Gameday: ECU Visits Florida For Final Regular Season Road Trip

Matches 27-28: at UCF and USF
The Matches	Nov. 8 at UCF \\\ 7:00 p.m. \\\ Live Stats \\\ Watch Nov. 10 at USF \\\ Noon \\\ Live Stats \\\ Watch
Venues	The Venue at UCF (Orlando, Fla.) \| The Corral (Tampa, Fla.)
Information	2019 Fact Book \\\ 2019 Prospectus
Social Media	@ECUVB (Twitter) \\\ Instagram \\\ Facebook \\\ #GoPirates

Weekly Release No. 12

GREENVILLE, N.C. – With a 20-win season in its sights, the East Carolina volleyball team hits the road for the final time in the regular season this weekend when it travels to Florida for a pair of American Athletic Conference matches against UCF and USF.

The Pirates swept both Connecticut and Temple at home last weekend to improve to 18-8 overall and 5-7 in league play. East Carolina needs just two more victories to secure its second 20-win campaign in the last three years. The Pirates are currently third in the AAC east division with four matches to play.

Junior Bri Wood leads the squad in total kills (328) and is second in kills per set (3.28), total digs (297) and digs per set (2.97). Classmate Sydney Kleinman paces the club in kills per set (3.49) and slots just behind Wood with 321 total kills. On the defensive end, redshirt junior Brandee Markwith has collected 449 total digs (4.49 per set) - currently the seventh-best single-season total in program history. Senior Toya Osuegbu and redshirt sophomore Sydney Hall are tied for the team lead in total blocks (88).

Scouting UCF
UCF is tied with Cincinnati for the American Athletic Conference East Division lead, sporting an 18-6 overall record and 11-1 league mark. The Knights swept in-state rival USF in Orlando last Friday before heading to Dallas and securing a four-set victory over SMU. McKenna Melville leads the way for UCF offensively with 385 kills (4.38 per set) while Makenzie Kuchmaner (sister of ECU pitcher Jake Kuchmaner) anchors the back row to the tune of 3.68 digs per set (324). The Knights have three players averaging at least one block per set in Lache Harper (1.40), Nerissa Moravec (1.24) and Anne Marie Watson (1.23). Collectively, UCF is putting up 14.00 kills, 13.17 assists, 1.20 aces, 15.42 digs and 2.95 blocks per set while also hitting .273.

About USF
USF enters its Friday night showdown with Cincinnati in Tampa at 7-19 overall and 1-11 in conference play. The Bulls were swept at UCF last Friday before dropping a four-set decision to Memphis on the road Sunday. Lindsay Pliapol leads the offensive efforts for USF with 282 kills (3.00 per set) while Jac'cara Walker is close behind with 253 kills (2.72 per set). CC Clausen tops the squad defensively with 381 digs (3.89 per set). At the net, Ally Barnhart is averaging a team-high 0.98 blocks per set. As a team, the Bulls check in at 11.55 kills, 10.95 assists, 1.11 aces, 14.06 digs and 1.91 blocks per set while also hitting .187.

The UCF Series
UCF swept East Carolina back on Oct. 6 in Greenville and now leads the all-time series 18-10.

The USF Series
Thanks to the Pirates' 3-0 win over Bulls back on Oct. 4 in Greenville, East Carolina improved its overall record against USF to 5-10.

Up Next
East Carolina wraps up the 2019 regular season at home next weekend against Cincinnati and Wichita State.

Gameday: ECU Visits Florida For Final Regular Season Road Trip

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Players Mentioned

Sydney Hall

Sydney Kleinman

Brandee Markwith

Toya Osuegbu

Bri Wood

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