East Carolina Begins AAC Schedule In Florida

Matches 11-12: East Carolina at Florida Atlantic and South Florida
Coverage	Sept. 27 \| at Florida Atlantic \| 6:00 p.m. \| Live Stats \| Watch Sept. 29 \| at South Florida \| 2:00 p.m. \| Live Stats \| Watch
Venues	Baldwin Arena (2,900) (Boca Raton, Fla.) The Corral (1,000) (Tampa, Fla.)
Match Notes	East Carolina \| Florida Atlantic \| South Florida
Social Media	Twitter \| Instagram \| #ECUVB #NoQuarter

GREENVILLE, N.C. – East Carolina kickstarts its quest for one of the eight available spots in this year's reincarnated American Athletic Conference Volleyball Championship this weekend when it goes toe to toe with Florida Atlantic and South Florida in the Sunshine State.

Both matches will stream live through ESPN+ with Natalie Kalibat and Ari Shanok on the call Friday (6 p.m.) in Boca Raton and Sean Salisbury handling broadcast duties in Tampa Sunday (2 p.m.).

The Pirates (7-3) have dropped three straight entering league play but have faced stout competition during that stretch in South Carolina, No. 1 Pittsburgh and Marquette. ECU nearly handed the top-ranked Panthers their first set loss of the season last Friday at Fitzgerald Field House and is one of just four teams to even reach 20 points in a single stanza versus Pitt.

Despite the recent losing streak, East Carolina remains among the AAC statistical leaders in a handful of categories, slotting second in hitting percentage (.229) and opponent hitting percentage (.166) as well as fifth in aces per set (1.62). Individually, junior middle blocker Carlia Northcross leads the conference in hitting percentage (.486) and is 10th in blocks per set (1.00) while senior libero Lara Uyar is sixth in digs per set (3.76) and graduate student right side hitter Fran McBride ranks seventh in hitting percentage (.340).

A Look At Florida Atlantic
Florida Atlantic enters league play on a three-match winning streak after sweeping its home tournament last weekend with victories over Illinois State, Mercer and Stetson. The Owls are tied for the most wins among AAC teams, sporting an 8-4 overall record. Collectively, FAU ranks first in the conference in points per set (16.75) while slotting second in both kills per set (13.13) and assists per set (12.17). Victoria Hensley paces the AAC in assists per set (10.44) and dishes out many of those helpers to preseason all-league selection Valeria Rosado who sits fifth in the conference in kills per set (3.21). The Owls were picked fifth in the league's preseason coaches poll after finishing second in the East Division a season ago.

The Florida Atlantic Series
Florida Atlantic leads the all-time series with East Carolina by a 2-1 count after the teams split a pair of matches in Greenville a season ago. The Owls also defeated the Pirates in five sets at Minges Coliseum back on Oct. 28, 2013, when both programs were members of Conference USA.

About South Florida
South Florida is 4-7 overall heading into its AAC opener versus Charlotte Friday evening in Tampa, but don't let the record fool you. The Bulls have played five ranked opponents in Florida State, Georgia, Florida and Dayton (twice), defeating the Gators in Gainesville in a five-set decision, while also picking up a victory over Ohio State a day later. Maria Clara Andrade earned a spot on the Preseason All-AAC Team and for good reason as she ranks second in the league in both kills per set (3.73) and points per set (4.09). Carolina Dykes also slots second among AAC players in assists per set (10.22). As a team, South Florida tops the conference statistical rankings in both kills per set (13.22) and assists per set (12.34). The Bulls were selected third in the preseason coaches poll after winning the now defunct East Division in 2023.

The South Florida Series
East Carolina is 9-15 against South Florida in a series that spans back to 2001. The sides have split the last six encounters, but the Bulls got the better of the Pirates last season, sweeping a pair of matches in Tampa.

Alderete Tabbed AAC Preseason Player of the Year
Junior outside hitter Angeles Alderete was named the 2024 American Athletic Conference Preseason Player of the Year Aug. 26. The two-time All-AAC selection is the first player in program history to earn the accolade in any conference of which the Pirates have been a member. It is her second major accolade wearing the Purple and Gold as she was crowned the AAC Freshman of the Year in 2022. An All-AAC First Team honoree a season ago, Alderete led East Carolina in kills (376), kills per set (3.19), total digs (364), points (430.5) and points per set (3.65) while ranking second in service aces (32) and digs per set (3.08). She finished the campaign ninth among league players in kills per set and points per set and notched 15 double-doubles – including an 18-kill, 11-dig effort in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) first round sweep of The Citadel which marked the Pirates' first-ever postseason victory. Alderete racked up double-digit kills in 23 contests, putting up a season-best 19 in ECU's five-set triumph at Virginia Tech.

Pirates Slotted Fourth In AAC Preseason Poll
In addition to Alderete's recognition, East Carolina was selected fourth in the AAC Preseason Coaches Poll, garnering 106 points to slot behind league favorite Rice (136 points), Wichita State (127 Points) and South Florida (121 Points). The Pirates put together a 21-11 overall record and 11-8 AAC clip, ending up third in the East Division and tied for sixth overall on the conference table. ECU earned a postseason bid for the first time in program history, hosting the first and second rounds of the NIVC, while cementing its first 20-win season since 2017.

1K/1K Club
With only two collegiate playing seasons to her credit, Alderete is already within striking distance of joining the prestigious 1,000 kill and 1,000 dig club at East Carolina. She requires just 53 kills and 216 digs to reach both milestones. The most recent member of the program to register the achievement is Bri Wood who collected 1,303 kills and 1,144 digs during her five seasons (2017-21) wearing the Purple and Gold. Aptly, Wood currently serves as ECU's Director of Student-Athlete Development and Life Skills.

11th Season in The American
East Carolina is in its 11th volleyball season as a member of the American Athletic Conference after spending 13 years as part of Conference USA. The Pirates ended up in a tie for sixth place in the conference standings in 2023 - their highest overall finish in the league since taking fourth place in 2017. ECU also collected double-digit conference wins for the second time in The American.

Up Next
East Carolina returns to the friendly confines of Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum Oct. 4 for an American Conference match versus UTSA. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Angeles Alderete

Fran McBride

Carlia Northcross

Lara Uyar

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