Gameday: ECU Welcomes Cincinnati To Greenville For AAC Opener

Match 11: Cincinnati
Schedule	Sept. 21 vs. Cincinnati \\\ 7 p.m. \\\ Live Stats \\\ Watch
Venue	Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum
Information	2018 Fact Book \\\ 2018 Prospectus \\\ Match Notes
Social Media	@ECUVB (Twitter) \\\ Instagram \\\ Facebook \\\ #WeUp

GREENVILLE, N.C. – After an unexpected weekend off, ECU dives right into American Athletic Conference play Friday with a match against Cincinnati before hosting N.C. Central Tuesday.

The Pirates were supposed to compete in the 2nd Colonial Classic at William & Mary last weekend, but forecasted effects from Hurricane Florence forced the tournament's cancellation.

ECU is 7-3 overall and has won five of its last six matches, including two of three most recently at its home tournament back on Sept. 6-7. Through 10 matches this season, freshman outside hitter Natalie Tyson is pacing the offense with an average of 2.97 kills per set and is one of five Pirate players putting up at least 2.13 kills per set. In the back row, junior defensive specialist Maggie Hallow checks in with an average of 4.22 digs per set and freshman middle blocker S'mara Riley is averaging a team-best 0.97 blocks per set.

About Cincinnati
Three-time AAC Preseason Player of the Year and reigning national player of the week Jordan Thompson, who missed the 2017 season due to injury, has returned to carry Cincinnati to a 9-4 overall record thus far in 2018. The Bearcats lost in four sets at Western Kentucky Tuesday evening. Thompson is the nation's leader in kills per set (6.22) and is attacking at a .322 clip as well as averaging 2.16 digs per set. She has produced 30-plus kills in five matches this year, including a career-high 35 in a five-set loss to Indiana. Thompson has racked up 342 kills on an astounding 760 attempts. As a team, Cincinnati is averaging 13.16 kills, 12.41 assists, 1.46 aces, 12.62 digs and 1.76 blocks per set to go along with a .261 hitting percentage. The Bearcats were picked to finish second in the AAC preseason coaches poll after ending the 2017 campaign with a 13-19 overall record and 11-9 mark in league play.

The Series
ECU swept the season series from Cincinnati in 2017 with a 3-2 road victory and a 3-0 triumph at home in the final match of the year. The Bearcats lead the overall series 11-3.

Youthful Bunch
With just one senior on this year's roster, ECU is utilizing a good amount of underclassmen in its lineup. Of the five players averaging at least two kills per set, four are either freshmen or sophomores. Rookie Natalie Tyson leads the squad in kills per set and is the team's leading point scorer.

Defensively Speaking
As a unit, the Pirates have excelled defensively, ranking second in the AAC and 21st nationally by holding opponents to a .150 hitting percentage. ECU is also fourth in the league in digs per set (16.03).

Sweep Streak
The Pirates recently swept five-straight opponents, marking the first time that has happened since the beginning of the 2008 season. Additionally, nine of ECU's 10 matches have ended in three sets this year with a five-set loss to Hampton as the outlier.

First Things First
In 2017, ECU posted a 17-5 record when winning the first set. Under Torbett, the Pirates are 67-18 when capturing the initial stanza. On five occasions last season, ECU rallied from a first set loss to emerge victorious (at USF/Tulsa/at Connecticut/Houston/at Houston).

Preseason Recognition
The American Athletic Conference coaches selected ECU seventh in the league's preseason poll, marking the highest prediction for the Pirates since joining the circuit in 2014. Sophomore setter Shelby Martin was named to the AAC Preseason Team - the first such selection for the program since Kelley Wernert was tabbed to the 2007 Conference USA Preseason Team.

Up Next
ECU continues its homestand Tuesday with a non-conference match against N.C. Central. First serve is set for 4 p.m.

Gameday: ECU Welcomes Cincinnati To Greenville For AAC Opener

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Players Mentioned

Maggie Hallow

Shelby Martin

S'mara Riley

Natalie Tyson

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