Defending AAC Champion SMU Escapes East Carolina, 3-1

Thursday, September 22

Dallas, Texas

8:00 p.m.

East Carolina University

10-1, 0-1AAC

SMU

8-5, 1-0AAC

ECU

SMU

September 22, 2016 | Volleyball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

DALLAS, Texas – Despite having been picked to finish nearly unanimously last in the 2016 preseason American Athletic Conference coaches poll, the East Carolina volleyball team put the league on notice that it would certainly not be an easy out for anyone Thursday evening as defending league champion SMU required every last ounce of energy it could muster in a 3-1 victory (25-16, 25-27, 26-24, 25-23) inside Moody Coliseum. The match served as the 2016 AAC opener for both teams.

Team Records: East Carolina: 10-1, 0-1 AAC | SMU: 8-5, 1-0 AAC

Torbett's Take: "I am extremely proud of how we played tonight against the defending league champion on the road. Our energy was fantastic throughout and we even outplayed them for large stretches of the match. I thought Brandee (Markwith) was absolutely phenomenal in her first conference match and Natalie (Montini) gave us a huge performance at the net. If we can clean up some controllable errors, there is no telling what we can do for the rest of the season."

Freshman libero Brandee Markwith collected a match-high 26 digs – three more than reigning AAC Libero of the Year Morgan Heise. Senior outside hitter Sydney Darden went off for a double-double, putting down 15 kills and hitting .250 to go along with 12 digs while junior middle Natalie Montini posted a match-best eight blocks. Senior setter Sabrina Gonzalez put in a solid all-around effort, stuffing the stat sheet to the tune of 40 assists, 16 digs, three kills and three blocks. Senior middle Ashley McRae also moved into sole possession of 10th place on the program career blocks chart with three.

The Pirates out-hit the Mustangs .166 to .138, forcing SMU in 34 attacking errors. ECU also had the upper hand in the blocking column by notching 12.0 total blocks to the Mustangs' 10.0. East Carolina hindered itself with 13 errors at the service line as compared to SMU's five.

Set One: SMU got out to a 7-3 lead to open the match and would not relinquish the advantage the rest of the way. A Mustang attacking error kept the Pirates within striking distance at 12-8 but would have to take a timeout when SMU extended the lead to 15-9. A kill by junior outside hitter Lael Ceriani pulled the Purple and Gold within 20-14 before the home side scored five of the last seven to close the stanza.

Set Two: A kill by Lauren Mills gave the Mustangs an early 9-6 edge and SMU was able to stretch its lead to 16-12 following a Pirate attacking error. Unlike the first stanza, however, East Carolina fought back and eventually knotted the score at 19 with a block by Gonzalez and Montini. The teams fought to ties at 21, 22 and 23 until a kill by McRae put ECU at set point. The Mustangs fought off two more Pirate set points but after a phenomenal back row kill by junior outside hitter Ashton Mares, a Montini-Mares stuff block ended the frame in East Carolina's favor and deadlocked the match heading into intermission.

Set Three: The beginning of the third stanza was a battle back and forth that settled at 11 points apiece. A Taylor kill sparked a 4-1 run that put ECU ahead by three and forced SMU into a timeout. The Mustangs answered back and pulled the score even at 16 after a Pirate attacking error. With the set knotted at 19 later on, an I'Tiana Taylor kill capped a 3-1 run that saw the Purple and Gold edge in front 22-20. SMU looked to rally, scoring four of the next six points to reach set point. However, a pair of ECU kills gave the Pirates new life. East Carolina could not sustain the momentum though as a kill and service ace allowed the Mustangs to escape with the extra-points victory.

Set Four: SMU raced out to a 3-0 lead in the fourth before a Darden kill drew the Pirates even at six. The sides played back and forth to a tie at 12 and 15, but the Mustangs used an East Carolina attacking error to edge ahead 17-15. Following a timeout, two Darden kills evened the score at 19 as SMU scrambled for a timeout. The Mustangs looked to be on the verge of clinching the match with a 23-20 lead later in the frame, but the Pirates rallied to within 24-23 before a kill by Kristen Stehling allowed SMU to end the affair.

Bits and Pieces: The Pirates' first loss of the campaign snapped the longest winning streak in program history … The Purple and Gold entered Thursday as one of just three unbeaten teams in the nation ... East Carolina's second-set victory snapped a string of nine-straight 3-0 wins for SMU in the series … ECU dropped the third and fourth sets by the slimmest of margins – a combined four points … The setback dropped the Pirates' true road record to 5-1 … East Carolina fell in its American Athletic Conference opener for the third-straight season.

Up Next: ECU closes out its 12-match road swing Saturday at Tulsa. The Pirates and Golden Hurricane will match up at 1 p.m. inside the Reynolds Center.