East Carolina Downs Alabama A&M For Seventh-Straight Win

Saturday, September 21

Boiling Springs, N.C.

Noon

East Carolina University

11-1

Alabama A&M

3-9

Alabama A&M

East Carolina

East Carolina Downs Alabama A&M For Seventh-Straight Win

September 21, 2019 | Volleyball

Box Score

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – East Carolina won its fourth five-set match of the season Saturday afternoon, defeating Alabama A&M 22-25, 19-25, 25-20, 25-22, 15-5 inside Paul Porter Arena on the campus of Gardner-Webb University.

The Pirates extended their winning streak to seven, improving to 11-1 overall while dropping the Bulldogs, who won 23 matches and participated in the postseason last year, to 4-9.

Junior outside hitter Sydney Kleinman put down a career-high 22 kills and hit .259 to go along with a double-double performance out of classmate and right side Bri Wood who recorded 16 kills and 10 digs as well as a .441 hitting percentage. Redshirt junior libero Brandee Markwith posted 31 digs, marking the second time this season she has notched at 30 digs in a match. Additionally, redshirt sophomore middle blocker Sydney Hall contributed nine kills, six blocks and a .444 attacking percentage.

Alana Cox paced Alabama A&M with 20 kills and 10 digs.

East Carolina out-hit the opposition .255 to .181 while ending up with more digs (85-79) and total blocks (13.0-7.0). The Pirates hit .467 in the final frame with eight kills, limiting the Bulldogs to .000 efficiency.

A kill by Wood gave ECU a 7-4 lead in the opening set before Alabama A&M rallied with a 10-5 run to push ahead 14-12. The Pirates erased an 18-15 deficit to assume a 21-20 advantage later in the stanza, but the Bulldogs secured five of the final six points.

Alabama A&M controlled the second set, building a 17-8 cushion before holding East Carolina off to win it by six and take a 2-0 match lead at the intermission.

The Pirates came out firing in the third, using a 5-0 run to help construct a 10-6 edge. The Bulldogs scored three straight later on in the set to pull within 17-16, but ECU scored six consecutive points from there to put Alabama A&M away and extend the match to the fourth.

The teams battled to a tie at 10 in the crucial fourth set before the Bulldogs crept in front 16-15 following a kill by Cox. The Pirates would score four of the next five to take a two-point lead that they would not relinquish. Wood finished off the stanza with a kill to force the 15-point tiebreaker.

East Carolina catapulted out of the gate in the fifth set thanks to the strong serve of junior setter Shelby Martin, ringing up a 7-0 lead. Alabama A&M would not threaten as the Pirates pushed the advantage to 12-4 before sealing the comeback on a Wood service ace.

ECU returns home Wednesday, Sept. 25, for a non-conference match against in-state opponent Campbell. First serve inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum is scheduled for 7 p.m.