Pirates Open Conference Play at Home Against Charlotte, Travels to Rice Friday

Matches 13&14: Conference Opener: East Carolina (7-5, 0-0 American) vs. Charlotte (3-8, 0-0 American) and Rice (6-5, 0-0 American)
Coverage	Sept. 23 \| 6:00 p.m. ET \| Watch \| Live Stats Sept. 25 \| 7:00 p.m. ET \| Watch \| Live Stats
Venue	Greenville, N.C. \| Minges Coliseum \| Houston, Texas \| Tudor Fieldhouse
Match Notes	East Carolina \| Charlotte \| Rice
Social Media	Twitter \| Instagram \| #ECUVB #GoPirates

GREENVILLE, N.C. - East Carolina volleyball opens the conference portion of its 2026 schedule on Wednesday, September 23, hosting the Charlotte 49ers at Minges Coliseum before heading to the Lone Star State to face Rice on Friday, September 25. First serve against Charlotte is set for 6:00 pm ET, while Friday's matchup in Houston is slated for a 7:00 pm ET start. Both games will be available for streaming on ESPN+.

NO QUARTER INVITATIONAL RECAP
The Pirates open American Conference play at 7-5 overall after a 2-1 result in the No Quarter Invitational. Over the weekend, East Carolina earned wins over Old Dominion and Campbell and faced a setback to Big Ten foe Maryland. Thursday's match against the Monarchs saw ECU take the first three sets for the sweep, highlighted by Ellie Pate's 13 kills and the Pirates' .414 hitting percentage in the second set. On Friday, the Maryland defense got the best of ECU, as the Terps recorded five blocks in the second set and nine total. The Pirates responded with authority on Saturday, earning their second sweep of the weekend over Campbell with a balanced offense and elite defense. On Saturday, five Pirates recorded at least five kills, with setter Taryn Gilreath tying her career high with five kills; defensively, the Pirates held Campbell to a .062 hitting percentage.

Angeles Alderete and Aulie Huff represented the Pirates, making the No Quarter All-Tournament Team.

POINT TO PATE
The Pirates have an outside hitter in Ellie Pate who executes at an elevated level. In non-conference play, Pate has totaled 163 kills (3.70 k/set), leading the American and ranking 50th nationally. The fourth year has tallied double-digit kills in nine of the first 12 games, matching that pace in 2025, but this is the first time in her career she has done so in the first six games of a season consecutively. Still, her record for consecutive double-digit-kill matches is eight, and from 8/30-9/20 in 2025, she recorded double-digit kills in every match she played. The Pirates hold a 5-4 record when Pate recorded double-digit kills in 2026, including her career-high 25 kills against UNC Greensboro and a career-high 28.0 points. Pate was recognized as American Conference Honorable Mention two weeks in a row (8/31 & 9/7) for her efforts.

ABOUT CHARLOTTE
The Charlotte 49ers enter Wednesday's contest with a 3-8 record after picking up wins over Bryant, North Carolina A&T and Queens. The Niners also faced competition from Power 4 schools, taking NC State to five sets and facing SEC foe LSU in Baton Rouge. Offensively, Charlotte is led by Clara Briley (2.84 kills per set) and Mariam Mushkudiani (2.31 kills per set). On defense, Chloe Maughan leads with 3.68 digs per set, while Milan Cannon and Sofia Locadia lead the team with 46 and 41 blocks this season, respectively. The Niners and the Pirates met twice last season, with ECU earning a four-set win on the road and a three-set sweep at home. In Greenville, ECU's defense held Charlotte to nine points in the second set, the fewest points ECU allowed in a set all season. Charlotte is guided by second-year head coach Benavia Jenkins, and her record stands at 20-20 (.500) throughout her time in Queen City.

SCOUTING RICE
Rice enters this season fresh off a 2025 American Conference regular-season championship and a 15-1 finish in conference play. Rice's signature wins this season include a four-set win over No.15 Creighton four-set and a four-set victory over Mississippi State at a neutral site. Additionally, the Owls have faced a tough non-conference schedule, facing the yearly powerhouses of Louisville, SMU, TCU and Texas A&M. In the kills department, Sydnee Peterson and Ashlyn Seay lead the Owls, while Arissa Smith and Stephanie Gutierrez lead the team in total blocks. Most recently, the Owls traveled to Greenville to take on the Pirates for their Halloween bash, but resulted in a 3-0 sweep for the Owls.

Before the Pirates make their way to Houston for Rice's conference opener, the Owls take on No. 16 Texas A&M in Aggieland on Tuesday evening, September 22.

Rice is led by 23rd-year head coach Genny Volpe, who has led the Rice to nine NCAA tournament appearances throughout her time in Houston.

UP NEXT
The Pirates are back home on Friday, October 2, when they host the North Texas Mean Green at 6:00 pm ET on ESPN+.

Pirates Open Conference Play at Home Against Charlotte, Travels to Rice Friday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Angeles Alderete

Taryn Gilreath

Aulie Huff

Ellie Pate

Footer