ECU Drops Five-Set Match At USF

Friday, November 9

Tampa, Fla.

5:00 p.m.

East Carolina University

12-13, 4-10

USF

19-8, 8-6

ECU

USF

November 09, 2018 | Volleyball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

TAMPA, Fla. – ECU rallied from a two-set deficit to force a fifth, but USF took the decider to record a 25-20, 25-18, 19-25, 22-25, 15-11 American Athletic Conference victory Friday evening inside The Corral.

Natalie Tyson paced the Pirates (12-13, 4-10 AAC) with 13 kills while Sydney Hall set a career high with 11 of her own. Shelby Martin posted a double-double of 43 assists and 15 digs and fell just short of her second triple-double of the season adding nine kills. Maggie Hallow led the defensive efforts with 20 digs. Lindsey Pliapol notched a team-high 21 kills for the Bulls (19-8, 8-6 AAC).

USF totaled 70 kills to ECU's 58 and out-dug the Pirates 84-66 as well as holding the upper hand in hitting percentage .275 to .222. The teams combined for 17 total blocks.

ECU got off to an ideal start to the match, using tough serving to pull out to an 8-1 lead. After a USF timeout, the Bulls rallied in a big way with a 14-5 run that put them ahead 15-13. The USF advantage grew to 22-18, prompting the Pirates to use their final timeout of the set. ECU never recovered and dropped the opener by five.

The Pirates were down early in the second, trailing 8-5. The Bulls then started to pull away, extending the cushion to 16-9. ECU never threatened and USF took a two-set lead into the intermission.

At the outset of the third, the Pirates scored the first four points. In the middle stages, a kill by Tyson pushed ECU ahead by four and forced the Bulls to call a timeout. Another kill off the hands of Tyson made it 22-17 in favor of the Purple and Gold and USF burned its last timeout of the set. The Pirates held strong and finished off the frame with a kill by Sydney Kleinman.

The teams battled for the lead early on in the fourth and settled for a tie at six. ECU scored five of the next six points to take a four-point edge. The Pirates maintained the lead up to 17-12 before the Bulls drew within one at 18-17. ECU hung tough and eventually built a 23-20 cushion after a USF attacking error. Tyson ended the set with a kill to force the decider.

With the score knotted at 10 in the fifth, the Bulls netted the next two points to force a Pirate timeout. USF put down two more kills after the timeout to reach match point. ECU extended the match one more point before the Bulls ended it.

ECU returns to action Sunday at No. 22 UCF.