East Carolina Collects 3-0 Victory At Charlotte

Wednesday, October 23

Charlotte, N.C.

6:00 p.m.

East Carolina University

13-6,6-3AAC

Charlotte

4-18,1-8AAC

East Carolina

Charlotte

October 23, 2024 | Volleyball

Box Score Game Book (PDF)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Displaying a bit of depth down the lineup, East Carolina took care of business Wednesday night with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-23) victory over American Athletic Conference opponent Charlotte inside Halton Arena.

Competing without a true middle blocker on the floor, and with other players taking on different roles, the Pirates (13-6, 6-3 AAC) extended their winning streak to three and picked up their first win over the 49ers (4-18, 1-8 AAC) in Charlotte since 2004.

ECU's right sides carried the squad offensively as Fran McBride logged a match-high 15 kills with only two errors in 34 attempts for a .382 hitting percentage and Aulie Huff registered six kills to go along with a .312 offensive mark and a block. Angeles Alderete fell just short of her third consecutive double-double, finishing the evening with nine kills and 14 digs, while outside hitter Izzy Marinelli spent some time in the middle – recording three kills and a team-best two blocks.

Kristen Birmingham netted a squad-high 12 kills and a .258 hitting percentage for the homestanding Charlotte side.

Despite the slight shakeup, the Pirates hit a respectable .202 with 42 kills and limited the 49ers to .135 efficiency and just 31 kills. Charlotte completed the match with the slight upper hand in digs (44-43) and racked up a 9.0-4.0 advantage in total blocks.

The 49ers jumped ahead 12-9 in the opening frame, but a 6-2 East Carolina run, capped by a McBride kill, put the Pirates in front 15-14 at the media timeout. With the score later knotted at 17, Lara Uyar notched two aces to spark a 4-0 ECU spurt that afforded the Pirates a lead they would not relinquish as Marinelli terminated the stanza with a solo rejection.

East Carolina was forced to rally midway through the second set, trailing 16-13 following an attacking error. The Pirates chipped away at the deficit and would surge ahead 22-20 via an Alderete score. Charlotte pulled even at 22 with a quick 2-0 run, but an Alderete kill followed by consecutive attacking errors sent ECU to the intermission in full control.

Looking to extend the contest, the 49ers raced out on the front foot when a block made it 15-10 in favor of the home side. However, a strong service run by Payton Evenstad saw the Pirates score five straight to create a stalemate at 15. Charlotte enjoyed its final lead of the night at 21-20 thanks to a Birmingham kill. However, East Carolina utilized an efficient offense down the stretch to win the stanza by two and exit the Queen City with the sweep.

Up Next: East Carolina plays host to Florida Atlantic Friday (Oct. 25) at 6 p.m.