ECU Sweeps Gardner-Webb In Home Opener

Friday, September 17

Greenville, N.C.

1:30 p.m.

East Carolina University

3-4,0-0AAC

Gardner-Webb

3-5,0-0Big South

Gardner-Webb

East Carolina

September 17, 2021 | Volleyball

Box Score Game Book (PDF)

GREENVILLE, N.C. – East Carolina made short work of Gardner-Webb to open the Pirate Invitational Friday afternoon, sweeping the Runnin' Bulldogs 25-15, 25-16, 25-22 inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum.

ECU improved to 3-4 with its third-straight victory while GWU fell to 3-5 with its fourth loss in its last five contests.

UTRGV won the first match of the morning in three sets over Appalachian State. The Pirates and Vaqueros meet in Friday's final contest at 7:30 p.m.

Senior right side Bri Wood and senior outside hitter Natalie Tyson tallied 11 kills apiece to lead East Carolina while freshman middle blocker Amelia Davis notched a career-best nine kills with one error on 16 attempts for a .500 hitting percentage. Freshman libero Tia Shum paced the back row with a match-best 13 digs. Davis added five total blocks (one solo). Additionally, senior setter Janiece Jefferies ran the offense to the tune of 32 assists. Kylee Garrison collected a match-high 14 kills for the visitors and committed eight errors for a .207 hitting mark.

ECU produced its best team hitting percentage of the season at .363, connecting for 42 kills on 91 attempts with nine errors. The Pirates limited the Runnin' Bulldogs to .123 efficiency while also holding the upper hand in digs (36-32) and total blocks (5.0-2.0).

It was all East Carolina early in the first set as a block by Davis and freshman right side Sophia Kruczko made the score 8-1. Gardner-Webb drew within 9-5 following a Delaney McCullough kill, but the Pirates were able to hold the Runnin' Bulldogs at an arm's length for the remainder of the frame. A bad set by Madison Deslatte pushed ECU ahead 21-12 before the Pirates scored four of the final seven points.

East Carolina rolled to an 11-3 advantage in the second and utilized a Gardner-Webb attacking error to assume a 15-5 lead at the media timeout. The Runnin' Bulldogs pulled no closer than seven the rest of the way as a kill by Davis terminated the set and sent the Pirates to intermission with a 2-0 match lead.

The teams battled back and forth early in the third stanza and settled for a tie at eight points. Lauryn Rocassin gave the visitors a 13-10 edge with a kill but a stellar serving run by freshman defensive specialist Alex Singleton resulted in eight-straight points for ECU as the Purple and Gold vaulted ahead by an 18-13 margin. Deslatte kept Gardner-Webb close late in the set with a kill that made the score 23-21. However, Wood responded and afforded the Pirates match point with a kill and Kylee Garrison sent the ball out of bounds a couple of rallies later to seal the East Carolina sweep.