Gameday: East Carolina Closes Non-Conference Schedule At N.C. Central

Match 24: at N.C. Central
The Match	Oct. 29 at N.C. Central \\\ 6:00 p.m. \\\ Live Stats \\\ Watch (Free)
Venue	McDougald-McLendon Arena (Durham, N.C.)
Information	2019 Fact Book \\\ 2019 Prospectus
Social Media	@ECUVB (Twitter) \\\ Instagram \\\ Facebook \\\ #GoPirates

GREENVILLE, N.C. – East Carolina wraps up the month of October Tuesday evening with its final non-conference match of the season at N.C. Central. The Pirates and Eagles will meet inside McDougald-McLendon Arena at 6 p.m.

Live stats and a free live stream are available for the contest courtesy of NCCU.

ECU returns to action following a pair of home losses over the weekend to American Athletic Conference opponents SMU and Memphis. The Pirates ended up falling to the Mustangs 3-1 and to the Tigers in five sets.

Juniors Sydney Kleinman and Bri Wood are tied for the team lead in total kills with 283 apiece. Wood also averages 2.86 digs per set (257 total) and has posted a double-double in four consecutive matches. Defensively, redshirt junior Brandee Markwith tops the squad in total digs (402) and digs per set (4.47) while senior Toya Osuegbu, who tied her single-match career high in blocks with 10 against Memphis, has collected a team-best 85 rejections. Juniors Shelby Martin and Marissa Harmon have shared the setting duties this season with respective assists totals of 556 and 354. Harmon tallied her first double-double in an East Carolina uniform Sunday with a 21-assist, 10-dig performance.

The Pirates rank fourth in the AAC in hitting percentage (.237) and aces per set (1.22). ECU also averages 12.93 kills, 11.91 assists, 15.46 digs and 1.97 blocks per set.

N.C. Central enters the contest with a 6-20 overall record. The Eagles nearly pulled a big upset of Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference leader Howard Friday, falling in five sets, before rebounding to beat Norfolk State 3-1 Sunday. Christine Alcox leads the NCCU offense with 234 kills (2.44 per set) while Yomaries Villegas anchors the back row with 377 digs (3.85 per set). Collectively, the Eagles are hitting .160 while averaging 10.76 kills, 10.00 assists, 1.62 aces, 14.53 digs and 1.68 blocks per set.

East Carolina and N.C. Central matched up earlier this season in Greenville (Sept. 17). The Pirates claimed a 3-1 victory (25-17, 25-23, 23-25, 25-17) as Kleinman put down 16 kills and hit .303 while Wood produced a double-double of 15 kills and 16 digs as well as a .343 attacking percentage. Osuegbu set the program single-match record for hitting percentage at .833 after recording 10 kills on 12 attempts with no errors. Jasmine Sanders paced the Eagles with 16 kills.

Following Tuesday's match, ECU returns home next weekend for a pair of league affairs with Connecticut and Temple.

Gameday: East Carolina Closes Non-Conference Schedule At N.C. Central

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Players Mentioned

Marissa Harmon

Sydney Kleinman

Brandee Markwith

Shelby Martin

Toya Osuegbu

Bri Wood

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