East Carolina Stuffs Canisius 3-0 In 2016 Season Opener

Friday, August 26

Lewisburg, Pa.

5:00 p.m.

East Carolina University

1-0

Canisius

0-1

Canisius

East Carolina

August 26, 2016 | Volleyball

Box Score East Carolina 3 Canisius 0

LEWISBURG, Pa. – The East Carolina volleyball team kicked off its 2016 campaign on a positive note, recording a 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-10) victory over Canisius in the opening match of the Bucknell Invitational.

Senior outside hitter Sydney Darden set a career high in hitting percentage, finishing with a match high 15 kills on 25 attempts with only three errors to fire at a .480 clip. Classmate and setter Sabrina Gonzalez was a solid presence for the Pirates in running the offense as she recorded a double-double of 32 assists and 13 digs. In her collegiate debut, freshman libero Brandee Markwith displayed the moxie of a seasoned veteran with a match-best 15 digs and provided the back row with a steady presence. She added two service aces for good measure.

ECU limited the Griffs to a .000 hitting percentage while turning in a .258 mark itself. The Pirates enjoyed the advantage in virtually every statistical category, including kills (40-21), assists (37-19), aces (8-3), digs (57-35) and total blocks (8.0-7.0). East Carolina also hit a sizzling .474 (10k/1e/19ta) in the match-clinching third set. ECU held preseason All-Metro Atlantic Team honoree Katlyn Tyler to just five kills and a .000 hitting percentage.

Torbett's Take: "I thought this was a great way to begin our season. We were able to utilize a lot of offensive weapons in this match – especially Sydney who had a phenomenal performance. I expect us to develop into an even better team as the year progresses."

Set One: East Carolina scored the first three points of the match, but Canisius responded with a strong serving run to pull ahead 4-3. The Pirates began to pull ahead and, after a tip over the block for a kill by Darden, the Griffs took a timeout with the score at 11-8. ECU enjoyed a lead as big as 14-10 before Canisius began to rally. The teams fought all the way to a tie at 18, but a kill by senior middle hitter Ashley McRae sparked a set-ending 7-1 run that gave East Carolina the frame by a six-point margin.

Set Two: The Pirates struggled from the outset, falling behind 11-5 and taking a timeout following a Griff block. ECU faced a deficit as big as 19-14, but responded with five-straight points to pull even. East Carolina allowed Canisius just two more scores the rest of the way and was able to complete the rally and take a 2-0 advantage heading to the third stanza.

Set Three: ECU left little doubt about the match's outcome in the third frame, sprinting out to an 8-2 lead. The Pirates held the upper hand at 15-6 and 20-8 before closing things out 25-10.

Bits and Pieces: The Pirates won the first-ever meeting between the programs ... ECU captured its third-straight season opener ... Torbett now needs just 21 victories to reach 400 for her career as she is the second-winningest active coach in the American Athletic Conference ... Markwith and junior Lael Ceriani made their Purple and Gold debuts ... Ceriani faced her sister in the match as Cassidy Ceriani made her collegiate debut for Canisius as the starting setter ... East Carolina improved to 27-14 in non-conference play under Torbett ... McRae, the program leader in career hitting percentage, turned in a .333 (5k/2e/9ta) performance in the victory.

Up Next: East Carolina returns to action Saturday, facing off against Fairleigh Dickinson at 10 a.m. and the host Bison at 6 p.m.