Tulane Trips Up East Carolina In Five Sets

Friday, October 28

New Orleans, La.

7:30 p.m.

East Carolina University

8-15,3-8AAC

Tulane

8-14,3-8AAC

East Carolina

Tulane

October 28, 2022 | Volleyball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

NEW ORLEANS, La. – A career night out of Angeles Alderete was not enough to push East Carolina to a victory Friday night as Tulane held off the Pirates' comeback attempt for a 3-2 (25-17, 25-22, 26-28, 22-25, 20-18) American Athletic Conference victory at Devlin Fieldhouse.

ECU drops to 8-15 overall and 3-8 in league play while the Green Wave improves to 9-14 and 4-8.

Alderete matched her personal collegiate best of 26 kills while setting a new standard in total digs with 22 for her 10th double-double of the campaign. Izzy Marinelli and Carlia Northcross joined her in double figures with 14 and 11 kills apiece. Along the back row, Kenzie Beckham notched 18 digs while setter Payton Evenstad dished out a double-double of 27 assists and 10 digs. Mackenzie Martin led Tulane with a double-double of 15 kills and 17 digs.

The teams were virtually even in the hitting department as the Green Wave finished at .244 efficiency, surpassing ECU's .243 performance. The Pirates registered more kills (68-63) and total blocks (11.0-6.0).

After the first two sets went Tulane's way, East Carolina battled in the third. Once trailing 16-9 and facing a sweep, the Pirates dug down and put together a 13-6 run to knot the score at 22. ECU grabbed a 23-22 advantage thanks to a block by Northcross and Alderete before seeing out an extra-point victory on another block.

The Pirates broke a 19-19 deadlock in the fourth frame by scoring four of the next six points to build a 23-21 edge. Kayla Kaiser drew the home team within one with a kill, but Marinelli answered with a kill of her own and Northcross ended the stanza with an ace to force the deciding set.

It was a nip and tuck affair throughout the fifth. Alderete and Alyssa Finister would put East Carolina at match point, 15-14, but a service error kept the Green Wave in it. The Pirates fought off three match points from there before Tulane finally broke free with a pair of kills to seal the match.

Up Next: ECU travels to Houston Sunday for a league match against the nationally-ranked (No. 23) Cougars. First serve is slated for 1 p.m.