UE volleyball drops 3-0 decision at Valparaiso
 With a long 5-set match victory on Friday evening, the University of Evansville volleyball team was unable to make it 2-for-2 on the trip as the Purple Aces dropped a 3-0 match to Valparaiso on Saturday.
Mildrelis Rodriguez led the Aces (8-13, 2-7 MVC) with seven kills while Erlicia Griffith finished the night with five. Rodriguez also led the squad with 12 digs. Valparaiso (10-10, 3-5 MVC) saw Taylor Graboski finish with 12 kills while Allison Ketcham had 11.
The Purple Aces had a great start on the night as Allana McInnis notched a service ace in a 4-0 run to start the match. After the Crusaders got within one at 6-5, UE opened up a 3-point lead once again thanks to a Mildrelis Rodriguez kill. Valparaiso continued to fight back, tying it up for the first time at 10-10 before taking the lead on the next point. They continued to roll, going on a 10-2 run to go up 20-12. Evansville fought back late, but Valpo took game one, 23-17.
Just as they did in the opening frame, UE got off to a nice start in game two, posting the first three tallies in a row as Gabriela Dos Santos opened it up with a kill. The Crusaders responded with a 5-1 run as they took a 5-4 lead on an Allison Ketcham ace. After the Aces tied it up, Valpo started to extend its lead, winning by a 25-12 final.
In the third set, it was Valpo who got off to a 3-0 start and pushed their lead to five points at 10-5. The Aces were able to get within a pair at 13-11 in a run that was keyed by an Erlicia Griffith kill. Following that rally, the Crusaders clamped down and pulled away to finish the match off on a 25-18 decision and a 3-0 victory.
On Friday, the Aces are back home for a 7 p.m. matchup versus Indiana State at Meeks Family Fieldhouse.
