Aces face UIC and Valparaiso
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – A 5-match homestand comes to a close for the University of Evansville volleyball team this weekend when the Purple Aces play host to UIC and Valparaiso. UE welcome the Flames on Friday at 6 p.m. before facing the Beacons on Saturday at 5 p.m. inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse. Both matches will be carried by ESPN+.
To celebrate the final days of Hispanic Heritage Month, the University of Evansville athletic department and UE Volleyball are hosting a Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Celebration for Saturday’s volleyball match.
The celebration begins at 3 PM in front of the Carson Center with a block party, featuring Hispanic/Latinx music, food truck, and a photo booth. At 5 PM, the party will move inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse for the Aces match with Valparaiso. The first 100 fans inside the fieldhouse will receive a Vamos Aces t-shirt.
Help support our Hispanic/Latinx community by coming out and cheering on the Aces!
Last Time Out
– Hitting .372 as a team, the Aces overcame a 1-0 deficit on Monday to defeat Indiana State by a 3-1 final at Meeks Family Fieldhouse
– Giulia Cardona led all players with 27 kills while Melanie Feliciano added 20 and Brooke Springer set her career high with 7
– Kora Ruff picked up 57 assists, just one short of her top collegiate tally
Putting it all Together
– Brooke Springer had what may have been the top match of her Purple Aces career against Indiana State
– Springer set her career mark with 7 kills while adding two solo blocks and four block assists
– She continues to pace the team with 1.02 blocks/set and is third in the MVC
– Springer opened the DePaul Invite with a solo block and three block assists versus St. Thomas before adding five block assists in the triumph over NIU
– Aside from her 28 block assists, Springer has contributed 9 solo blocks in 2023
Efficient Operation
– Kora Ruff’s efficiency on the offensive side was pivotal in Evansville’s home win over Indiana State where she registered a season-high 57 helpers
– The total was just one shy of her top collegiate mark of 58, which came in 2022
– Ruff stands third in the MVC with her average of 10.39 assists and is 27th nationally
– While her season average of 2.66 digs is 18th in the league, that average has risen to 2.92/set through seven MVC matches
She’s #1
– Giulia Cardona’s impressive season continues as she paces the NCAA in three of the top offensive categories
– Cardona leads the nation in kills (5.44/set), points (6.13/set) and attacks (14.59/set)
– After completing the opening MVC weekend with a mark of 8.86 kills, she earned her second MVC Player of the Week award of 2023
– She finished with 26 at Murray State before resetting her career high with 36 at Belmont on Sept. 23
– Her 36 kills was the most in the NCAA in a 4-set match this season and tied for the highest tally in any match of the 2023 season while her 26-kill performance against the Racers was the most this season by any NCAA player in a 3-set contest
Scouting the Opposition
– UIC comes into Friday’s weekend opener sporting a 13-7 record and a 4-3 mark through their opening seven conference contests
– Martina Delucchi is 4th in the conference with 3.74 kills per set while Becca Oldendorf is the league’s most accurate hitter at .433
– Valparaiso is currently 11-9 overall and 3-4 in Valley play
– Emma Hickey is stellar on the defensive side, ranking 4th in the conference with 5.13 digs per frame
