Gameday: ECU Resumes AAC Play Hosting Houston And SMU

Matches 13-14: Houston and SMU
The Match	Sept. 28 vs. Houston \\\ 7:00 p.m. \\\ Live Stats \\\ Watch Sept. 30 vs. SMU \\\ 1:00 p.m. \\\ Live Stats \\\ Watch
Venue	Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum \\\ Ticket Information
Information	2018 Fact Book \\\ 2018 Prospectus \\\ Match Notes
Social Media	@ECUVB (Twitter) \\\ Instagram \\\ Facebook \\\ #WeUp

GREENVILLE, N.C. – Following a four-set non-conference victory over N.C. Central Tuesday, ECU jumps back into American Athletic Conference play this weekend with a pair of home matches against Houston and SMU.

To assist with Hurricane Florence relief efforts, fans can obtain free admission to all home athletic events this week by donating items to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. Water and beverages are currently the items most in need.

The Pirates are 8-4 overall and 0-1 against the league having dropped its conference opener to Cincinnati 3-0 back on Sept. 21 in Greenville.

Freshman outside hitter Natalie Tyson leads a balanced ECU offense with an average of 2.77 kills per set. The Pirates feature four players who are putting up at least 2.15 kills per set while freshman middle blocker S'mara Riley is close behind with a 1.97 average. Defensively, junior libero Maggie Hallow ranks eighth in the league at 4.23 digs per set and junior middle blocker Toya Osuegbu paces the unit with an average of 0.85 blocks per set. ECU is limiting opposing offenses to a .165 hitting percentage which is third in the conference.

Last Time Out
GREENVILLE, N.C. - Sophomore setter Shelby Martin fell one kill shy of the first recorded triple-double in program history Tuesday in ECU's 3-1 (25-18, 25-27, 25-16, 25-21) non-conference victory over N.C. Central inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum. In a chance to work in a majority of the roster before American Athletic Conference play resumes Friday, the Pirates used 12 players in the match. Martin set a career high of 14 digs while adding 40 assists, nine kills and four aces. She made just one error in 13 attempts for a .615 hitting percentage. Junior middle blocker Toya Osuegbu exploded for a career-best 17 kills to go along with three blocks and a .387 hitting percentage. Joining Osuegbu in double figures offensively was sophomore right side Bri Wood who collected 12 kills and 12 digs for her second double-double of the season. Junior libero Maggie Hallow led all players in the match with 18 digs. As for the visitors, Arlanda Faulkner tallied 12 kills and nine digs while Erika Ianovale notched 16 digs. ECU (8-4) dominated the stat sheet in most aspects, out-pacing NCCU (2-9) in kills (56-38), hitting percentage (.217 to .104) and digs (66-63). Both teams ended with four total blocks.

About Houston
Houston excelled during the non-conference portion of its schedule, rolling to a 13-2 record, but ended up dropping its first two AAC matches in five sets to Temple and four to Connecticut. Megan Duncan is averaging a team-best 3.06 kills per set (196 total) while Katie Karbo leads the way in the back row, checking in at 4.97 digs per set. At the net, Kendall Haywood is averaging 1.15 blocks per set. As a unit, the Cougars are putting up 13.15 kills, 12.15 assists, 1.76 aces, 14.80 digs and 2.08 blocks per set. Houston leads the conference in aces per set and ranks second in the league in opposing hitting percentage (.161). The Cougars were picked eighth in the preseason AAC coaches poll.

Scouting SMU
SMU enters the weekend with a 5-7 overall record and 2-0 mark in conference play after beating Connecticut in four sets and sweeping Temple at home Sept. 21 and 23. Brittany Adams has been the top offensive performer for the Mustangs with 141 kills (3.13 per set) while Montana Watts does the bulk of the defensive work averaging 5.17 digs per set (238 total). SMU also boasts a pair of prolific blockers in Lexi Nordmann (1.11 blocks per set) and Meryn Kennedy (1.04 blocks per set). Collectively, the Mustangs average 13.04 kills, 11.98 assists, 0.76 aces, 16.93 digs and 2.26 blocks per set as well sport a .186 hitting percentage. SMU ranks third in the conference in both blocks per set and aces per set. The Mustangs were selected fourth in the AAC preseason coaches poll.

The Series: Houston
ECU defeated Houston twice in 2017, winning a 3-1 decision at home before rallying from a 2-0 deficit to knock of the Cougars in five sets later in the season in Houston. The Cougars lead the all-time series 16-7, but the Pirates have won four consecutive matchups and five of the last six.

The Series: SMU
SMU leads the all-time series with ECU 14-4. The Mustangs represent one of two (Wichita State the other) teams the Pirates have not defeated since joining the American Conference. SMU won a five-set slugfest in Greenville last year before sweeping ECU in Dallas later in the campaign.

Up Next
The Pirates will play the first of four-straight league road matches Oct. 5 when they travel to the University of Connecticut for a 7 p.m. first serve against the Huskies inside Gampel Pavilion.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Maggie Hallow

Shelby Martin

Toya Osuegbu

S'mara Riley

Natalie Tyson

Bri Wood

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