UE faces Chicago State on Monday
PEORIA, Ill. – The duo of Giulia Cardona and Melanie Feliciano combined for 31 kills on Saturday with the University of Evansville volleyball team falling at Bradley by a 3-1 final inside Renaissance Coliseum on Saturday.
Cardona recorded a match-high 16 kills while Feliciano added 15. Lexi Owen tallied 33 assists while Ainoah Cruz picked up 30 digs. Bradley was led by Abby Johnson’s 11 kills.
Game 1 – BU 25, UE 18
Evansville had things going early in the first set. Three kills from Melanie Feliciano put the Aces in front at 7-3. The Braves fought back to tie the score at 10-10 and the squads battled to a 17-17 mark. At that point, Bradley took control, outscoring the Aces by an 8-1 margin to take the first set.
Game 2 – UE 25, BU 20
Emilee Scheumann picked up back-to-back kills to cap off a 9-3 start by Evansville. Madisyn Steele added a kill that helped the Aces go up by a 14-7 margin. The Braves stormed right back with eight in a row to jump in front at 15-14.
UE quickly regrouped and posted the next five points. Two more Feliciano kills and an ace from Ainoah Cruz put the Aces up 19-15 and they would go on to tie the match with a 25-20 win.
Game 3 – BU 25, UE 14
This time, it was Bradley with the big start, opening with seven of the first nine points to take a 7-2 advantage. The Aces got back within four points on a few occasions including 14-10 before the Braves would finish the set on an 11-4 run to win by a final of 25-14.
Game 4 – BU 25, UE 17
Looking to keep the match going, the Aces jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the fourth frame. Feliciano provided the offense with three kills. Evansville continued to hold the lead until the Braves fought back to tie it at 11-11.
With the score knotted at 13-13, Bradley scored three in a row and would complete the set on a 12-4 run to clinch the match with a 25-17 decision.
The Aces will look to pick up a victory on Monday when they will be at Chicago State for a 6 p.m. contest.
