Mildrelis Rodriguez recorded 11 kills, seven digs and two service aces, however, Drake used a late rally to earn a 3-1 win over the University of Evansville volleyball team on Monday evening at the Knapp Center.
Pacing the UE (6-10, 0-3 MVC) offense was Rachel Tam, who had 14 kills. Rodriguez was second with 11. Olivia Goldstein had a strong night on the defensive side, tallying 20 digs. Allana McInnis and Elena Redmond finished the night with 18 and 17 assists, respectively. Drake (12-4, 1-1 MVC) saw three players record double figure kills, led by Cathryn Cheek’s total of 17.
Drake got off to a quick start, taking a 5-1 advantage in game one. Evansville got as close as three tallies (7-4) before the Bulldogs were able to pull away for a 25-11 win and a 1-0 match lead.
In the second set, it was the Aces jumping out to the early lead, posting three of the first four points. Drake came back to tie the set up at 5-5 and six ties would ensue, leading to a 10-10 score. That is when the Aces posted two in a row and would never trail again in the set. Elena Redmond, who had four service aces on Friday against Loyola, posted another one before a Rodriguez kill put the Aces up 12-10.
Following a timeout, the Bulldogs got within one, but Evansville scored again and would hang on for the 25-17 win. Joselyn Coronel posted a kill before the defense forced back-to-back errors to cap off the victory.
After the Bulldogs took game three by a score of 25-12, the squads battled it out in the fourth set. An Alondra Vazquez ace, followed by a Tam kill saw UE jump out to a 3-0 lead. The Bulldogs reeled off five in a row to take their first advantage at 5-3. After UE tied it up at 6-6, DU pushed back with four in a row. Just as fast as the Bulldogs went back in front, the Aces came back with six straight points. Two came from Mildrelis Rodriguez, who had a pair of aces.
Both teams battled to the wire, leading to a 20-20 score. That is when Drake made its decisive run, scoring the final five points to take game four, 25-20, while clinching the 3-1 match win.
This weekend, the Aces remain on the road as they travel to Illinois State and Bradley on Friday and Saturday.
