Aces welcome Bradley and Illinois State
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Following a weekend trip to Iowa, the University of Evansville volleyball team returns home this weekend to face Illinois State and Bradley inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse. The Purple Aces and Redbirds meet up at 6 p.m. on Friday before the Braves come to town on Saturday at 5 p.m.; both matches will be on ESPN+.
Last Time Out
– Facing Drake on Saturday, UE put its best foot forward, giving the Bulldogs everything they could handle despite falling by a 3-0 final
– Each set was decided by six points or fewer as Giulia Cardona recorded a game-high 23 kills
Adding to her total
– Giulia Cardona added 23 kills to her tally on Saturday and currently has 2,118 in her illustrious career
– She is approaching the all-time MVC record of 2,293, which was set by Lily Johnson
– Cardona had a season-high 37 kills against SIU in a match that saw her become just the second player in MVC history to record 2,000 kills in her career
In a Zone
– Since her return to the floor, Ainoah Cruz has been regaining her form
– Over the last three matches, the sophomore is averaging 5.22 digs per set with 47 digs in nine sets
– Her season mark of 3.71 digs per set is 10th in the MVC
Settling Back In
– Kora Ruff missed 11 matches following the first weekend of the season but has regained her edge as of late
– Ruff finished with a season-best 55 assists in the win over SIU and is averaging 9.07 for the season; her mark would be 4th in the MVC with enough appearances
– Her season average of 2.46 digs per set is 4th on the squad
Scouting the Opposition
– Illinois State heads into the weekend with a record of 11-13 while posting a 6-5 MVC mark
– ISU has dropped its last four matches after winning six in a row
– They are led by Aida Shadewald’s 3.53 kills per game
– Bradley holds a 10-13 record and are 5-6 in Valley play after dropping their last five contests
– Iva Popovic paces the Braves with 3.44 kills per set
