Pirates Visit Wilmington For Seahawk Invitational

Matches 7-9: Hampton Inn And Suites Seahawk Invitational (Hosted by UNCW)
Coverage	Sept. 8 \| vs. Norfolk State \| 10:00 a.m. \| Live Stats Sept. 8 \| at UNCW \| 6:00 p.m. \| Live Stats \| Watch Sept. 9 \| vs. Alabama State \| 2:00 p.m. \| Live Stats
Venue	Trask Coliseum (Wilmington, N.C.)
Social Media	Twitter \| Instagram \| #ECUVB #NoQuarter

Weekly Release No. 3 (PDF)

GREENVILLE, N.C. – East Carolina makes the short trip south to Wilmington this weekend to take on Norfolk State, host UNCW and Alabama State in the Hampton Inn and Suites Seahawk Invitational at Trask Coliseum.

The Pirates face off with the Spartans (10 a.m.) and Seahawks (6 p.m.) Friday before closing the event Saturday against the Lady Hornets (2 p.m.). Live stats are available for all three matches while the contest with UNCW will be streamed live via FloVolleyball (subscription-based service).

ECU hosted the Pirate Invitational last time out, sweeping Campbell and Bethune-Cookman before falling to Appalachian State in a five-set battle for the tournament title.

Among the American Athletic Conference team statistical leaders, East Carolina currently ranks second in opposing hitting percentage (.128) as well as third in hitting percentage (.241) and fourth in points per set (16.85), aces per set (1.70) and digs per set (15.90). Individually, Carlia Northcross is second in hitting percentage (.400) and seventh in blocks per set (1.25) while Kenzie Beckham slots fourth in aces per set (0.47).

Northcross Tabbed AAC Defensive Player of the Week
Northcross was named the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in her career Sept. 4. It was also the first weekly award for the program since Janiece Jefferies earned defensive accolades back in 2021. Northcross averaged 1.36 blocks per set in three matches at the Pirate Invitational over the weekend as ECU swept Campbell and Bethune-Cookman before dropping a narrow 3-2 decision to Appalachian State in the tournament finale. Northcross, along with classmate and outside hitter Angeles Alderete, were named to the all-tournament team. In the contest against the Mountaineers, Northcross set the school record for blocks in a single outing as she racked up 13.0 (two solo, 11 assists) to help the Pirates match the program record for team blocks (19.0). She also excelled on the offensive end, finishing the event with a .417 hitting percentage. She fired at a .625 clip in the victory over Bethune-Cookman with five kills on eight attempts with no errors.

A Look At Norfolk State
Norfolk State has played just two matches, falling to VCU and Old Dominion in straight sets at the Quest for the Crown tournament hosted by ODU. The Spartans are hitting just .198 as a team and average just over 12 kills per set (12.33). Shonte Seale has collected a squad-high 27 kills (4.50 per set) and a .242 hitting percentage while Fabiana Mucciola is putting up a team-best 2.50 digs per set (15 total). Norfolk State has allowed its first two opponents to hit .352 while averaging 12.50 kills and 2.67 aces per set.

The Norfolk State Series
East Carolina leads the series with Norfolk State 5-0, including a 4-0 mark in Greenville. The sides met last season (Aug. 27) inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum during the Pirate Invitational - a three-set ECU victory.

Scouting UNCW
UNCW enters the weekend with a 2-4 record that includes wins over Presbyterian and Queens University as well as losses to Fordham, Stetson, Northern Illinois and Davidson. Caitlyn Callahan and Sarah Thompson pace the offensive efforts with 46 (2.19 per set) and 43 (2.05 per set) kills respectively while Annabelle Schall has notched a team-best 118 assists (5.62 per set). Charlotte Chronister anchors the back row with 90 total digs (4.29 per set). The Seahawks are hitting a collective .135 while also averaging 11.48 kills, 1.33 aces, 15.43 digs and 1.95 blocks per set.

The UNCW Series
ECU is 30-39 all time versus its rival from the Port City. The Pirates have won 15 straight against the Seahawks, including the teams' most recent meeting Sept. 10, 2021 in Conway, S.C. - a 3-0 ECU victory at the Chanticleer Classic.

About Alabama State
Alabama State is still searching to get into the win column, carrying an 0-7 record to Wilmington with setbacks to Cincinnati, Indiana State, Xavier, Wake Forest, Florida International, UCF and North Alabama. The Lady Hornets are hitting .139 as a unit and averaging 9.71 kills, 2.00 aces, 11.13 digs and 1.46 blocks per set. Jylen Whitten owns a team-high 44 kills (1.83 per set) while Temperance Chatman is chipping in with a squad-best 3.42 digs per set (82 total). Four of Alabama State's seven losses have occurred at neutral sites.

The Alabama State Series
Saturday afternoon's encounter with Alabama State marks East Carolina's first encounter with the Lady Hornets on the volleyball court.

East Carolina Picked To Finish Second In AAC East Division
The Pirates have been tabbed to place second in the East Division of the American Athletic Conference this season according to a release of the preseason coaches poll Aug. 21. ECU garnered 70 points and five first-place votes, slotting just behind Memphis. The Tigers collected seven first-place votes and 72 points. Florida Atlantic and Temple tied for third place in the division, followed by South Florida, UAB and Charlotte. SMU is the favorite in the West Division and earned seven votes to win the overall regular season title and automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Rice, the 2022 Conference USA Tournament champion, received six votes to take the regular season crown.

ECU At-A-Glance
Record - 4-2 (.667) // AAC Record - 0-0 (.000) // Last 5 Matches - 3-2 (.600) // Last 10 Matches - 0-0 (.000) // Last 15 Matches - 0-0 (.000) // ECU will play the 80th match of the Adler Augustin era when it faces Norfolk State Friday morning. // The Pirates' all-time record stands at 560-857 as the program begins its 46th season of competition.

Up Next
East Carolina takes on Duquesne September 15th at 3 p.m. in the first match of the Virginia Tech Classic in Blacksburg, Va.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Angeles Alderete

Kenzie Beckham

Carlia Northcross

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