Drew Davis named Assistant Volleyball Coach at UE

Davis joins UE from UTSA 

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Evansville Head Volleyball Coach Zach Weinberg has announced the hiring of Drew Davis as Assistant Coach for the Purple Aces.  Davis brings a wealth of coaching experience from his time on the staffs at UTSA, North Dakota State, and Creighton.

Over the course of his career, Davis has coached seven 1^st Team All-Conference members, two 1^st Team Academic All-Americans, four All-Freshman Team players, a Freshman of the Year, two Setters of the Year, three AVCA All-North Region players, four All-Tournament Team honorees, and 12 CSC All-District student-athletes.

“Evansville Volleyball got better when Drew Davis decided to join the Aces family. His recruiting experience and training style in the gym will pay dividends immediately, and I’m excited to see what wrinkles and new training tactics he brings to our block and defense as our Defensive Coordinator,” Weinberg exclaimed. “Drew’s energy, enthusiasm, and personality all make him an outstanding fit for UE Volleyball, and we’re excited to have him here in the River City!”

Davis joins the UE program from UTSA where he served as the 1st Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator.  He managed all phases of the recruiting process including scouting, outreach, and evaluation of potential recruits.  On the floor, he oversaw development in serve receive, defense, and blocking.  Davis analyzed game footage to provide insights and feedback to the coaching staff.

“I want to thank Zach Weinberg, Dr. ‘Ziggy’ Siegfried, the team, and the University of Evansville campus and athletic community for the opportunity to be a part of this program. I haven’t met a single person who hasn’t greeted me with a smiling face and a warm welcome and that was a huge reason why I chose to take this job,” Davis said. “I am extremely excited about the opportunity to work alongside Zach and Jordan to make a name for Evansville Volleyball as a perennial powerhouse in the region, the Missouri Valley Conference, and the nation. There are so many great aspects that make this place special and I’m thrilled to be a Purple Ace!”

Before joining the Roadrunners, Davis spent six years as Recruiting Coordinator and Assistant Coach at North Dakota State.  He spearheaded all recruiting activities including planning scholarships, travel, phone calls, and managing the travel budget.  Davis created and assisted in practice planning while directing all training for middles and OH/RSs.  In 2022, NDSU advanced to the postseason, receiving an invitation to the NIVC.

He was extremely active in the campus and local communities as he coordinated youth camps for the program while taking care of scheduling, registration, camp store, social media, and campus tours.  Davis engaged in fundraising activities and collaborated with the NDSU alumni network.

Davis started his coaching career at Creighton where he was the Social Media Coordinator and Volunteer Assistant Coach from 2017-2018.  He oversaw all social media platforms associated with Creighton Volleyball while developing strategies to promote the team.  He assisted in practice planning and drills, along with simulated opponents in practice.  Along with those duties, he assisted in recruiting by maintaining updated club and high school schedules and results for recruits.

A 2017 graduate of Limestone (S.C.) University, Davis earned his Bachelor of Arts in Education with a Minor in Coaching.  He was named to the Presidential Honor Roll in 2016 and 2017 while garnering Conference Carolinas Academic Honor Roll in both years with the program while serving as the Team Captain for the men’s volleyball squad.  In 2017, his squad was ranked as high as 9^th in the nation.  His collegiate playing career started at Erskine (S.C.) College.  In 2014, his team was the Conference Carolinas Regular Season and Tournament Champions while earning a berth in the NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship.

-www.GoPurpleAces.com-

Morgan Adams named MVC Player and Newcomer of the Week

Aces drop 8-0 contest to Wildcats

In a week that saw her record four home runs and eight RBI, University of Evansville infielder Morgan Adams has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Player and Newcomer of the Week.

Adams batted .412 with four home runs, eight RBI, and five runs in a big week for the Purple Aces.  She slugged 1.118 while picking up four walks to complete the week with a .545 on-base percentage.  Adams hit a home run last Monday against Western Michigan while going 2-3 with two RBI in the contest.  She hit two more homers against UT Martin, finishing the day with a 2-3 effort from the plate.

After scoring a run against #24 Kentucky, Adams belted another home run on Friday against Tennessee Tech and went 2-3 with three RBI.  Saturday’s rematch versus TTU saw her pick up a hit, RBI and walk before picking up two walks on Sunday against Kentucky.

-www.GoPurpleAces.com-

USI Women’s Basketball’s Raley and Shafford receive All-OVC selections

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Ohio Valley Conference announced on Tuesday that University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball graduate forward Meredith Raley and senior guard Vanessa Shafford were recognized with All-OVC honors for the second consecutive year.

The league’s head coaches and communication directors voted upon the OVC’s postseason accolades.

Raley was named to the All-OVC First Team for 2024-25. Raley paced USI this season with 13.6 points per game and shooting 51.3 percent from the floor. Raley’s scoring ranked top 10 in the OVC while leading the conference in field goal percentage. Raley was second on the team with five boards per outing and had a team-best 17 blocked shots. In conference play, Raley recorded 13.8 (11^th in OVC) points while shooting over an OVC-best 53 percent.

During the conference season, Raley tallied double figures in 16 games including four 20-point outings. Raley set a new career mark with 29 points on the road at Southeast Missouri State University on January 9, earning OVC Player of the Week for the second time in 2024-25 the following week. The forward posted two double-doubles during the month of February. Raley reached 1,500 career points on January 28 at Morehead State University and has since moved into the top five on USI’s all-time scoring list. Raley also set a USI record for total games played during the OVC slate while eclipsing over 100 games started.

Shafford was named to the All-OVC Second Team. Shafford was top 15 in the OVC in overall scoring and second on the team with 12.3 points per game. Once again, Shafford topped the squad with 6.6 rebounds per game, which ranked fifth in the conference. Shafford shot over 45 percent from the floor and 40 percent from three-point range. Shafford’s two made threes per contest ranked fifth in the OVC. The guard was third on USI in assists and steals. During league play, Shafford averaged 12.7 points (13^th in OVC) and 6.9 rebounds (7^th in OVC) per game.

Shafford dropped 10 or more points in 15 OVC games and scored over 20 points in two conference games. Shafford’s conference high was 24 points on February 8 against Southeast Missouri State. The senior had four double-doubles in OVC play. It was also during the OVC season that Shafford broke the USI Women’s Basketball record for most three-pointers made on January 12 at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Shafford has since drained over 200 three-pointers in her career.

Southern Indiana reached 20 wins and clinched a berth into the OVC Women’s Basketball Championship Tournament for the second consecutive season. USI will take the court to start its quest as reigning OVC tournament champions this Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. from Ford Center in downtown Evansville, Indiana. As the no. 5 seed, the Screaming Eagles square off against 8-seeded Tennessee State University in a rematch of the regular-season finale.

All games from the OVC Women’s Basketball Championship Tournament can be seen live with a subscription to ESPN+. 95.7 FM The Spin and 97.7 FM WREF will have radio coverage of USI contests. Tickets for the OVC Tournament are on sale through the USI Ticket Office online. For more information, call the USI Ticket Office at 812-465-1189.