UE looks to bounce back at Loyola
Melanie Feliciano recorded 11 kills but Emily Holterhaus led all players with 19 to help UNI take a 3-0 win over the University of Evansville volleyball team on Monday afternoon inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse.
Feliciano added six digs and two block assists for the Purple Aces (2-4, 1-3 MVC) while Alondra Vazquez had six kills and five digs. Allana McInnis posted 23 assists while tying Cecilia Thon for the team lead with eight digs. Hannah Watkins had three block assists with Feliciano and Brooke Springer added two apiece. Holterhaus was UNI’s (2-5, 2-2 MVC) top performer with 19 kills. She hit an efficient .425. Tayler Alden had 29 assists and 10 digs.
Game 1
Evansville found itself in an early 6-3 hole before kills by Hannah Watkins and Melanie Feliciano got the Aces back on track. UE fought back to tie it at 11-11 before taking the lead on a block assist from Watkins and Feliciano. The Panthers tied it back up at 17-17 but UE would open its largest lead of the set at 21-18. UNI stormed back to tie it up at 22-22. Feliciano put the Aces back in front with a kill before the Panthers posted the final three points of the set to open the day with a 25-23 win.
Game 2
UNI jumped out to a 6-1 advantage and extended it to double figures at 16-5. Trailing by a 22-10 margin, the Aces added to their tally with an Emilee Scheumann kill and a block by Brooke Springer and Kyndal Grace Patterson, but UNI finished the set and took a 2-0 lead on the strength of a 25-14 decision.
Game 3
UE jumped out to a 3-1 lead with Feliciano notching an ace and Watkins adding a kill. After the Panthers took their first lead at 7-5, the Aces tied it up with a block assist by Springer and Feliciano. UNI would retake a 12-9 lead and go up by five at 15-10. A pair of Feliciano kills saw UE get back within a pair (18-16), but the Panthers sealed the match with a late run, winning by a final of 25-19.
Next weekend, the Ace trek to Chicago for a 2-game series at Loyola. The teams will meet on Sunday, Feb. 14 at 1 p.m. before a rematch on Monday, Feb. 15 at 2 p.m.
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