Feliciano adds 12 kills in the
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Giulia Cardona led the University of Evansville volleyball team with 30 kills and 16 digs in a 3-1 win over the University of Puerto Rico – Rio Piedras on Saturday at Coliseo Mario Morales.
Cardona hit .397 on the night while adding an ace. Feliciano also had a double-double with 12 kills and 13 digs. Kora Ruff completed the night with 52 assists while Madisyn Steele posted a block solo and 10 block assists.
Game 1 – UE 25, UPR 15
Angelica Gonzalez Maltes had an efficient start, recording two early kills to put the Aces up 5-3. Giulia Cardona registered her third tally of the night to extend the lead to 8-4 before Madisyn Steele got on the board to make it a 12-7 game.
It was the defense who came through over the net sequence with Maltes and Steele teaming up on consecutive blocks as the lead grew to eight points at 17-9. Evansville continued to add to its lead, taking the set by a score of 25-15. Cardona had six kills while Steele had five block assists.
Game 2 – UPR 28, UE 26
Evansville’s defense continued its solid play in the second frame as Chloe Cline and Maltes had a block assist to double up UPR, 6-3. Cardona notched an ace to extend the lead to four while Cline had a nice play in the middle to make it an 11-6 game.
Just when it looked like the Aces were primed to pull away, Puerto Rico – Rio Piedras stormed back. After closing to 15-13, UPR tied the score at 19-19 on a service ace. UE regained its composure as kills by Melanie Feliciano and Steele put their squad back on top. UPR did not relent, staging a late rally of their own, taking a 24-22 lead. Cardona tied the score at 24-24 with a pair of kills, but UPR was victorious in extra points, 28-26.
Game 3 – UE 25, UPR 23
Three Cardona kills set the Aces up with an early 5-3 edge before UPR tied the game at 6-6. An ace from Krystell Pappas highlighted a 4-0 run that saw Evansville jump back in front. Evansville extended its lead to 17-12 when Maltes added another kill, but UPR staged another rally, cutting the deficit to just a point at 19-18.
Chloe Cline righted the ship with a huge kill before Cardona added the two clinching kills to put Evansville back in front with a 2-1 match lead.
Game 4 – UE 25, UPR 17
UE had its best start of the evening, scoring the first four points of the set with Feliciano recording two kills. Trailing 5-1, UPR posted three in a row in a rally that would eventually see them tie the game at 8-8. Two kills from Steele helped the Aces go back in front by a 15-10 tally. From there, the Aces clinched the match on the strength of a 25-17 win.
On Sunday, UE completes the trip with a 3 p.m. CT match versus Providence.
