GREENVILLE, N.C. – A week after starting the 2023 campaign at home hosting the Bash at the Beach, Bethune-Cookman Volleyball travels to Greenville, North Carolina this weekend to participate in the Pirate Invitational hosted by East Carolina.
 
The event begins Thursday, Aug. 31, running through Saturday, Sept. 2, with all game taking place inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum on the campus of ECU.
 
For the Wildcats, they begin the Pirate Invitational on Friday when competing against Appalachian State (11 a.m.), followed later in the day versus the host Pirates of ECU (7 p.m.). The Cats conclude the weekend against Campbell on Saturday at 11 a.m.
 
MATCH #4: Bethune-Cookman Wildcats vs. Appalachian State Mountaineers
WHEN: Friday, Sept. 1, at 11 a.m.
WHERE: Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum (Greenville, N.C.)
LIVE STATS: Click Here
 
MATCH #5: Bethune-Cookman Wildcats at East Carolina Pirates
WHEN: Friday, Sept. 1, at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum (Greenville, N.C.)
WATCH LIVE: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: Click Here
 
MATCH #6: Bethune-Cookman Wildcats vs. Campbell Camels
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 2, at 11 a.m.
WHERE: Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum (Greenville, N.C.)
LIVE STATS: Click Here
 
IN THE RANKINGS
▪ Bethune-Cookman is not ranked in this week's AVCA Division I Coaches Poll Top 25
▪ Appalachian State is not ranked in this week's AVCA Division I Coaches Poll Top 25
▪ Campbell is not ranked in this week's AVCA Division I Coaches Poll Top 25
▪ East Carolina is not ranked in this week's AVCA Division I Coaches Poll Top 25
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
Keep up with everything Bethune-Cookman Volleyball this year by following the Wildcats on all their social media platforms. You can follow @BCUVolleyball on Instagram and @BCUVolleyball on Twitter.
 
NEWS & NOTES
▪ Niara Hightower and Jasmine Moore each were selected to the 2023 Bash at the Beach All-Tournament Team a week ago in the event hosted by Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach.
▪ Hightower, a junior from Wichita Falls, Texas, enters the weekend leading the Wildcats in points (20), and sits tied for third in kills (11).
▪ Setters Madison Coates and Janleen De Jesus each shared time in the setting duties a week ago, as it was Coates registering a team-high 35 assists against De Jesus' 22 assists for the weekend.
▪ Jasmine Moore leads all Wildcats with 17 kills (1.89 per set) and owns three blocks (two assisted).
▪ Defensive specialist Sydni Poston, a freshman from Chicago, recorded three service aces throughout the Bash at the Beach, including one to go along with five digs and one assist versus Marshall (8/26).
▪ Essence Bell was the defensive catalyst for the Maroon and Gold a week ago, leading the squad with 28 digs (4.67 per set).
 
BCU VS. APPALACHIAN STATE SERIES
▪ The Appalachian State Mountaineers won the only previous meeting between the two sides, with Bethune-Cookman falling in straight sets to the Mountaineers back on October 27, 1993, in Daytona Beach.
 
SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS
▪ The Mountaineers enter the Pirate Invitational hoisting a record of 3-0, having swept William & Mary, Bellarmine and Tennessee Tech a week ago in their very own Mountaineer Classic in Boone, North Carolina. McCall Denny is the playmaker for the Mountaineers offensively with 25 kills (2.78 per set), while four additional players are averaging 2.0 kills per set apiece, respectfully. Defensive duties are assigned to Kenady Roper with a team-high 29 digs (3.22 per set). As a team, Appalachian State is hitting at a .383 mark and registering 12.44 kills per set.
 
BCU VS. CAMPBELL SERIES
▪ Bethune-Cookman and Campbell have met four times previously, with the Camels holding a 3-1 edge in the all-time series between the two schools. The last time BCU defeated the Camels was courtesy a 3-2 win back on September 19, 2014, in Princess Anne, Maryland. The first-ever meeting saw Campbell take a 3-0 decision from the Wildcats in Daytona Beach in 1998, while the last meeting was a 3-0 victory for the Camels in Jacksonville, Florida back in 2015.
 
SCOUTING THE CAMELS
▪ Campbell arrives to the Pirate Invitational sporting an 0-3 record, after the Camels faced stiff competition a week ago as part of the Buffs Invitational at Colorado University. The Camels fell to the likes of North Texas, UNVL and the host Buffaloes of CU. Gwen Wolkow leads the charge in the offensive categories, as she owns 32 kills (2.67 per set) in the early season, adding five service aces to her credit as well. Meanwhile, Claranne Fletcher paces the defensive intensity with 44 digs (3.67 per set), aided closely by Aley Clent's 11 blocks. As a team, the Camels are hitting at a .155 percent rate against their opponents' .268 clip thus far.
 
BCU VS. EAST CAROLINA SERIES
▪ East Carolina leads the all-time series between the two teams by a 3-0 margin, with the last match taking place back on August 25, 2012, in Greenville, North Carolina. In that match, the host Pirates won a tough 3-1 match against the Cats.
 
SCOUTING THE PIRATES
▪ The host ECU Pirates opened their 2023 account last weekend taking part in the Bash in the Boro hosted by Georgia Southern in Statesboro, Georgia. The Pirates went 2-1 on the weekend, taking a pair of wins from UNC Greensboro before falling to GSU. Outside hitter Angeles Alderete leads the squad offensively with 3.22 points and 2.67 kills per set. Tia Shum guides the team defensively with an average of 5.13 digs per set in the early campaign. ECU is hitting at a .243 clip thus far, and the Pirates are holding opponents to just a .156 mark.
 
A QUICK LOOK AT THE CATS
Record – 0-3 (.000) // SWAC Record – 0-0 (.000) // Last 5 Matches – 1-4 (.200) // Last 10 Matches – 4-6 (.400) // Last 15 Matches – 6-9 (.400`) // BCU will play the 182ns match of the Brittany Williams era when the Wildcats face off against Appalachian State on Friday morning.
 
UP NEXT
Bethune-Cookman stays in the state of Florida, but the Cats travel south to Boca Raton for the FAU Invitational hosted by Florida Atlantic University. The Cats will be joined by teams from the host Owls of FAU, Incarnate Word and Youngstown State, respectively.
 
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