Aces wrap up non-conference doubleheader at WKU
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In a non-conference doubleheader hosted by Western Kentucky, the University of Evansville volleyball team rallied for a 3-2 win over Saint Louis before falling to WKU by a 3-0 final on Sunday at E.A. Diddle Arena.
Match 1 – Saint Louis
Alondra Vazquez and Melanie Feliciano recorded 20 and 17 kills, respectively, to lift the Aces (2-2, 1-1 MVC) to a 3-2 victory over Saint Louis. Allana McInnis notched 26 assists while Cecilia Thon accounted for 14 helpers and 15 digs. Laura Ruiz led the Purple Aces with 17 digs while Hannah Watkins posted a solo block and four block assists. Chloe Bontrager and Kate Tsironis also had four block assists. Saint Louis (0-2) was led by a 22-kill game from Maya Taylor.
Game 1
In a back-and-forth set, it was the Billikens who picked up the early 7-4 edge before kills by Chloe Bontrager and Alondra Vazquez put Evansville in front by a 10-9 tally. Nine ties led to an 18-18 score before SLU posted two in a row and went on to take the opening game, 25-21.
Game 2
Saint Louis once again had the early edge, jumping out to an 8-3 advantage. The Billikens led by as many as six points (14-8) before Evansville rallied back. UE took advantage of SLU errors to get within a pair at 16-14 before tying it up at 18-18 with Vazquez adding another kill in the run. Saint Louis retook the lead at 22-20 but this time, Evansville had the late rally. Melanie Feliciano recorded two late kills to give the Aces a 25-23 decision to tie the match.
Game 3
Evansville fell into another early hole in the third game with SLU opening up a 10-3 lead. Kills by Feliciano and Bontrager helped to cut the deficit to four (11-7), but Saint Louis countered to finish the game on a 14-4 stretch to take a 25-11 win.
Game 4
With the score knotted at 8-8, the Billikens went on an 8-3 stretch to open up a 16-11 lead. Facing the deficit, the Aces went on a game-changing run. A Vazquez kill and a Cecilia Thon service ace saw UE cut the gap to three (18-15). Following a point by SLU, it was Kate Tsironis registering a kill that was the start of a 6-0 run that turned a 19-16 deficit into a 22-19 lead. It was Vazquez capping it off with three consecutive kills. It was fitting that it was Vazquez who also had the clinching kill in a 25-22 win that sent the game to a fifth and deciding set. The junior had six kills in game four.
Game 5
The opening portion of the fifth frame was the Billikens open up a 2-point lead on four occasions, including a 7-5 edge. Evansville fought right back, using back-to-back Vazquez kills to take a 9-8 lead – its first advantage in the fifth game. A Saint Louis error gave the Aces a 2-point lead and, following a Billiken time out, Laura Ruiz posted a service ace that gave UE an 11-8 advantage. SLU cut the gap to two, but Evansville had the answer with Melanie Feliciano capping off a 15-12 win to give the Aces their second match victory of the season.
Match 2 – #24 Western Kentucky
In the second match of the day, it was 24th-ranked Western Kentucky picking up a 3-0 triumph over Evansville. The Hilltoppers (5-0) hit .278 and were led by Lauren Matthews, who had nine kills. Vazquez and Feliciano had six kills apiece for UE.
Game 1
UE held strong in the opening moments of the first set as the Hilltoppers led by a 9-7 score with a Hannah Watkins kill getting UE within a pair. Western Kentucky would score the next five points to push its gap to seven points before taking the opening game by a 25-16 final.
Game 2
Once again, the Aces kept the nationally-ranked WKU squad in its sight, trailing by a 5-4 score before a huge 12-2 run changed the course of the game. Two Evansville errors saw WKU cap off the run to take a 17-6 lead. Allana McInnis ended the stretch with a kill, but the deficit was too much to overcome with Western Kentucky posting a 25-14 victory to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
Game 3
WKU used a 10-2 stretch in the middle of the third stanza to clinch a 3-0 win in the match. Holding a 10-5 lead, the Hilltoppers reeled off the next six tallies to take a 16-5 lead. Vazquez posted a kill to get UE back on track, but Western Kentucky used its firepower to pull away and clinch the match with a 25-11 decision.
