UE completes tournament this afternoon
 ELON, N.C. – Three University of Evansville volleyball players notched double figure kills to help the Purple Aces overcome a 2-1 deficit to earn a 3-2 victory over Gardner-Webb on Saturday morning in the Phoenix Classic.
After winning the first set, the Purple Aces (4-2) dropped the second and third games. Facing a 19-11 deficit in the fourth set, UE rallied for a 27-25 win before clinching the match with a 15-11 triumph in the fifth set.
“It was great to see our girls battle so hard after our loss last night. It shows the kind of character that we have built as a program,†UE head coach Manolo Concepcion said. “We have a vision of resilience, grind and growth mindset and we saw that today. We are hoping to continue this momentum when we face our last opponent of the tournament this afternoon.â€
Senior Mildrelis Rodriguez had her best game of the young season, finishing with 20 kills and 17 digs. Rachel Tam finished with 17 kills while Rocio Fortuny notched 11, including two huge ones to push UE to the win in the fifth set. Cecilia Thon led the way with 30 assists and Olivia Goldstein finished the morning with 24 digs.
Gardner-Webb (3-2) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the match, taking the opening frame by a 25-17 final. Evansville posted the first two points of the morning, including a kill by Kerra Cornist, but the Runnin’ Bulldogs responded with a 10-3 run to go up 10-5. From there, they pulled away for the win.
Evansville quickly regrouped and found its winning ways in the second game. UE took its largest lead of six points (12-6) on a kill from Mildrelis Rodriguez. Gardner-Webb got within a pair at 17-15, but the Aces scored three in a row with Elizabeth Giller and Joselyn Cornel recording kills to push UE to a 25-21 victory to tie the match at 1-1.
UE looked to be headed to its second set win of the day in the third stanza, leading most of the way. A Gardner-Webb error extended the UE lead to 17-12. That lead remained at five points when a Coronel service ace made it a 19-14 game. The Bulldogs chipped away at the gap and tied the game at 22-22 on an Elizabeth Griffith ace. Kills by Rocio Fortuny and Rachel Tam put UE in position to clinch the set, up 24-22, but the Bulldogs rallied once again for a 27-25 win.
The Bulldogs got off to a quick start in the fourth set, jumping out to a 6-1 lead. Their advantage reached as many as eight points at 19-11, but Evansville showed great fight, going on a 9-1 run to tie the game at 20-20. Fortuny had a kill and ace in the run while Tam added an ace of her own in the rally. Both squads continued to battle to the finish before a Tam kill gave UE the 27-25 victory to force the fifth and deciding set.
In the fifth set, eight ties led to an 8-8 score. Two kills by Fortuny saw the Aces wrestle away an 11-8 lead. The Bulldogs got within one, but the Aces were able to clinch the match with a 15-11 win in the deciding frame.
Later today at 3:30 p.m. CT, the Aces complete the weekend with a match against North Carolina Central.
