Aces Host Home Match On Tuesday At 6 p.m.
Following one of the most exciting weekends in program history, the University of Evansville volleyball team will take on Tennessee Tech in a 6 p.m. match on Tuesday evening inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse. ESPN+ will have live coverage.
For the second week in a row, the Purple Aces garnered Missouri Valley Conference recognition with Gabriela Macedo earning Defensive Player of the Week honors while Melanie Feliciano was named the Freshman of the Week for the second-consecutive time.
“I am very happy for all of our girls, not just Melanie and Gabi, but the whole team,†UE coach Fernando Morales said. “We had a great weekend as a team with Gabi and Melanie leading the way. We also have Hannah (Watkins) leading the conference in blocks, Allana (McInnis) pacing the league in assists, three of the top ten in kills per set and two of the top ten in service aces per set. It shows a great team effort. I am lucky to have this group in my first year as a head coach.â€
Weekend Recap
– For the first time since the inaugural Dunn Hospitality Tournament in 2010, the Purple Aces volleyball team ran the table, going a perfect 3-0 over the weekend
– Melanie Feliciano averaged 7.1 kills per set, nothing a total of 92 in the three matches
– Her 29 against Purdue Fort Wayne helped the Aces grab a 3-1 win; Alondra Vazquez and Rachel Tam added 14 kills apiece
– UE notched another 3-1 win in Saturday’s opener against Middle Tennessee State; Feliciano posted 27 kills with Tam totaling 14
– The most exciting match of the weekend came on Saturday evening when the Aces overcame a 14-10 deficit in the fifth set to defeat Eastern Illinois, 3-2
– Feliciano and Gabriela Macedo each broke program records in the win
Record-Breaking Freshman
– Freshman Melanie Feliciano was named the MVP of the Dunn Hospitality Tournament for her efforts in three matches
– She averaged 7.1 kills per match in the tournament, including a program record of 36 kills versus EIU
– Her 36 tallies is tied for the second-highest total in MVC history and was the most in the NCAA in 2019 for any player in a 5-set match
– Feliciano added 95 attempts in the win, setting the UE and Missouri Valley Conference all-time records
– The native of Ponce, Puerto Rico has garnered the last two MVC Freshman of the Week honors
– In her first weekend of collegiate action, she led the Aces with 3.64 kills per set while garnering a spot on the Redhawks Invitational All-Tournament Team
– Feliciano stands leads MVC with 5.44 per game; that average is 5th in the nation and leads all freshman
– Her 5.81 points per set ranks seventh in the NCAA and paces all freshmen
Top of the Valley
– Evansville currently leads the MVC with 13.63 assists per set and 14.56 kills per game
– On the individual side, Allana McInnis paces the league with 10.89 assists, Gabriela Macedo has a conference-leading 5.44 digs per game, Melanie Feliciano is atop the conference with 5.44 kills/set and Hannah Watkins has posted a league-leading 1.44 blocks
Dunn Hospitality Tournament
– This season marked the 10th Dunn Hospitality Tournament; it has been held annually since 2010 with the exception of 2012.
– For the second time, and first since 2010, the Aces went a perfect 3-0; overall, Evansville is 16-10 in the event
Breaking a Record
– Gabriela Macedo recorded 41 digs in Saturday’s 3-2 win over Eastern Illinois
– That total set the Evansville record, passing the previous mark of 40, which was set by Kim Deprez
– Macedo leads the MVC with 5.44 digs per game and was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Week on Monday
– She has posted at least 11 digs in each match for the Aces in 2019
– Macedo’s 41 digs against EIU was tied for the 6th-highest total in conference history; she is one of just 16 players to notch 41 or more in a single match
– That total was the second-most in the nation in a 5-set match in 2019
– She is 17th in the country in digs per set
Scouting the Opposition
– Tennessee State enters Tuesday’s match with a 2-7 mark, but are on a 2-game win streak
– The Golden Eagles picked up weekend wins over North Alabama and Manhattan
– Ali Verzani paces the squad with 3.21 kills per set while Ashley Hand checks in with 8.00 assists
– Defensively, Carly Skrabak has notched 4.26 digs per game
