Friday, August 29
Hampton, Va.
10:00 a.m.
East Carolina University
vs
Florida A&M
Pirates Set To Open 2025 Season At Hampton Tournament
August 28, 2025 | Volleyball
| Matches 1-3: Hampton Tournament (at Hampton) | |
| Coverage |  Aug. 29 | vs. Florida A&M | 10:00 a.m. | Live Stats  Aug. 29 | vs. UMES | 2:00 p.m. | Live Stats  Aug. 30 | at Hampton | 10:00 a.m. | Watch | Live Stats |
| Venue | Â Holland Hall (Hampton, Va.) |
| Match Notes | Â East Carolina | Hampton | Florida A&M | UMES |
| Social Media | Â Twitter | Instagram | #ECUVB #GoPirates |
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Hampton, Va. – The East Carolina volleyball team is set to get its 2025 season underway this Labor Day weekend when the Pirates travel north to the state of Virginia to compete in the Hampton Tournament.
ECU starts off the tournament against Florida A&M at 10 a.m. on Friday morning followed by a quick turnaround with Maryland Eastern Shore at 2 p.m. The Pirates conclude their play in the tournament on Saturday morning against host Hampton at 10 a.m.
Head coach Adler Augustin enters his sixth season at the helm for East Carolina and has led the Pirates to back-to-back National Invitational Volleyball Championship appearances (2023 and 2024) as well as double-digit wins in the American Conference in 2023 and 2024. ECU returns eight players from last year's squad while welcoming in seven new faces.
ECU In Season Openers
ECU holds a 25-22 record in season openers dating back to a 3-2 victory over UNC Greensboro in the program's first-ever match. The Pirates swept aside Queens University in Wilmington, N.C., in their first match of the 2024 campaign. ECU has won its last three season openers with the last loss coming to Wofford in the 2021 season.
Pirates Land Three On American Preseason Team
Ellie Pate, Kai Bailey and Taryn Gilreath were named to the American Preseason All-Conference Team marking the first time in the program's American Conference era that three Pirates have been named preseason all-conference in the same season. Pate led the Pirates in kills (292) and kills per set (2.78) while adding 136 digs in 29 matches played. The Auburn, Ala. Native led the team in kills in 14 matches and was named to the American's Weekly Honor Roll on Nov. 4. She recorded a career-high 18 digs in ECU's NIVC match against UConn (Dec. 6) while tallying a personal best 20 kills in ECU's five-set win over North Texas (Oct. 6). Bailey arrives in Greenville after spending her first two seasons at UTSA where she finished second on the team in total blocks with 95 and added 172 kills in 26 matches played as a sophomore in 2024. The Atlanta, Ga. native was named the American Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 18 after registering 13 blocks and 21 kills at a .386 clip in wins over Tulsa and Wichita State. She finished fifth in the American in total blocks per set. Gilreath is coming off an American All-Freshman Team season in 2024 as she finished second on the Pirates in assists and assists per set at 353 and 3.71 respectively. The Cypress, Texas native recorded her first career double-double with 24 assists and 12 digs in ECU's win over North Texas (Oct. 6). She tallied a career-high 28 assists at Florida Atlantic (Sept. 27) and recorded double-digit assists in 18 matches, including eight matches with 20 or more assists.
Looking at Hampton
Hampton is coming off an 0-30 campaign in 2024 as the Pirates are seeking their first match victory since Sept. 3, 2022. Hampton's roster is a young one, comprised of nine freshmen and five sophomores, with only one upperclassman on the roster. Dila Derendeli, Lyrique Alteus and Maria Clara Andrade are the top returners for the Pirates in terms of sets played.
The Hampton Series
East Carolina leads the all-time series with Hampton 8-1, but ECU lost the last meeting between the two teams on Aug. 31, 2018, when Hampton downed ECU in five sets at the Golden Eagle Invitational. Prior to that match, ECU had won 24 of the 25 sets played with Hampton including four consecutive sweeps.
Looking at Florida A&M
Florida A&M enters the 2025 season coming off a 27-7 campaign in 2024 that saw the Rattlers capture the SWAC Championship for the third time in four seasons, go 16-0 in SWAC play and make an appearance in the first round of the NCAA Volleyball Tournament. Iyonnie Sanford is the Rattlers' leading returner in kills, having recorded 250 last year. As a team, FAMU recorded 18 match sweeps of its opponents including eight consecutive sweeps from Sept. 29-Oct. 20. The Rattlers were tabbed as the preseason favorite in the SWAC and had four players named to the conference's preseason team.
The Florida A&M Series
The match between the Pirates and Rattlers on Aug. 29 will be the first meeting for the two programs.
Looking at Maryland Eastern Shore
Maryland Eastern Shore comes off a 12-15 season in 2024, but the team finished the year strong, winning three of its last five matches. Nkemijika Ikemefuna and Anjola Omolewa are the Hawks' top two returning offensive threats, recording 219 and 165 kills in 2024 respectively.
The Maryland Eastern Shore Series
East Carolina owns a 2-0 edge over Maryland Eastern Shore, having taken six of the seven sets played between the two teams. The last meeting between the Pirates and the Hawks was on Nov. 11, 2014, when ECU defeated UMES, 3-1, on the road.
Up Next
East Carolina remains on the road as the Pirates will compete in the Bulldog Invitational hosted by UNC Asheville Sept. 5-6.
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Hampton, Va. – The East Carolina volleyball team is set to get its 2025 season underway this Labor Day weekend when the Pirates travel north to the state of Virginia to compete in the Hampton Tournament.
ECU starts off the tournament against Florida A&M at 10 a.m. on Friday morning followed by a quick turnaround with Maryland Eastern Shore at 2 p.m. The Pirates conclude their play in the tournament on Saturday morning against host Hampton at 10 a.m.
Head coach Adler Augustin enters his sixth season at the helm for East Carolina and has led the Pirates to back-to-back National Invitational Volleyball Championship appearances (2023 and 2024) as well as double-digit wins in the American Conference in 2023 and 2024. ECU returns eight players from last year's squad while welcoming in seven new faces.
ECU In Season Openers
ECU holds a 25-22 record in season openers dating back to a 3-2 victory over UNC Greensboro in the program's first-ever match. The Pirates swept aside Queens University in Wilmington, N.C., in their first match of the 2024 campaign. ECU has won its last three season openers with the last loss coming to Wofford in the 2021 season.
Pirates Land Three On American Preseason Team
Ellie Pate, Kai Bailey and Taryn Gilreath were named to the American Preseason All-Conference Team marking the first time in the program's American Conference era that three Pirates have been named preseason all-conference in the same season. Pate led the Pirates in kills (292) and kills per set (2.78) while adding 136 digs in 29 matches played. The Auburn, Ala. Native led the team in kills in 14 matches and was named to the American's Weekly Honor Roll on Nov. 4. She recorded a career-high 18 digs in ECU's NIVC match against UConn (Dec. 6) while tallying a personal best 20 kills in ECU's five-set win over North Texas (Oct. 6). Bailey arrives in Greenville after spending her first two seasons at UTSA where she finished second on the team in total blocks with 95 and added 172 kills in 26 matches played as a sophomore in 2024. The Atlanta, Ga. native was named the American Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 18 after registering 13 blocks and 21 kills at a .386 clip in wins over Tulsa and Wichita State. She finished fifth in the American in total blocks per set. Gilreath is coming off an American All-Freshman Team season in 2024 as she finished second on the Pirates in assists and assists per set at 353 and 3.71 respectively. The Cypress, Texas native recorded her first career double-double with 24 assists and 12 digs in ECU's win over North Texas (Oct. 6). She tallied a career-high 28 assists at Florida Atlantic (Sept. 27) and recorded double-digit assists in 18 matches, including eight matches with 20 or more assists.
Looking at Hampton
Hampton is coming off an 0-30 campaign in 2024 as the Pirates are seeking their first match victory since Sept. 3, 2022. Hampton's roster is a young one, comprised of nine freshmen and five sophomores, with only one upperclassman on the roster. Dila Derendeli, Lyrique Alteus and Maria Clara Andrade are the top returners for the Pirates in terms of sets played.
The Hampton Series
East Carolina leads the all-time series with Hampton 8-1, but ECU lost the last meeting between the two teams on Aug. 31, 2018, when Hampton downed ECU in five sets at the Golden Eagle Invitational. Prior to that match, ECU had won 24 of the 25 sets played with Hampton including four consecutive sweeps.
Looking at Florida A&M
Florida A&M enters the 2025 season coming off a 27-7 campaign in 2024 that saw the Rattlers capture the SWAC Championship for the third time in four seasons, go 16-0 in SWAC play and make an appearance in the first round of the NCAA Volleyball Tournament. Iyonnie Sanford is the Rattlers' leading returner in kills, having recorded 250 last year. As a team, FAMU recorded 18 match sweeps of its opponents including eight consecutive sweeps from Sept. 29-Oct. 20. The Rattlers were tabbed as the preseason favorite in the SWAC and had four players named to the conference's preseason team.
The Florida A&M Series
The match between the Pirates and Rattlers on Aug. 29 will be the first meeting for the two programs.
Looking at Maryland Eastern Shore
Maryland Eastern Shore comes off a 12-15 season in 2024, but the team finished the year strong, winning three of its last five matches. Nkemijika Ikemefuna and Anjola Omolewa are the Hawks' top two returning offensive threats, recording 219 and 165 kills in 2024 respectively.
The Maryland Eastern Shore Series
East Carolina owns a 2-0 edge over Maryland Eastern Shore, having taken six of the seven sets played between the two teams. The last meeting between the Pirates and the Hawks was on Nov. 11, 2014, when ECU defeated UMES, 3-1, on the road.
Up Next
East Carolina remains on the road as the Pirates will compete in the Bulldog Invitational hosted by UNC Asheville Sept. 5-6.
Players Mentioned
Middle Blocker
/ Volleyball
Setter
/ Volleyball
Outside Hitter
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