Aces look for series sweep on Monday
Playing on its home floor proved to be a difference maker for the University of Evansville volleyball team, who opened the weekend with a 3-1 win over Southern Illinois inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse.
Alondra Vazquez had a stellar all-around performance for UE (4-11, 3-10 MVC). She led all players with 22 kills while adding 19 digs, 4 block assists, 2 service aces and a solo block. Melanie Feliciano registered 19 kills and 17 digs. Allana McInnis finished with 30 assists while Rachel Basinski had a match-high 23 digs. Brooke Springer added five block assists and one solo to her tally. Pacing the Salukis (2-13, 1-12 MVC) was Alex Washington, who had 15 kills and 15 digs.
Game 1
Evansville took its first lead of the night at 4-2 with consecutive kills by Melanie Feliciano. Southern Illinois went back in front by a 7-5 tally before the teams duked it out, swapping the lead on several occasions before tying it up at 15-15. That is when Evansville posted the next fiver tallies to take its largest lead. Another Feliciano kill got it started before Alondra Vazquez added three of her own. UE held strong from there, finishing with the 25-20 win. Vazquez and Feliciano had 7 and 6 kills in the set, respectively.
Game 2
UE took an early 2-0 lead and remained up by that amount at 5-3 when the Salukis posted consecutive service aces to go up by a 6-5 score. Evansville took advantage of two SIU errors to go back in front at 13-11, but SIU tied it back up and the teams battled to an 18-18 score. That is when UE made another late run. Chloe Bontrager got it started with a kill before Allana McInnis recorded an ace. The run continued with two more tallies that gave UE a 4-point edge. After SIU cut the gap to a pair, Feliciano ended the frame with her 10th kill to give the Aces a 25-21 win and a 2-0 lead in the match.
Â
Game 3
After SIU scored the first point, Evansville responded with three in a row and would push the lead to 5-2 on a kill by Elise Moeller. The Salukis cut the UE lead to 8-7 but Evansville countered once again with a pair of blocks that matched its largest lead at 11-7 but Southern Illinois pushed right back, getting within one at 12-11 before tying it up at 14-14. Kills by Feliciano and Moeller were the start of a 3-0 stretch that put the Aces back on top but another SIU rally saw them go up by a 20-19 tally. A close finish saw the Salukis wrestle away a 27-25 win to force a fourth set.
Game 4
Evansville grabbed a two-point edge early in the set, taking leads of 9-7 and 11-9, but SIU came right back to tie it up each time. With the score tied at 11-11, the Aces were able to put together a 4-0 stretch to go up 15-11. Vazquez took control during the stretch, assisting on a block while adding two service aces. The lead continued to be held by the Aces as they had match point, up 24-19. One final gasp by the Salukis saw them cut the deficit to a pair before Feliciano registered the final kill to finish off a 25-22 set victory and a 3-1 triumph in the match.
