WICHITA STATE (11-11, 6-5 American)
Friday, Nov. 4 (5:00 p.m. CT) at East Carolina (8-16, 3-9 American)
Greenville, North Carolina (Minges Coliseum)
Live Stats // Watch
Sunday, Nov. 6 (12:00 p.m. CT) at Temple (9-14, 3-9 American)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (McGonigle Hall)
Live Stats // Watch
SCOUTING THE PIRATES:
SCOUTING THE OWLS:
The Shocks cannot afford a stumble against these two teams this weekend if they want to play in the NIVC as Lambo indicated was his goal at this point. After the performance in the loss at Tulane I don't take anything as a given.
Friday, Nov. 4 (5:00 p.m. CT) at East Carolina (8-16, 3-9 American)
Greenville, North Carolina (Minges Coliseum)
Live Stats // Watch
Sunday, Nov. 6 (12:00 p.m. CT) at Temple (9-14, 3-9 American)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (McGonigle Hall)
Live Stats // Watch
SCOUTING THE PIRATES:
- The Pirates enter the weekend with an overall record of 8-16, including 3-9 in American Athletic Conference play. East Carolina needs just two more wins to surpass their 9-20 mark from a season ago.
- ECU picked up wins against Furman and Norfolk State at their home tournament to open the season, then added a pair of W's against Navy and Old Dominion in Norfolk before wrapping up the Virginia Tournament with a victory over Mercer.
- East Carolina's offense ranks down near the bottom of the AAC in several major offensive categories, including kills per set (11.35) and assists per set (10.36). The Pirates do not have any individual hitters in the top ten of the conference in hitting percentage.
- The Pirates supplement a lack of conventional scoring prowess with excellent serving numbers and a strong block. East Carolina is third on the circuit in service aces per set (1.51) and third in blocks per set (2.24), just 0.01 behind second place Wichita State.
- Head coach Adler Augustin is now in his third season at the helm of the Pirates following a stint as an assistant at Stephen F. Austin.
SCOUTING THE OWLS:
- After struggling to a 7-24 campaign a season ago, Temple has already surpassed their previous win total with a 9-14 (3-9) record entering play on Friday. The Owls have one common opponent with the Shockers, falling in straight sets against then-20th-ranked Kansas in early September.
- Head coach Linda Hampton-Keith is in her first season in Philadelphia, succeeding longtime Owls head coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam. Hampton-Keith comes to Temple after a successful stint as an assistant coach at Louisville, where she helped the Cardinals reach the 2021 NCAA Final Four. She also has previous head coach experience at North Carolina State.
- The Owls lean heavily upon the scoring prowess of outside hitter Taylor Davenport, whose 4.21 points per set are 1.52 more than the next closest Temple player. Wichita State forced Davenport into a season-worst -.167 hitting percentage in the first meeting.
- Former AAC Libero of the Year Falanika Danielson is coming off a season-high 26 digs in a five-set victory over Tulane. Peyton Boyd also turned in a highlight performance, racking up 20 kills and 15 digs in the Owls second five-set win over the Green Wave this season.
The Shocks cannot afford a stumble against these two teams this weekend if they want to play in the NIVC as Lambo indicated was his goal at this point. After the performance in the loss at Tulane I don't take anything as a given.
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