Aces open MVC slate on Friday
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Hinsley Everett led the University of Evansville volleyball team with 15 kills in a hard-fought 3-1 defeat to USI on Saturday inside Liberty Arena.
Chloe Cline and Brooke Herdes added 11 kills apiece for the Purple Aces. Ainoah Cruz added 29 digs while Maddie Hawkins and Herdes recorded 14 each. Kora Ruff chipped in 41 assists while Sabrina Ripple had seven block assists. Ashby Willis paced the Screaming Eagles with a match-high 17 kills.
Game 1 – USI 25, UE 22
With the score tied at 3-3, the Aces took control. Three kills from Brooke Herdes highlighted a stretch that gave UE an 11-5 lead. Sabrina Ripple and McKenzie Laubach added a block during the run. Things continued to look good as UE solidified a 15-9 advantage over the ensuing stretch. USI stormed back to tie the game at 18-18 before opening a 22-19 edge. They took the set by a 25-22 final.
Game 2 – UE 25, USI 20
After USI scored the opening three points, the Aces took their first lead with Ainoah Cruz’ ace capping off a 5-0 run that put UE in front at 5-3. Maddie Hawkins’ ace doubled up the Screaming Eagles by 10-5 margin. Evansville continued to hold a multi-point lead throughout the set and tied the match with a 25-20 win.
Game 3 – USI 25, UE 21
Hinsley Everett registered a kill to give UE a 3-1 edge out of the gate. Another Herdes kill made it an 8-5 game before USI made its first run to tie the game at 9-9. Another Everett kill put UE back in front at 13-11 before Brynne Krangnes added an ace to make it a 17-14 game. The Screaming Eagles countered with a 5-1 rally to retake a 19-18 lead before a Cline kill tied the score. USI continued its rally and pulled away for the 25-21 victory to take a 2-1 match lead.
Game 4 – USI 26, UE 24
Carlotta Pascual Centelles and Herdes registered kills to put Evansville up by a 7-5 margin. The Screaming Eagles battled back to jump in front by a score of 9-8 but another Cruz ace put UE back in front at 12-11. Kills by Pascual Centelles and Sabrina Ripple pushed the edge to 15-12 before Ripple and Pacual Centelles assisted on a block that extended the lead to 18-13.
USI responded with another big run to cut the gap to just a point at 19-18 before Pascual notched a kill to make it a 2-point game. The Screaming Eagles continued to fight back posting the next three to go up 21-20. A kill by Ryan Scheu was followed by a block from Kora Ruff and Cline that gave the Aces a 22-21 edge. Two more points pushed the lead to 24-21 but USI was not done. The Screaming Eagles scored the final five points to clinch the match.
Missouri Valley Conference action opens on Friday with a 6 p.m. match against Bradley inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse.
