East Carolina Entertains Memphis And SMU At AAC Halfway Point

Matches 21-22: Memphis and SMU
Coverage	Oct. 21 \\\ Memphis \\\ 6:00 p.m. \\\ Live Stats \\\ Watch Oct. 23 \\\ SMU \\\ Noon \\\ Live Stats \\\ Watch
Venues	Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum (Greenville, N.C.)
Social Media	Twitter \\\ Instagram \\\ #ECUVB #NoQuarter

Weekly Release No. 9 (PDF)

GREENVILLE, N.C. – East Carolina looks to move into the top half of the American Athletic Conference standings when its hosts Memphis Friday evening (6 p.m.) and SMU Sunday (Noon) inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum. The Pirates sit in sixth place, just one match back of the Tigers for fifth.

Both matches will stream live via ESPN+ with Patrick Johnson and Brittany Hoyt on the call.

ECU (8-12, 3-5 AAC) dropped a pair of contests in Florida last weekend, rallying from a two-set deficit but falling short in five at South Florida before getting swept at then No. 24 UCF. Angeles Alderete produced her fourth 20-kill effort of the campaign and her team-leading ninth double-double in Tampa.

Net play and tough serving have been the calling cards of the squad this season as the Pirates rank second in the conference in both aces per set (1.59) and blocks per set (2.30). Individually, Alderete checks in at fifth in kills per set (3.77) and points per set (4.24). Payton Evenstad is third in aces per set (0.37) while Shaylynn Hall slots fourth in blocks per set (1.12) and Kenzie Beckham ranks fifth in digs per set (3.79).

East Carolina is 4-2 at home this season with wins over Furman, Norfolk State, Tulane and Cincinnati as well as losses to Towson and Houston.

About Memphis
Memphis (14-7, 4-4 AAC) split a pair of matches at home last weekend, sweeping Tulane before falling to Houston in three. The Tigers have been stout defensively, ranking second in the league in digs per set (15.77), third in opposing hitting percentage (.178) and fourth in blocks per set (2.25). Kate Bass is third among conference players in blocks per set (1.14) while Bailey Houlihan also sits third in digs per set (4.70). Memphis has played just five true road matches this season, defeating TCU and Cincinnati while losing to UCF, SMU and Wichita State. Sean Burdette is in his fifth season as the program's head coach.

The Memphis Series
East Carolina trails the all-time series with Memphis 23-10, but has captured seven of the last 12 meetings. The Pirates split the season series with the Tigers in the fall of 2021, recording a 3-0 win in Greenville before falling in four sets in Memphis. ECU is 6-11 against the Tigers at Minges Coliseum and has taken four of the last five encounters at the venue.

A Look At SMU
SMU, currently residing in third place, carries a 13-7 overall record and 6-2 AAC mark into the weekend after sweeping Tulane last Sunday. The Mustangs were also swept by Houston as SMU attempted to keep pace at the top of the league table. The Mustangs are second among conference squads in hitting percentage (.245) as well as third in kills per set (13.67). Natalie Perdue and Jamison Wheeler pace the offensive efforts, ranking seventh and eighth in the league in kills per set with respective 3.57 and 3.35 averages. Celia Cullen has handled most of the setting duties this season and currently slots second in the AAC in assists per set (10.28). SMU is led by first-year head coach Sam Erger.

The SMU Series
SMU leads the all-time series with East Carolina 17-5 and has won 16 of the last 17 meetings. The Pirates last knocked off the Mustangs 3-1 in Greenville back on Sept. 30, 2018. ECU lost both matches to SMU last season, falling in three sets at home before dropping a 3-1 decision in Dallas.

Up Next
East Carolina closes out the month on the road, matching up with Tulane and Houston Friday (Oct. 28) and Sunday (Oct. 30).

East Carolina Entertains Memphis And SMU At AAC Halfway Point

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Players Mentioned

Angeles Alderete

Kenzie Beckham

Payton Evenstad

Shaylynn Hall

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