In place of their regular afternoon practice on Wednesday, the East Carolina volleyball team volunteered to help move freshmen into their dorm rooms. They carried boxes and shelves and televisions, and when they left they gave their new friends Pirate volleyball posters, complete with the 2019 schedule. This effort to inspire new fans — and… [ More… ]
The Bradsher Beat on ECU Volleyball
Special Photo Feature
Facilities Tour Gallery
Bethany Bradsher captured this collection of photographs during a media tour of of ECU’s updated athletic facilities conducted by Pirate AD Jon Gilbert on Monday, August 12, 2019.
The Bradsher Beat
Pirates’ grand facilities visions becoming real
New athletic facilities don’t just allow collegiate teams to pursue broader opportunities; they provide a visual representation of where a program plans to go. If the media tour of East Carolina’s new and renovated spaces Monday is any indication, the Pirates’ top athletic leadership has grand visions indeed. “It’s almost like a dream,” said J.J.… [ More… ]
The Bradsher Beat
‘Juices flowing’ as drills get physical
An excellent test to distinguish between a true football player and a non-football player: Measure that individual’s reaction to the phrase “full pads day in mid-August.” The thoughts of the non-football player would go immediately to dread of the extreme heat mixed with the inevitable pain associated with repeated violent collisions. But consider the response… [ More… ]
The Bradsher Beat
ECU soccer squad inspired by national team
Rarely does a team or an event captivate such a range of Americans as the Women’s World Cup champions did earlier this summer. It’s no surprise that the members of the East Carolina soccer team count themselves as some of the U.S. squad’s biggest fans, but they see the World Cup’s universal appeal as a… [ More… ]
The Bradsher Beat
McCullough ramps up ECU’s social media game
To those of us in the more advanced generations who are slow to grasp the footprint of social media, it might seem like posting on the various platforms is somewhat scattershot and impulsive. But Houston McCullough, from her post in the East Carolina athletics department on her third day as the Pirates’ first-ever content manager,… [ More… ]
The Bradsher Beat
A bit of whimsy can spice up the off-season
Like a fine wine or a prime roast, college athletics needs some time to breathe, and July is certainly the season of rest in the Pirate Nation. It’s not complete radio silence — facilities improvements and strength and conditioning continue on campus — but it’s pretty eerily quiet compared to the carnival that will open… [ More… ]