UE back home on Monday evening
 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – In a contest that featured highs and lows for both teams, the University of Evansville volleyball team fell to Loyola by a 3-2 final on Saturday night inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse.
Evansville (16-6, 6-5 MVC) was led by Melanie Feliciano, who led the team in kills (19) and digs (11). Alondra Vazquez and Giulia Cardona recorded 17 and 16 kills, respectively. Another strong defensive match by Madisyn Steele saw her pick up four block assists. Taya Haffner set her career mark with 56 assists, passing her previous high of 50.
Loyola (18-6, 11-1 MVC) saw Taylor Venuto lead all players with 21 kills while Grace Hinchman tied Feliciano for the top dig tally with 11.
Set 1 – Loyola 25, UE 23
In the early part of the opening frame, it was the Ramblers who had the advantage, taking a 13-8 lead. Five UE players recorded kills over the opening portion and spreading the ball around paid off when the Aces pulled in front at 19-17. Evansville’s three main weapons on offense (Alondra Vazquez, Melanie Feliciano and Giulia Cardona) each posted a kill in the stretch, forcing a Loyola time out. Following the quick break, the Ramblers regrouped to retake the lead and earn a 25-23 decision.
Set 2 – UE 25, Loyola 21
Six ties in the opening portion of the second game led to an 11-11 score. A Feliciano kill, followed by a Cardona service ace, gave the edge to the Aces. Cecilia Thon picked up her first ace of the night to help her team extend the lead to 19-14. The Ramblers fought back with consecutive Venuto aces to make it a 22-19 UE advantage before cutting it to a pair at 23-21. The Aces were able to regroup and force a pair of LUC errors to knot the match with a 25-21 win.
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Set 3 – UE 27, Loyola 25
Evansville turned a 3-3 tie into a 6-3 lead thanks in part to stellar serving by Laura Ruiz, who posted an ace. Kills by Kate Tsironis and Vazquez were part of another stretch that saw UE double up the Ramblers at 14-7. Things appeared to be going the Aces way as their advantage stood strong at 20-14, but Loyola had other ideas. A 10-4 run erased the Evansville lead and tied the set at 24-24. With the score tied at 25-25, kills by Cardona and Feliciano clinched the 2-1 UE lead.
Set 4 – Loyola 25, UE 18
The Ramblers put together their top performance in the fourth set, grabbing an 11-8 lead. A pair of Vazquez kills helped to tie it up at 12-12, but a 5-0 Rambler stretch gave them a 17-12 lead. Evansville was unable to rally with the Ramblers forcing a decisive fifth set with a 25-18 victory.
Set 5 – Loyola 15, UE 12
Following three early ties, Loyola picked up three in a row to open up a 6-3 advantage. UE did its best to come back, utilizing an error by LUC to cut the deficit to 9-8. Two more Rambler points gave them the cushion that they need to take a 15-12 win and clinch the match.
Monday evening will feature the third home match in four days for UE, who welcomes Southern Illinois to Meeks Family Fieldhouse for a 6 p.m. contest.
