The SMU volleyball team played against conference rival East Carolina University on Sunday.
There was such a large crowd on hand to see the Mustangs that rosters were no longer available when the game began.
The Mustangs took to the court with high intensity and focused teamwork to dominate the match by sweeping the East Carolina Pirates 3-0.
The Mustangs controlled the first and third periods by a score of 25-16 in both periods.
The second period had a lot more back and forth momentum between the two opponents with a finish of 25-21.
Yet through positive teamwork and outstanding ability the girls stood their ground on the court.
East Carolina did its best to maintain a position on the court but could never completely control the net which for a majority of the sets was Mustang territory.
The Mustangs maintained an offensive strategy and solid digs on defense, and their form and ball movements were key components of the game.
Middle blocker Courtney Manning and outside hitters Jessica Oliver and Dana Powell played extremely well, contributing to a majority of the kills and blocks.
Oliver herself had a match high of 13 kills, and Powell had 11 kills. Manning was extremely dominant in the third period with eight kills which could not be returned by the East Carolina squad.
Towards the end of the match, East Carolina continued to battle back in an attempt to win at least one game; however, the Mustangs did not let up at any point and swept the match.
The team ended with a .359 hitting percentage to finish off the game. This win has increased the Mustangs’ record three-set matches to 8-1.
The total record of the team is now 22-5 with a 13-2 Conference USA record.
The conference record has the Mustangs in second place and with the remaining five conference games they will be in solid shape to move up in the rankings.
The team will play at UTEP this Friday for another conference match that will definitely prove to be an exciting exhibition of SMU volleyball.
The team will return to Moody Coliseum on Nov. 19 to play Houston.
