Aces fall in NIVC quarterfinals
 VALPARAISO, Ind. – Alondra Vazquez and Giulia Cardona broke University of Evansville single season records on Monday as the Purple Aces volleyball team dropped its NIVC Quarterfinals match to Valparaiso.
Vazquez recorded 10 kills in the contest to break the UE single season kills mark with 494. Her tally on Monday gave her the record by just one kill. The previous record of 493 was set by Genesis Miranda in 2015. Giulia Cardona picked up 11 kills to complete her first collegiate season with a total of 467. Her total broke the freshman kills record, which was set by Melanie Feliciano in 2019. Feliciano had 456 kills in her inaugural campaign. The 2021 MVC Freshman of the Year finished with an average of 0.50 service aces per set, ranking in the top 15 nationally while on pace to be the top average for a freshman in the nation.
Melanie Feliciano wrapped up the year with 3.28 kills per set, giving UE three of the top six spots in the MVC in that statistic. She was rewarded with a spot on the All-MVC First Team, along with Vazquez, for her efforts.
Another freshman – Taya Haffner – accumulated 1,141 kills on the season and led the MVC for the entire year. Her total was the second-most for the program since 2009 and was just the 10th instance that a player finished with 1,000 in program history. Her average of 10.76 helpers per frame ranks in the top 35 in the NCAA. UE’s top blocker in 2021 was freshman Madisyn Steele. Hitting .333 for the season, Steele accumulated six solo blocks and a team-high 73 block assists.
Tonight’s match was the final in the careers of Cecilia Thon and Elena Redmond. Injury limited Redmond over the previous two seasons, but she was able to get on the floor for the senior night contest at Meeks Family Fieldhouse in November. Thon capped off her career with a spot on the MVC Scholar-Athlete Team.
As a team, the Aces finish the fall with 21 victories. It is the first 20-win campaign since 1988 and the first as members of the MVC. The appearance in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship is also the first postseason trip for the program since the early 1980’s.
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Set 1 – Valpo 25, UE 17
A nice start saw the Aces take a 6-4 lead with Giulia Cardona picking up a kill. Her first kill of the night officially set the program mark for most kills by a freshman. Valpo came back to tie it up at 8-8 before jumping in front by a 10-9 score. Evansville retook a 12-11 lead and the teams dueled it out to a 15-15 mark. The Beacons scored two in a row to jump in front and would stage a late rally to take the first set. Up 19-17, VU scored the final six points to complete the set.
Set 2 – Valpo 25, UE 13
UE jumped out to a 3-2 advantage but the Beacons posted seven of the next nine points to go up 9-5. Following a point by the Aces, VU scored the next five points before extending the lead to take the set by a 25-13 final.
Set 3 – Valpo 25, UE 17
With momentum on their side, the Beacons took a 3-1 lead to open the set before the Aces rallied to tie it up at 5-5 on a kill by Melanie Feliciano. Valpo slowly extended the lead to four points at 15-11 before Evansville stormed back. Kills by Hannah Watkins and Giulia Cardona got UE within just one point at 18-17, forcing a time out. Following the short break, VU reeled off the final seven points to clinch the match.
