Aces look for weekend split on Saturday

 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Alondra Vazquez became the University of Evansville program kills leader as the Purple Aces faced Drake on Friday evening inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse.

Entering the match with 1,703 kills in her career, Vazquez quickly broke the mark before finishing the night with 13 as the Aces dropped a 3-0 decision to the Bulldogs.  Giulia Cardona added 12 kills, 11 digs and 4 service aces.  Kora Ruff finished the night with 32 assists.

Set 1 – DU 27, UE 25

History was made in the opening frame when Alondra Vazquez recorded the 1,707^th kill in her illustrious career.  Right off the bat, Vazquez recorded three kills to put the Aces up 5-3.  Drake countered to take their first lead at 6-5 and a competitive set would ensue.  Multiple lead changes saw both squads try to take control.

Evansville went up 14-12 on a Cardona kill while the Bulldogs made their way back to go in front by a 16-14 margin.  Cardona would come up big once again, recording an ace that knotted the score at 17-17.  Drake retook a 22-21 edge, forcing the second Aces time out of the set.  An ace from Kora Ruff, coupled with kills by Cardona and Vazquez, gave UE set point at 24-22.  The Bulldogs took a time out and regrouped to storm back to finish the set with a 27-25 win.

Set 2 – DU 27, UE 25

An ace by Haley Bush saw Drake open the second game on a 7-4 run.  That is when Giulia Cardona once again took control.  Following a kill, Cardona recorded three aces in a row to put UE on top at 8-7.  The teams battled to a 12-12 tie when Drake scored three in a row to retake the 3-point advantage.

Things continued to go Drake’s way with a 21-17 edge, but Laura Ruiz added an ace to highlight a 3-0 stretch that cut the deficit to just one.  After DU scored a pair, it was the Aces who had the big run.  Scoring four in a row, Evansville had set point.  Unfortunately, just as they did in the first set, the Bulldogs utilized a late rally to take the set.

 

Set 3 – DU 25, UE 15

Looking for an early finish to the evening, Drake was on fire to open the third frame, registering six of the first seven points.  Kills from Vazquez and Hannah Watkins were followed by an ace from Kora Ruff to make it a 2-point game.  Once again, the Bulldogs countered to extend their advantage to 20-9 before finishing with a 25-15 win to take the match.

At 5 p.m. on Saturday, UE welcomes Northern Iowa to Meeks Family Fieldhouse.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Junior outside hitter Leah Anderson (Bloomington, Illinois) earned her 1,000th career dig Friday night at Jack Stephens Center to become the 13th player in program history to reach the feat. She also joins an elite club after earning 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in her tenure as a Screaming Eagle, becoming just the fifth player to make the list. Despite Anderson’s accomplishments, University of Southern Indiana Volleyball (1-20, 1-9 OVC) was edged out in a 3-0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-18) loss to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (6-18, 3-8 OVC).
 
The opening frame was all Little Rock as USI falls, 25-18. The Trojans started with an early 6-0 run before a kill from Anderson stopped the bleeding. Little Rock doubled up USI with a 10-5 lead before sophomore middle blocker Lauren O’Neill (Covington, Indiana) tallied back-to-back kills to cut the deficit. The Eagles were able to shorten the gap even more after a block from O’Neill and Anderson made it 14-12. Despite an admirable comeback, USI watched Little Rock storm away with the lead, scoring 11 of the final 17 points to earn the first-set win. The Eagles recorded 11 kills, 14 digs, and four blocks in the opening frame.
 
Anderson was able to capture her 1,000th dig despite USI dropping in the second set, 25-20. The Eagles earned their first lead of the match after Anderson and sophomore middle hitter Paris Downing (Avon, Indiana) threw down a block to make it 2-1. USI extended their lead after a pair of Anderson kills made it 6-3 before Little Rock pushed back and tied the set at eight apiece. After a back-and-forth battle between the two sides, the set stood at an 18-18 tie before the Trojans went on a 7-2 run to seal the Eagles’ fate and take a 2-0 match lead. USI put up another double-digit kill and dig total with 10 kills and 14 digs.
 
USI could not get things rolling in the third frame as Little Rock strolled to a 25-18 victory. Sophomore outside hitter Abby Weber (Fishers, Indiana) threw down a kill to earn the first point for the Eagles. Both teams were tied at nine apiece before the Trojans went on a 4-0 surge that made it 13-9. USI was able to cut the deficit to three before Little Rock went on a short 3-0 stint that resulted in a 19-13 lead that the Eagles could not recover from and ended with a Trojans’ victory. USI nabbed 14 kills in the third set, the most earned in the match for the Eagles.
 
Anderson recorded her ninth double-double this season after posting a match-high 17 kills and a team-high 12 digs along with an ace and four blocks. She was the lone Eagle to earn double-digit kills and digs. Leading the passing game was junior outside/right side hitter/setter Katherine Koch (Belleville, Illinois) who ended the night with 13 assists. Downing earned a team-high five blocks while junior libero/defensive specialist Audrey Crowder (Avon, Indiana) contributed with one ace.
 
The Eagles ended the match with 35 kills, 32 assists, and two aces while providing 36 digs and seven blocks. The Trojans tallied 45 kills, 45 assists, and four aces with 44 digs and eight blocks.
 

Evansville, IN:  The Evansville Thunderbolts of the SPHL (Southern Professional Hockey League) and Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations Jeff Bes announce today the opening roster and team captain and assistant captains for the 2022-23 Season.

At Forward, Mike Ferraro, Matthew Hobbs, Cameron Cook, Hayden Hulton, and Aaron Huffnagle all return from the 2021-22 roster, along with SPHL free agent signings Andrew Shewfelt from Pensacola and Mathieu Cloutier from the Peoria Rivermen.  The Thunderbolts welcome veteran Swedish forwards Fredrik Wink and Philip Wong, both from Sollumtuna HC of the Swedish Division 2 league.  After a professional season in Germany with ESC Kempten, Brendan Harrogate joins the lineup, along with rookies Matthew Barron, Kenny Britton, and Walker Sommer, all of whom join the Thunderbolts after playing college hockey last season with Ontario Tech University, University of Victoria, and Niagara University, respectively.

On Defense, Tanner Butler, Timothy Faulkner, and Dillon Hill all return from 2021-22, along with Oleksandr Liulchuk, who starts his second stint as a Thunderbolt after playing for Evansville in the 2018-19 campaign. Alexis Girard joins the defense corps after playing with Fayetteville, Knoxville and Vermilion County, as well as in the ECHL with Trois-Rivieres in 2021-22.  Former Quad City defenseman Kristaps Nimanis joins the team following a pair of seasons in his native Latvia with Liepaja, while veteran Swedish defenseman Felix Sasser also comes to Evansville from Sollumtuna HC along with forwards Wink and Wong.  Rounding out the defense is Zachery Bennett, who turned pro in 2021-22 in Sweden with the Soderhamn/Ljusne HC and Stromsbro IF programs.

The goaltending tandem consists of Henry Johnson, who played briefly with the Macon Mayhem following 5 seasons of college hockey with Bemidji State and Mercyhurst Universities, and Zane Steeves, previously with the Huntsville Havoc and Birmingham Bulls in 2021-22.

Third-year Thunderbolts forward Hayden Hulton has been named the 8^th captain in franchise history, after previously serving as an assistant captain in 2021-22.  In addition, third-year defenseman Tanner Butler and defenseman Kristaps Nimanis have been appointed as assistant captains for the 2022-23 season.

Opening night is coming Saturday, October 22.  Individual game tickets will go on sale September 30.  Season ticket and group packages are now on sale for the upcoming season.  Call 812-422-BOLT or visit our all-new website (www.evansvillethunderbolts.com) for details.