Gameday: ECU Jumpstarts 2016 Campaign At Bucknell Invitational
August 25, 2016 | Volleyball
| Matches 1-3: Bucknell Invitational | |
| Dates | August 26-27 |
| Tournament Schedule | Aug. 26: vs. Canisius \\\ 5 p.m. \\\ Live Stats Aug. 27: vs. Fairleigh Dickinson \\\ 10 a.m. \\\ Live Stats Aug. 27: at Bucknell \\\ 6 p.m. \\\ Live Stats \\\ Watch Live (Free) |
| Location | Lewisburg, Pa. (Davis Gym) |
| Social Media | @ECUVB \\\ Instagram \\\ Facebook \\\ @ECUScoreboard (In-Match Updates) \\\ #ECUndaunted \\\ #ECUVB |
Weekly Release No. 1 (PDF)
GREENVILLE, N.C. – With a new academic year having started this week at East Carolina University, so to does the 2016 campaign for its volleyball program as the Pirates take on Canisius Friday evening in the opening match of the Bucknell Invitational in Lewisburg, Pa. First serve is set for 5 p.m. at Davis Gym. ECU will close out the tournament Saturday with matches against Fairleigh Dickinson (10 a.m.) and the host Bison (6 p.m.)
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"I am looking forward to seeing what our team can accomplish this weekend," fourth-year head coach Julie Torbett said. "We are fortunate to feature some experienced returners on this season's roster but will also utilize some newcomers in key roles. We are continuing to push the trajectory of this program in a positive direction."
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Coverage: Live stats are available for all matches this weekend while a free video stream of ECU's matchup with Bucknell Saturday evening can be accessed through the Patriot League Network (linked above).
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Of this weekend's opponents, East Carolina has only faced Fairleigh Dickinson. The Pirates defeated the Knights in two sets during the 1981 campaign.
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Torbett enters her fourth season in charge of the program with arguably her most talented roster to date. Bolstered by the additions of junior transfer outside hitter Lael Ceriani from UT Martin and former ECU women's basketball standout I'Tiana Taylor, as well as the return of three of its top four hitters from the 2015 campaign, the Pirates look to produce their first winning record since 2006 and challenge for a spot in the top half of the American Athletic Conference.
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East Carolina will play 10 matches at Minges Coliseum this season while participating in non-conference tournaments at Bucknell, Campbell and Georgia State. ECU finished the 2015 campaign with a 12-19 record, including a 5-15 mark in American Athletic Conference play.
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About Canisius: The Golden Griffins ended 2015 with an 11-19 overall record and 9-9 mark in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play. Canisius has been picked to finish seventh in the 10-team league this season and boasts preseason all-conference selection and senior outside hitter Katlyn Tyler who paced the Griffs' offensive efforts to the tune of 3.77 kills per set on the way to first-team all-league accolades.
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The match between ECU and Canisius will feature a battle of sisters, as Lael Ceriani will face her sister Cassidy. The siblings were teammates at Scripps Ranch High School in San Diego, Calif.
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Scouting Fairleigh Dickinson: The Knights have seven returners from last year's squad, including sophomore Rebecca Sabol who finished second on the team in kills with 230. FDU was selected to finish eighth in the preseason Northeastern Conference coaches poll after ending the 2015 campaign with a 10-19 overall record and 3-13 league ledger.
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The Book on Bucknell: The Bison experienced their most successful season in nearly a decade in 2015, posting a 14-12 record and missing the Patriot League Tournament by just one spot in the conference standings. Bucknell should receive a boost from senior libero Kristen Parks, who returns after missing her entire junior season due to injury. The Patriot League coaches have picked the Bison to finish sixth in the nine-team conference.
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News, Notes and Noshes
- East Carolina holds an 18-21 record in season openers dating back to a 3-2 victory over UNC Greensboro in the program's first-ever match. The Pirates are 2-1 in Torbett's three seasons, including a road sweep of Savannah State to kick off the 2015 campaign.
- ECU racked up 1,928 digs as a team in 2015, averaging 16.20 per set. That total represents the most in a single season for the program since 2007.
- East Carolina allowed the fewest blocks per set of any team in the AAC (1.73 against) in 2015. League champion SMU was second, surrendering 1.92 per set.
- Torbett sits just 22 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.
- Ashton Mares and Sabrina Gonzalez ranked in the top 10 among AAC players with 14 and 13 double-doubles respectively in 2015.
- Ashley McRae is the program's current career leader in hitting percentage as she has compiled a .309 mark in three seasons. Her .360 hitting percentage as a sophomore stands as the second highest in a single season in school history.
- The final stretch of the 2015 campaign served as a breakout of sorts for then freshman Haley Bidgood. The lefty setter, who can also play on the right side, collected her first career double-double to the tune of 11 kills and 22 assists in the Pirates' five-set loss to Memphis before notching another double-double with 10 kills and 16 assists in ECU's 3-2 home win over UConn.
- Torbett has a few new faces on this season's coaching staff, hiring Russ Friedland and Nick Polite as assistant coaches while welcoming Ladislav Lelkes as a volunteer assistant. Friedland spent the last three years at UNLV where he helped the Rebels to a 58-34 record and a trio of winning campaigns. Polite arrives in Greenville from Valparaiso where he helped guide the Crusaders to 77 victories – an average of nearly 26 per season – as well as a 30-14 mark in Horizon League play and a pair of appearances in the Horizon League Tournament championship match.
 Up Next: Following its trip to Bucknell, East Carolina returns to the court Sunday, Sept. 4, for a single match at Savannah State. First serve between the Pirates and Tigers is set for 1 p.m.
Players Mentioned
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