UE drops contests to Chicago State and Samford
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Friday’s opening day of the Dunn Hospitality Tournament saw the University of Evansville volleyball team drop a pair of 4-set matches to Chicago State and Samford.
Match 1 – Chicago State 3, UE 1
Giulia Cardona tied for the match-high with 18 kills, but Patrycja Lagida and Zahara Quraishi recorded 18 apiece to lead Chicago State to a 3-1 win. Cardona led the Purple Aces with 14 digs while Melanie Feliciano had 13 digs and eight kills.
Game 1 – CSU 25, UE 22
Chicago State stormed out to a 6-1 lead to open the match. Giulia Cardona picked up an ace to cut the UE deficit to 7-4 before the Cougars matched their largest advantage at 11-6. Evansville Continued to fight back as a Melanie Feliciano ace got her squad within one at 13-12.
CSU rebounded to go back up by a 19-14 score and held strong at 24-19. Three in a row by the Aces gave them a late shot before the Cougars fended off the challenge to take the set by a 25-22 final.
Game 2 – CSU 25, UE 19
Two kills and an ace from Cardona set the Aces up with an 8-3 lead out of the gate. The momentum did not last, however, as the Cougars quickly rallied to take their first lead at 10-9 before extending it to 16-13.
Four in a row by the Aces put them back in front as Maddie Hawkins recorded her first ace of the contest. With the score knotted at 18-18, Chicago State reeled off four in a row before clinching the set with a 25-19 decision.
Game 3 – UE 26, CSU 24
It was the Cougars who had the upper hand in the early moments, taking a 9-5 edge. Feliciano picked up a kill and block assist in a rally that tied the score at 11-11. Chicago State would slowly retake control, pushing the lead to 20-14. Their 6-point lead held strong at 23-17 as the Aces were on the verge of falling in straight sets.
Madisyn Steele picked up a solo block that marked the first of five tallies in a row that made it a 23-22 game. Zahara Quraishi registered a kill that gave CSU match point, but Evansville continued to rally. After a pair of Cougar errors tied the set at 24-24, Lexi Owen and Chloe Cline combined on a block to put the momentum back in the Aces hands. On the ensuing rally, Owen had the clinching kill to send the match to a fourth set.
Game 4 – CSU 25, UE 19
Once again, the Cougars had the early lead. They posted the opening four points and would lead by as many as five points at 10-5. Evansville rallied once again as a pair of Cardona kills helped the Aces tie it up at 13-13 before a CSU error gave UE the lead.
With the score tied at 15-15, Chicago State scored three in a row before pulling away to clinch the match on the strength of a 25-19 win.
Match 2
Giulia Cardona and Melanie Feliciano finished with 17 and 11 kills, respectively, but a 19-kill performance by Gracie Lynn Butler helped Samford finish with a 3-1 win.
Game 1 – Samford 25, UE 16
Behind a .414 hitting performance, Samford opened the night with a 25-16 win. Cardona chipped in an early service ace and kill to put Evansville on top by a 5-3 margin. Feliciano later added a kill that gave the Aces a 9-7 edge.
Five in a row by Samford changed the complexion of the set as they wrestled away a 15-10 lead. Another kill from Cardona capped a 3-0 spurt by the Aces, but the Bulldogs retook momentum and pulled away for the win.
Game 2 – UE 25, Samford 21
Madisyn Steele posted a kill that saw the Aces score four of the first five points to take an early lead. Evansville continued to hold the advantage as another Steele kill extended the lead to 15-9. Feliciano notched her fifth kill of the match to solidify a 20-15 lead.
Samford scored the next three and appeared to make it four, but a play was challenged and reversed with UE holding strong, up 21-18. Two more by Samford made things interesting as they got within one, but a Feliciano ace coupled with two more Cardona kills tied the match as UE took a 25-21 win.
Game 3 – Samford 25, UE 20
It was the Bulldogs who had the early momentum, turning a 4-4 tie into an 8-4 lead. After Samford took a 12-7 lead, UE made its move. A 6-4 run, highlighted by two Chloe Cline kills, made it a 15-14 game. The Bulldogs overcame the run, countering with four in a row before a Feliciano kill made it 19-15.
From there, Samford was able to fend off a late UE rally to retake a 2-1 match lead.
Game 4 – Samford 25, UE 13
Looking to earn their second win of the day, Samford quickly opened a 5-1 lead. After they pushed their edge to 11-5, Evansville cut the deficit in half with Feliciano picking up a kill in the 3-0 rally. The Bulldogs regrouped once again and pulled away to clinch the match.
Saturday’s tournament finale will see the Aces face Miami Ohio at 2:30 p.m. inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse.
