Gameday: ECU Hits The Road For Matches At Tulane And Memphis

Matches 21-22: at Tulane and Memphis
The Matches	Oct. 26 at Tulane \\\ 8:00 p.m. \\\ Live Stats \\\ Watch Oct. 28 at Memphis \\\ 2:00 p.m. \\\ Live Stats \\\ Watch
Venues	Fogelman Arena \\\ Elma Roane Fieldhouse
Information	2018 Fact Book \\\ 2018 Prospectus \\\ Match Notes
Social Media	@ECUVB (Twitter) \\\ Instagram \\\ Facebook \\\ #WeUp

GREENVILLE, N.C. – ECU looks to get back on the winning track this weekend when it visits Tulane and Memphis for a pair of American Athletic Conference contests.

The Pirates fell to league leader UCF 3-0 and USF 3-1 in their most recent outings at home. ECU is 12-8 overall and 4-5 in the American Conference halfway through the league season - tied for sixth place with Wichita State and USF.

Sophomore outside hitter Sydney Kleinman, who recorded a career-high 20 kills against the Bulls Sunday, paces the Pirate offense with an average of 2.66 kills per set while junior middle blocker Toya Osuegbu is the team's leading scorer with 190.5 total points. Junior defensive specialist Maggie Hallow leads the team in digs (290) and is eighth in the AAC in digs per set (4.20).

The Pirates are 2-2 on the road in conference play this season with wins at Connecticut and Temple as well as losses at Wichita State and Tulsa. Following this weekend, ECU will play four of its final seven matches at home.

Last Time Out
GREENVILLE, N.C. – ECU had a lead in every set against USF Sunday afternoon, but the ball did not quite bounce the Pirates' way in the end as the Bulls claimed a 3-1 (25-22, 17-25, 25-20, 27-25) American Athletic Conference victory in front of a crowd of 288 inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum. ECU committed 29 attacking errors to end up with a .179 hitting percentage while USF was efficient offensively with 56 kills and only 13 errors – good for a .293 mark. The Bulls also out-dug the Pirates 72-63 and tallied 13 total blocks to ECU's five. Sophomore outside hitter Sydney Kleinman was the top all-around player on the floor on either side, putting down a career-high 20 kills and collecting 13 digs as well as a .405 hitting percentage. Sophomore right side Bri Wood followed with 12 kills and 17 digs and freshman outside hitter Natalie Tyson notched 10 kills. Jac'cara Walker paced the visitors with 19 kills and 12 digs.

About Tulane
Tulane enters the second half of conference play on a roll, having won five-straight matches over Memphis, SMU, Houston, Connecticut and Temple. The Green Wave also holds a sparkling 9-2 record at home. Tulane has six players averaging at least two kills per set, led by Erika Hansel's 2.61 mark. Kaylie McHugh leads the defensive efforts with an average of 4.49 digs per set, ranking seventh in the conference. The Green Wave paces the league in opponent hitting percentage (.152) while ranking second in kills per set (13.67), assists per set (13.07), blocks per set (2.52) and service aces per set (1.48) as well as third in hitting percentage (.230). Tulane is tied with SMU for fourth place in the conference standings, one match back of Tulsa for third.

Scouting Memphis
Memphis was swept at Temple before picking up a five-set victory at Connecticut last weekend to improve to 10-11 overall and 3-6 in AAC play. The Tigers are in a tie for ninth place with the Huskies in the league standings. Hannah Flowers leads Memphis and ranks fourth in the conference in kills per set (3.56) while Kelsey Walter is second in the American Conference in blocks per set (1.23). Kaitlyn Gehler paces the defense with an average of 3.63 digs per set. Collectively, the Tigers are fourth in the league in service aces per set (1.37). Memphis is 6-6 at home this season, including a four-set win over Houston and a five-set victory over SMU. The Tigers also have a win over Southeastern Conference member Ole Miss to their credit.

The Series: Tulane
Tulane and ECU split the season series in 2017 with each team emerging victorious on its home floor in a pair of five-set matches. The Green Wave lead the all-time series 18-5, including a 9-1 record against the Pirates in New Orleans. ECU lone victory at Tulane was back on Oct. 13, 2016 in a four-set decision.

The Series: Memphis
Memphis leads the all-time series with ECU 20-8, but the Pirates have captured five of the last seven encounters - including a pair of 3-0 victories over the Tigers in 2017. ECU is 4-10 in matches played in Memphis.

Up Next
The Pirates host AAC opponent Tulsa Friday, Nov. 2, before welcoming Wichita State to Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum Sunday, Nov. 4.

Gameday: ECU Hits The Road For Matches At Tulane And Memphis

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Players Mentioned

Maggie Hallow

Sydney Kleinman

Toya Osuegbu

Natalie Tyson

Bri Wood

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