WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — East Carolina (7-0) defeated William & Mary (3-3) in four sets at Kaplan Arena on Friday night, winning 22-25, 26-24, 25-20, 25-12.

The first set began with Devereaux Hoxsie setting the tone for the Tribe with an early kill from Beatriz Silva's assist, securing the first point of the match. W&M displayed a strong offensive performance, highlighted by Nicole Smith's three timely kills, including one that helped break a 3-3 tie. The team capitalized on a series of service errors by East Carolina and service aces from Olivia Esposito and Silva, building a substantial lead. Despite a late surge from East Carolina, closing the gap to 24-22, the Green and Gold sealed the set 25-22 with Audrey Brcka's decisive kill from another Silva assist.

The second set was marked by a tense back-and-forth battle, with the Tribe and East Carolina exchanging points throughout. W&M opened with a kill from Hoxsie, but East Carolina quickly responded, building a 7-2 lead. A pivotal moment occurred when Shylah Swope served an ace to narrow the gap to 8-6, and later, a critical block by Katherine Arnason and Ryann Love tied the game at 17-17. Despite a late surge, including a service ace by Hoxsie to even the score at 22-22, East Carolina edged out the set 26-24, concluding with a decisive kill by Kai Bailey.

The third set began with East Carolina securing an early point, but the Tribe quickly responded with a kill by Hoxsie from Silva to level the score at 1-1. Despite a series of strong plays, including an ace from Hoxsie at 14-12 and a late kill by Arnason, W&M faced a persistent challenge from East Carolina. Esposito's consecutive kills, assisted by Silva, helped to narrow the deficit to 15-14, but East Carolina maintained their momentum, ultimately sealing the set 25-20.

The fourth set opened with W&M aiming to close the gap against East Carolina. Smith and Esposito's effective blocking at 2-2 briefly leveled the score, but East Carolina quickly regained control. Despite notable efforts from Love and Arnason, who contributed well-timed kills, East Carolina capitalized on the Tribe's service errors and strong attacks from Ellie Pate and Bailey. Ultimately, East Carolina utilized a series of scoring runs to secure the set 25-12, concluding the match.

GAME NUGGETS