Feliciano caps off season with national recognition

UE freshman recognized by VolleyballMag.com

 An exclamation point was added to the freshman campaign for University of Evansville volleyball player Melanie Feliciano as she was named a 2019 VolleyballMag.com All-Freshman Honorable Mention.

She became the first Purple Aces player to earn the recognition.  In her first season at UE, she set the program freshman record with a total of 456 kills.  Her average of 4.18 kills per set was second in the Missouri Valley Conference and top three among freshmen in the nation.

“We know Melanie had a big year and was an asset for our program,” UE head volleyball coach Fernando Morales said.  “Having the recognition from a nationwide magazine is huge for us, hopefully we can build on that and reach our goal of being in the top four in the conference in the near future.”

Feliciano was named the MVC Freshman of the Week on four occasions throughout the 2019 season with her top performance being a 36-kill effort against Eastern Illinois.  At the time, it was a UE program record and remains tied for the third-highest total in a single match in MVC history.

A native of Ponce, Puerto Rico, Feliciano arrived in Evansville on July 22 and was able to quickly adjust to the new settings.

“It was my first time leaving home, but having friends here along with our coaching being from Puerto Rico has really helped,” Feliciano explained.  “My family was able to come to Evansville for the home tournament in September.  It was the best; I really wanted to play my best for them.”

In three matches on Sept. 13-14 at Meeks Family Fieldhouse, Feliciano put on a clinic, recording a total of 92 kills in just 13 sets, an average of 7.1 kills per frame.  She capped off the weekend with the record-setting 36-kill performance against Eastern Illinois.  Making the weekend even better was that she was named the tournament MVP.

The 2019 season for UE began in Cape Girardeau, Mo. on Sept. 6.  Feliciano admitted that she was nervous to play at the next level, but made a quick adjustment.

“My teammates and coaches said not to worry, they always support me,” Feliciano exclaimed.  “I arrived in Evansville for the practice and it did not start out the way I wanted.  Everyone said that I would make it and thanks to their support, I have done that.”

Coach Morales explained on several occasions throughout the 2019 campaign that Feliciano was always working to get better and was a very coachable student-athlete.  She has used the feedback from her coaches to improve her game and continue to evolve as a player.

“I know that I have more to work on and get better with and with the help of my coaches and teammates, I will do it,” she added.

The recognition from VolleyballMag.com was just a small part of an exciting season for Feliciano and her team.  Entering the season, two of the primary goals of the team were to finish with a winning record and earn a spot in the MVC Tournament.  Through a total team effort, both goals were accomplished and the team is focused on even bigger goals moving forward.”