Making a postseason appearance for the second time in program history and for the second-straight season, East Carolina begins its run in the 2024 National Invitational Volleyball Championship with a round one showdown with Winthrop Thursday evening at 6 p.m. inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum.
Big East Conference member UConn and Southern Conference regular season champion Mercer are slated to face off at 3 p.m. Thursday in the Greenville Region’s other first-round contest. The winners from each match advance to the Super 16 round and will play Friday at 6 p.m. for the right to advance to the Great 8 at a site to be determined.
All three matches will stream live through ESPN+. Evan Budrovich and Brittany Hoyt will have the call for Thursday’s matches while Patrick Johnson joins Hoyt for Friday’s affair.
Seating inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum is general admission (first come, first served) and tickets are priced at $5. For Friday’s first round, one ticket will allow entry for both matches. East Carolina students and athletics department staff will be admitted free of charge.
Fans can click here to purchase tickets or call the ECU Athletics Ticket Office at (252) 737-4500.
East Carolina (18-9 overall) slotted third in the American Athletic Conference standings this season with an 11-5 league record. It marked the highest-ever finish for the Pirates in AAC play while tying for the best in any conference in program history. ECU also registered double-digit victories for the second consecutive season and logged 10 or more league wins in two-straight campaigns for the first time after producing an 11-8 American Conference record in 2023. Fran McBride (First Team), Angeles Alderete (Second Team) and Taryn Gilreath (All-Freshman Team) each earned postseason accolades from the league in November.
A balanced offense has been the ticket for East Carolina in 2024 as three Pirates have collected at least 253 kills. The trio of Ellie Pate (272), McBride (263) and Alderete (253) have combined for 788 of ECU’s 1,217 kills and have helped the Pirates produce a .234 hitting percentage – good for second in the American Athletic Conference and 81st nationally. East Carolina has also been stingy defensively, limiting opponents to .183 offensive efficiency. That mark slots the Purple and Gold second in the AAC and 65th among NCAA Division I sides.
The Pirates have turned Minges Coliseum into a veritable fortress this year, registering a 9-2 record inside the friendly confines and posting the best single-season home winning percentage (81.8) in program history.
Dec. 5 marks the latest date in the calendar year that ECU has ever played a match, eclipsing last season’s NIVC setback to Georgia Southern which was contested Dec. 2.
Looking At Winthrop
Winthrop (16-10 overall) came within a whisker of reaching the NCAA Tournament, losing in five sets to Big South Conference Tournament host High Point in the championship match. The Eagles, who were second in the regular season standings, own a road victory over Virginia Tech which they procured during their opening weekend of play. Isabella Murray was tabbed the Big South Setter of the Year and was joined on the all-conference first team by outside hitter Avery Jolley.
The Winthrop Series
East Carolina leads the all-time series with Winthrop 9-8 and has won four of the last six meetings. The sides last met in 2017 when the Eagles downed the Pirates in five sets in Greenville.
The Book On UConn
UConn (24-7 overall) put together a 12-6 record in the Big East Conference, good for third place. The Huskies won their first 12 matches of the season before suffering a sweep at the hands of Marquette to open league play. UConn lost to Villanova in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament. Standout libero McKenna Brand earned Big East Conference Co-Freshman of the Year accolades while setter Doga Kutlu, middle blocker Taylor Pannell and outside hitter Emma Werkmeister were also recognized on the 18-member all-conference team.
The UConn Series
East Carolina has won seven of its 10 meetings with former American Athletic Conference rival UConn and four straight in the series. The teams’ most recent encounter occurred in 2019 when the Pirates swept the Huskies at Minges Coliseum.
About Mercer
Mercer (26-6 overall) claimed the Southern Conference regular season title with a 14-2 mark in league contests. The Bears reached the conference tournament championship match, falling to Wofford in five sets. Mercer faced one AAC opponent during the year, dropping a four setter to Florida Atlantic back on Sept. 20 in Boca Raton. Outside hitter Skye Ekes was selected the SoCon Player of the Year while Brooke Phillips collected Setter of the Year honors.
The Mercer Series
East Carolina owns a 4-1 advantage in the all-time series with Mercer and has won three straight over the Bears – including a four-set decision back on Sept. 17, 2022, at the UNF Invitational in Jacksonville, Fla.
2024 NIVC First Round and Super 16
Dec. 5-6 at East Carolina (Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum)
Thursday, December 5th
3:00 p.m. – UConn vs. Mercer
6:00 p.m. – Winthrop at East Carolina
Friday, December 6th
6:00 p.m. – First round winners
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