphia.
East Carolina needs just two more victories this season to ensure its first winning record since the 2006 squad finished with a 19-12 mark. If the Pirates reach six wins in conference play, that total will represent the most for ECU since joining the AAC.
McRae is the program's current career leader in hitting percentage as she has compiled a .319 mark in three-plus seasons. Her .360 hitting percentage as a sophomore stands as the second highest in a single season in school history. She is also tied for seventh on the program career list in blocks (298).
Head Coach Julie Torbett, in her fourth season with East Carolina, is just eight wins away from her 400 for her career. She left Winthrop after the 2012 campaign as the winningest coach in Big South Conference history. In terms of the AAC, Torbett owns the second-most career victories among the league's current head coaches. Her 392 wins trail only Houston head coach Kaddie Platt.

Up Next: East Carolina closes out its home schedule next weekend, hosting Houston and Tulane.

Gameday: ECU Travels North For AAC Matches At UConn And Temple

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Players Mentioned

Ashley McRae

Natalie Montini

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Gameday: ECU Travels North For AAC Matches At UConn And Temple

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Ashley McRae

Natalie Montini

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