Oct. 13, 2011

Matches 17-18: at Southern Miss | at Tulane
Dates	Friday, Oct. 14 | Sunday, Oct. 16
Times	8:00 p.m. | 2:00 p.m.
Location	Hattiesburg, Miss. | New Orleans, La.
Match Notes	East Carolina Match Notes
Statistics	East Carolina Statistics | Southern Miss Season Statistics | Tulane Season Statistics
Internet Coverage	Southern Miss Gametracker | Southern Miss Live Video | Tulane Gametracker | Tulane Live Video | Live Chat
Pirate Volleyball Central	Gameday Central | Roster | Conference USA Volleyball | NCAA Volleyball

"Like" ECU Volleyball on Facebook | Follow ECU Volleyball on Twitter

GREENVILLE, N.C. - East Carolina continues Conference USA play this weekend, traveling to Hattiesburg, Miss. and New Orleans, La. for a pair of matches against Southern Miss and Tulane.

If the Pirates are able to emerge victorious this weekend, they would surpass their 2010 season output for victories as well as secure their first league win of the campaign. ECU is also looking for its first-ever win over the Green Wave and first triumph against Southern Miss since the 2007 season. East Carolina is 0-11 vs. Tulane and 7-10 against the Golden Eagles.

Southern Miss enters the weekend having lost five of its last six matches, including a pair of five-set decisions at Rice and Houston. The Golden Eagles' lone win in the stretch was a 3-0 sweep of Memphis at Reed Green Coliseum. The last time the Pirates came away with a win in Hattiesburg was in 2006 when they captured a five set victory.

Halie Ecker paces the Southern Miss offense with 185 kills for an average of 3.03 per set. The Golden Eagles boast an experienced setter in Kelsea Seymour, who has handed out 657 assists - good for 10.27 per set and fifth in the league. Defensively, Lisa Knecht has collected 325 digs, nearly five a frame as she sits third in the C-USA rankings. Amelia Hendrickson also excels in the back row with 207. At the net, Lauren Sears tops the team with 62 total blocks.

Southern Miss stands as the top defensive team in Conference USA, averaging 17.92 digs per set. Overall, the Golden Eagles hit at a .165 clip and average 12.14 assists, 0.85 aces and 2.04 blocks.

Tulane will face Marshall Friday before welcoming the Pirates to Fogelman Arena Sunday. The Green Wave is looking for its second win in league play while sporting a 1-5 C-USA mark. Opponents have downed Tulane in four-straight matches, but the Green Wave took current league leader UAB to five sets on Sept. 30.

The last time ECU traveled to Tulane, the Green Wave captured a 3-0 victory. Moreover, East Carolina has captured just one set against Tulane all-time.

This season, Cori Martone leads the Green Wave attack with 152 kills and is hitting a team-best .267 on 333 attempts. Mel Mandelbaum and Lilly Wolfe have shared the setting duties, racking up respective marks of 347 and 275 assists respectively. Defensively, Nikki Osuna paces the squad with 297 digs (4.64 d/s) and Anna Wruck has collected a total of 61 blocks.

As a team, Tulane is hitting .172 while also averaging 1.17 aces, 13.92 digs and 1.79 blocks per set. Additionally, three Green Wave players have double digit service aces.

ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS
Redshirt junior Kelly Derby has been named to three all-tournament squads this season at the Jefferson Cup, UNCW Mayfaire Tournament and the Thunder Invitational. The middle hitter is attacking at a .301 clip this season, a team high, and is second on the squad with 30 total blocks. Additionally, Derby has committed just 12 errors on 146 attempts in 2011.

ROAD #WINNING
With the 3-1 victory over UNC Wilmington at Hanover Hall, the Pirates captured their first true road win since defeating Campbell in four sets at Gore Arena on Sept. 22, 2009.

STATISTICAL ODDITIES
In the three matches against Virginia, Long Island and No. 1 California at the Jefferson Cup, East Carolina out-blocked and committed less attacking errors than all of its opponents, but ended up on the losing side in part to getting out-dug, tallying less kills and siding out at a lower percentage.

GETTING IN ON THE ACTION
Freshman Zarah Cecich played in two sets in the Jefferson Cup, experiencing her first extended action of her collegiate career. She posted two kills and dished out 12 assists to go along with seven digs and three block assists. Cecich also started the first contest of her career at UNC Wilmington, dishing out 25 assists and leading the Pirates to a four-set victory. The Indiana native has served as ECU's setter the last eight matches.

CAMPBELL COMING ON STRONG
Sophomore Whitney Campbell began playing all six rotations a few matches ago and racked up 20 kills, 18 digs and three total blocks this weekend in the two-contest set with Houston. It is the first time in her career she has produced double-digit kills in back-to-back matches.

DID YOU KNOW?
Head Coach Pati Rolf was selected to referee two major international volleyball tournaments this summer - the Montreux Volley Masters in Switzerland and the FIVB Women's Junior World Championship in Lima, Peru.

AMONG THE BEST
Entering this season, Rolf was one of just 46 active Division I head coaches to amass more than 400 wins in her career.

NEXT UP FOR THE PIRATES:
East Carolina closes out a quick three-match road swing by traveling to Dallas, Texas and Moody Coliseum Friday, Oct. 21 for a league contest with SMU at 7 p.m. The Pirates will look to avenge a pair of three-set defeats by the Mustangs last season.