| Julie Torbett is
in her second year as head coach of the ECU
volleyball program. Torbett has been a Division I
head coach for more than 20 years with previous
stints at Winthrop and UNC-Asheville. (ECU Media
Relations photo) |
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MULTIMEDIA |
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Audio: The
Brian Bailey Show |
  The
Brian Bailey Show
airs on Pirate Radio
1250 on Mondays at
6:30 p.m. Brian's
guests were ECU
defensive
coordinator Rick
Smith
(right) and Mike
Steele:
Replay
show... |
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Audio: Coach Ruff
Presser |
  East
Carolina coach
Ruffin McNeill spoke
with the media at
his weekly press
conference on Monday
(recorded by Brian
Bailey; Bonesville
file photo):
Select
clip... |
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Pirates check out personnel,
systems |
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GREENVILLE — College football
doesn't have scrimmages like high schools or exhibitions as
NFL teams do and financial circumstances haven't always
allowed East Carolina a tune-up outing as the 2014 season
opener with North Carolina Central provided at Dowdy-Ficklen
Stadium on Saturday night. ...
More from Al Myatt... |
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Devaris
Brunson (34) and DaShawn
Benton (6) have a little
fun after East
Carolina's
season-opening win over
N.C. Central Saturday
night in Dowdy-Ficklen
Stadium. Photo by W.A.
Myatt. ...
View W.A.
Myatt's complete
gallery... |
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Audio: Coach Ruff
Post-game... |
 East
Carolina coach Ruffin
McNeill met with the press
after the Pirates won their
season opener Saturday night
over N.C. Central (recorded
by W.A. Myatt; file photo):
Select
clip... |
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FOOTBALL |
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Kevin's Keys to the Game |
The first
game of the year is all
about fundamentals. No
matter the season, the coach
or the players, there are
certain things that have to
happen in order for a team
to win. Strategy and
schematics are important,
but none of that matters
without blocking, tackling
and protecting the ball.
...
More from Kevin Monroe... |
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FOOTBALL |
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Reformulated defense may
surprise |
We’ve all
heard that offense sells
tickets, so it shouldn’t
come as a great surprise
that earlier this week, East
Carolina – which already
ranks first in attendance
among programs in non-“Power
Five” conferences –
announced that it has
surpassed the 20,000 mark in
season ticket sales again
this year.
...
More from Brett
Friedlander... |
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FOOTBALL |
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Eye patch symbolizes blind
spots |
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Season openers have provided
some special moments in the
career of East Carolina
football coach Ruffin
McNeill. In his first start
at strong safety for the
Pirates at N.C. State in
1977, he made a
touchdown-saving tackle in
the final seconds of a 28-23
win. ...
More from Al Myatt... |
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FOOTBALL SPECIAL
FEATURE |
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15 Questions for
Davon Grayson |
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 Davon
Grayson (6-2, 196)
looks to rebound in
the 2014 East
Carolina football
campaign from a knee
injury that ended a
promising true
freshman season in
which he had 18
catches for 176
yards and four
touchdowns in six
games. The sophomore
outside wide
receiver is from the
talent-rich
Tidewater Virginia
area, by way of
Kings Fork High
School. ...
More from W.A.
Myatt... |
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Pictured: Devon
Grayson is back in
form after rehabbing
from an injury last
season that cut
short a spectacular
start in his
freshman campaign.
The Suffolk, VA,
product is listed as
East Carolina's
starter at the "Z"
position (outside
receiver) for
Saturday's opener
with N.C. Central .
(ECU Media Relations
photo) |
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By
Bethany Bradsher
©2014 Bonesville.net
All Rights Reserved.
Whenever possible, Julie Torbett gives her players a glimpse of East
Carolina volleyball’s big picture – the formidable fortress that the program
could represent five, 10 or 15 years down the road.
“It’s not going to happen overnight, and that’s what I’ve talked to the
girls about,” Torbett said. “We have to lay a foundation, and that’s what
we’re doing right now, even though it’s not going to be instant success. I
am definitely confident that our team is a better team, that we’re improved
across the board.”
But Torbett recognizes that, even amid the sure signs of progress in the
program since she arrived in early 2013, keeping a long view can be
difficult when the players involved only stay for a maximum of four years.
She knows that even as they plant themselves as part of a strong root
system, they need to see some fruit right away as a reminder they’re heading
in the right direction.
The transition to the American Athletic Conference will require even
more determination from the players, but Torbett is confident that wins on
the court – and new individual milestones – are in the near future. For
evidence, examine some of the accomplishments from a 2013 team that finished
with 11 more victories than the previous year’s squad:
• Three Conference USA wins for the first time
since 2008
• First five-match winning streak in five years
• First road tournament title since 2005,
sweeping the Elon Phoenix Classic
• First C-USA player of the week in five years
and first All-Conference USA honoree in six years
The head coaches in the American picked ECU to finish 11th out of 12
teams in the conference, a nod to the depth of the new field paced by teams
like Southern Methodist and Central Florida, who are predicted to finish
first and second. Tulsa and Tulane, who made the jump from C-USA with the
Pirates, were among the top three in the former conference last year and
will certainly continue to be threats, Torbett said.
“It’s going to definitely be tough competition for us, and just
something to elevate our program,” she said. “As you have better
competition, it attracts a higher level of player who wants to play at that
level.”
This year’s version of the Pirates, who will host the East Carolina
Invitational this weekend, includes one senior and six juniors pacing the
underclassmen.
Senior setter Zarah Cecich is a mature, calm leader who has persevered
and grown tremendously through her years in Greenville, Torbett said, and
she was tapped as co-captain this year with junior defensive specialist
Erika Figueroa.
Figueroa will share time in the backcourt with ECU newcomer – and D.H.
Conley product – Lauren Bewick, and the two have been competing for the
libero spot through the preseason. On the front line, junior middle blocker
Kierra Lee Dunson emerged as a force last season, and Ashton Mares, a true
freshman from Fort Collins, CO, is a newcomer who looks to bring a new spark
to the Pirate offense.
This weekend’s tournament commences with Pirate matchups with Tennessee
Tech Friday at 1 p.m., Norfolk State Friday night at 7 p.m. and Morgan State
Saturday Night at 7 p.m.
The competition could give a prime
opportunity for the squad to start the effort of topping last season’s
13-win total.
The combined record of those three
opponents, with one weekend of play behind them, is 1-9.
“We played them last year, and I just know
their style is very scrappy and very aggressive, so we will again have to be
on our toes,” she said of Morgan State.
But Torbett recognizes that since her team
hasn’t played yet they will have to work out some early-season jitters,
unlike the other teams in the tournament field who have been competing for a
week or more.
UNC-Wilmington is also coming to compete.
The Seahawks aren’t scheduled to face ECU but Torbett considers them the
favorite to win the tournament title.
