Pirates Set to Participate in DEACTOWN Invitational

Matches 7-9: East Carolina (4-2) at DEACTOWN Invitational
Coverage	Sept.11 6:30 p.m. ET \| Watch \| Live Stats Sept. 12 \| 2:00 p.m. ET \| Live Stats Sept. 13 \| 11:30 a.m. ET \| Live Stats
Venue	Winston-Salem, N.C. \| Varsity Arena
Match Notes	East Carolina \| Wake Forest \| ETSU \| Ga. Southern
Social Media	Twitter \| Instagram \| #ECUVB #GoPirates

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The Pirates make their way west to Winston-Salem to participate in their final non-conference away tournament, hosted by Wake Forest. ECU will play the Demon Deacons to open their tournament play on Friday, September 11, at 6:30 p.m. ET.

ECU DEACTOWN TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Friday, September 11: East Carolina vs. Wake Forest 6:30 p.m. ET*
Saturday, September 12: East Carolina vs. East Tennessee State 2:00 p.m. ET
Sunday, September 13: East Carolina vs. Georgia Southern 11:30 a.m. ET

*- Friday evenings game will be available to stream on ESPN+/ACCN+. Saturday and Sunday's games will have only live stats available.

CLEMSON TOURNAMENT RECAP
The Pirates ended their weekend in Clemson 1-2, taking the first game against Appalachin State, but ultimately falling to Clemson and UNCG on Saturday and Sunday. The Pirates averaged a .196 hitting percentage over three matches, averaging 10.50 kills per set. Defensively, the Pirates notched 31.0 total blocks, averaging 2.21 blocks per set, compared to their opponents' 2.07 blocks per set. Ellie Pate was recognized on the All-Tournament Team for her outstanding performance.

PATE BACK-TO-BACK HONORABLE MENTION
Ellie Pate has been dominant on offense for the Pirates, leading not just the team, but the American Conference in kills with 100, averaging 4.17 per set. Pate had a career match in the Clemson Tournament against UNCG, posting a career-high 25 kills in one game and a career-high 28.5 points. She totaled 55 kills over 14 sets, adding 19 digs and 59.0 total points. Pate was recognized on September 7 as an American Conference Honorable Mention for the second week in a row.

ABOUT WAKE FOREST
Host of the Deactown Invitational on the weekend, Wake Forest is currently 2-4 in the regular season, with a home record of 1-3 so far this year. Last weekend, Wake Forest hosted their first tournament, welcoming Davidson, Georgetown and another Power 4 opponent, Central Florida. The two wins of the year so far have been against Houston (3-2) and Central Florida (3-2). Ryleigh Whitkittle leads the Demon Deacons offensively with 63 kills, averaging 2.33 per set. She also helps on defense with 23.0 total blocks so far, averaging 0.85 per set, and has 77.5 points, leading the Demon Deacons by at least 10 points. Catherine Burke and Sanaa Williams both have 27.0 and 26.0 total blocks, both carrying the defense for Wake Forest. The Pirates have faced the Demon Deacons five times since 2008; their first and only win was one year ago, in 2025, when the Pirates kept their balance and took the match at home in five sets. The match marked the first time the Pirates beat the Deacons in program history, as well as the first home win against a Power 4 program since head coach Adler Augustin took over in 2020.

ABOUT EAST TENNESSEE STATE
East Tennessee State travels to Winston-Salem in a 0-5 slump so far this season. Hosting their own tournament on opening weekend, the Bucs fought hard to total 14 sets but ultimately fell in their home tournament. The Bucs totaled 258 kills on the season so far, averaging 11.73 per set. ETSU keeps their opponent's hitting percentage to .253, while ETSU's defense is averaging 1.50 blocks per set, with 33.0 total so far. Gianna Blair leads the blockers with 19, with the backline being covered by Melanie Morris, who has 73 digs and a .941 reception percentage. The last time the Pirates saw the Bucs was in 2022, when ETSU took the match in five from the Pirates in Durham, N.C. ECU has seen the Bucs only three times, and the Pirates last beat them in 2008, when they swept them in three.

ABOUT GEORGIA SOUTHERN
Georgia Southern is currently .500 (3-3) this year, with the Pirates as a common opponent in their on-conference schedule. The Eagles opened conference play in Hawaii, playing the host, Hawaii, as well as notable opponents, the University of San Diego and Baylor. Although they didn't get lucky in the Aloha State, Georgia Southern turned their fate around in their home tournament, sweeping all three opponents. The Eagles have a commendable .261 hitting percentage and held their opponents to only a .223, with Beka Pfeffercorn leading in kills with 2.78 per set, as well as having 74.0 points on the season. Totaling 326 digs, Maddie Cugino holds 101 of those, averaging 4.39 digs per set. The Eagles also had a Sun Belt Player of the Week in Reagan Barth, who had 43 kills over the GATA Tournament, a .327 hitting percentage, and, defensively, 19 digs and seven total blocks. The Pirates have never seen a victory against the Eagles, with their last matchup in 2023 ending in a sweep in the Eagles' favor at Minges Coliseum.

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Players Mentioned

Ellie Pate

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