Aces play three matches on Friday and Saturday
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Following the season-opening Puerto Rico Clasico, the University of Evansville volleyball team opens its home slate this weekend with the Dunn Hospitality Tournament. UE will face Chicago State, Samford, and Miami Ohio. All three matches will be carried on ESPN+.
Opening Weekend
– Evansville opened the season at the Puerto Rico Clasico in a homecoming for multiple players and coaches within the UE program
– After dropping a 3-0 match to Akron, the Purple Aces regrouped to defeat the University of Puerto Rico – Rio Piedras by a 3-1 final
– In the finale, UE dropped a 3-0 decision to Providence; the Aces held a 24-20 lead in the opening frame before the Friars rallied
Big Start
– Giulia Cardona registered 30 kills in the win over UPR-Rio Piedras and completed the first weekend of action with 5.00 kills/set
– Her average ranks second in the MVC
– Cardona’s defense was strong in the Puerto Rico Clasico as her 3.20 digs/frame led the way for UE
– Cardona picked up right where she left off from last season where she led the nation in kills (5.34/set) and points (6.14/set)
– The 2023 MVC Player of the Year was the first All-American in program history, earning AVCA All-American Honorable Mention honors
– She was the AVCA Division I National Player of the Week on Oct. 17, 2023 and garnered four MVC Player of the Week honors in her junior campaign
– With 593 kills in 2023, Cardona reset her single-season program record
Homecoming
– Melanie Feliciano enjoyed a solid start to the season in a return home for the Puerto Rico Clasico
– In three matches, Feliciano averaged 3.00 kills and 2.90 digs per set, both second on the team
– After recording 11 kills against Akron, Feliciano posted 12 in the win over UPR-Rio Piedras
– Last season, she was second for UE and 5th in the MVC with 3.64 kills per set while ranking 28th in the league with her average of 2.42 digs
– She wrapped up the 2023 season on a high note, setting her season mark of 31 kills in the win at Indiana State
Strong Opener
– Angelica Maltes Gonzalez set career highs in kills (13) and attempts (27) in the season opener versus Akron
– The performance eclipsed her previous high of seven kills and 23 attempts from last season against Southern Illinois
– Gonzalez added five kills in the final two matches of the weekend and holds an average of 2.56 per set
– She added 11 digs, four block assists and two aces in the trip to Puerto Rico
Scouting the Opposition
– Chicago State marks UE’s first opponent of the weekend and sit at 0-2 with losses at Bowling Green and Cincinnati in their first weekend of play
– Patrycja Lagida holds the team lead with 3.00 kills per game
– Samford heads to Evansville with a 2-0 mark including a 5-set win over Mississippi State last Friday
– The Bulldogs, who were picked second in the Southern Conference Preseason Poll, are led by Kaleigh Meritt’s 4.00 kills per set
– On Saturday, the Aces complete the tournament versus Miami Ohio
– The RedHawks are 3-0 with wins over Lamar, Gardner-Webb and Norfolk State
– Raegan Lantz paces MU with her average of 3.57 kills
