Johnson and Rosborough named to All-MVC Third Team
UE Volleyball continues homestand on Thursday
UE Volleyball continues homestand on Thursday
UE welcomes Belmont and Murray State
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Looking to build on a 5-1 home Missouri Valley Conference record, the University of Evansville volleyball team plays host to Belmont and Murray State on Thursday and Friday. UE welcomes the Bruins to open the weekend before facing the Racers on Friday; both contests begin at 6 p.m. and will be carried on ESPN+.
Last Time Out
– For the second day in a row, the Aces earned a 5-set victory as they defeated Bradley on Saturday
– Giulia Cardona posted 31 kills in the winning effort while Ainoah Cruz picked up 21 digs and Kora Ruff chipped in a double-double with 35 assists and 11 digs
National Player of the Week
– Giulia Cardona was named the AVCA/Gamechanger Division I National Player of the Week on Tuesday
– It marked the second time she earned the accolade in her career
– The award came on the heels of a weekend that saw her finish with 6.50 kills per set in 5-set wins over Illinois State and Bradley
– In the two matches, Cardona hit an unreal .357 while adding a total of 18 digs, five blocks, and two service aces
On a Roll
– Averaging 6.50 kills per set in wins over Illinois State and Bradley, Giulia Cardona earned National and MVC Player of the Week honors
– After posting 34 in the win over the Redbirds, Cardona added 31 versus the Braves
– Her pursuit of the all-time MVC career kills record continues as her tally of 2,183 is just 111 away from breaking the league mark of 2,293 set by Lily Johnson
– Cardona leads the nation in kills/set (5.60), total kills (549), points/set (6.24), total points (611.5), total attacks (1,548) and attacks/set (15.80)
Back in the Rankings
– Despite missing 11 matches, Kora Ruff has played in enough matches to regain MVC stat ranking eligibility
– Her average of 8.90 assists/set is 4th in the league and she is on the league list in digs (22nd-2.65/set) and service aces (4th-0.37/set)
– Ruff finished with a season-best 55 assists in the win over SIU
Career-High
– In the home win over Illinois State, Chloe Cline set a new career mark with 11 kills
– Her accuracy was spot on as she finished the contest at .435
– For the season, Cline his hitting .298 and ranks 8th in the MVC
– She reached double figure kills for the first time against SIU, finishing with 10
– Equally impressive was her accuracy as she hit .625; in the weekend wins over SIU and MSU, she averaged 2.11 kills per game
– Cline has registered 4+ kills in 13 of the last 16 matches
Scouting the Opposition
– Belmont heads into Thursday’s contest with a record of 8-17 while going 3-10 in Valley play
– Brooke Gilleland paces the team with 3.04 kills per set
– Murray State opens the weekend with a 12-10 overall mark and sit at 7-6 in conference matches
– They are led by Ella Vogel’s 3.89 kills per set
-www.GoPurpleAces.com-
Eagles to be recognized at MBB halftime Thursday
Eagles to be recognized at MBB halftime Thursday
Both the USI Men’s and Women’s Cross Country teams won their first-ever Ohio Valley Conference team championships last Friday and are the second and third teams in school history to win a Division I conference championship since the Eagles made the move from Division II in 2022-23.
Senior Brady Terry highlighted the men’s race, winning the OVC individual championship a day after he was named the OVC Runner of the Year. Terry had a late push to earn the win as the Eagles edged Eastern Illinois University by one point.
The women’s team dominated its race, placing three runners in the top six and four in the top eight.
Head Coach Mike Hillyard was named the OVC Men’s and Women’s Coach of the Year following the meet.
USI Men’s Basketball is coming off a two-point overtime loss at DePaul University and is opening its 2024-25 home schedule Thursday night. For ticket information, visit USIScreamingEagles.com/
BREAKING: Former County Commissioner Charged with Fraud
Evansville Police arrested former County Commissioner Ben Shoulders on charges of attempted fraud and filing a fraudulent campaign finance report.
Police say that in October 2023, Shoulders allegedly contacted Evansville Police, reporting fraudulent eBay charges on his campaign bank statement. According to police, their investigation found sports memorabilia purchased on eBay and shipped to Shoulders’ address, along with money being falsely reported as donations to non-profits and money transferred to another account in Ben Shoulders’ name.
In all, police believe that $55,000 in campaign funds were misused. His bond is $500.
This is a developing story.
Aces battle to the finish in season opener
UE falls by a final of 80-63
DENTON, Texas – University of Evansville freshman Gabriel Pozzato scored a game-high 28 points in his collegiate debut as the Purple Aces men’s basketball team fell to North Texas by a final of 80-63 on Tuesday night at the Super Pit.
Pozzato converted 10 of his 16 attempts while hitting three triples and hauling in three boards. Tanner Cuff recorded 11 points while Tayshawn Comer scored nine in his UE debut. Jasper Floyd was the leading scorer for the Mean Green, finishing with 23 while Johnathan Massie scored 18.
“In the first half, we were just impatient and let their pressure get the best of us. I thought we finally settled in as the second half went along,” UE head coach David Ragland said. “We were able to put some more pressure on them and hit some shots. There are some good segments on both ends that we can take away and learn from tonight. We will learn from this experience and get better because of it.”
Cuff gave UE a 2-0 lead out of the gate before the Mean Green countered with a 9-1 run to go up 9-3. UNT converted its first three outside attempts. Gabriel Pozzato knocked down Evansville’s first 3-pointer of the night to cut the deficit to three before a triple from Tayshawn Comer made it a 13-9 game at the 14:34 mark of the opening half.
That is when North Texas kicked it into high gear. Over the next ten minutes, UNT outscored the Aces by a 26-5 margin to open a 39-14 advantage as the first half entered its final five minutes. They would extend the lead to 26 points (42-16) in the final two minutes before a late free throw by Pozzato made it a 42-17 game at the break. The Mean Green shot 47.1% from the field and long range in the first half while the defense held UE to 27.3% in the first half and 15.4% (2-for-13) from outside.
Despite facing a 29-point deficit in the opening moments of the second half, the Aces battled back. One minute in, the Mean Green took a game-high 46-17 lead. UE made a quick 4-0 spurt before UNT established a 52-24 lead at the 16-minute mark. Over the next five minutes, the Aces put together their best stretch of the night, going on a 16-3 run to make it a 15-point game.
Cam Haffner got on the board with consecutive triples before Pozzato recorded 10 points as UE made it a 55-40 game with 11:15 remaining while two more free throws by the freshman made it a 14-point game with 8:09 showing on the clock. The teams traded baskets over the next several minutes as UNT worked to avoid letting the Aces get any closer. UE made it a 12-point game in the final minutes before the Mean Green finished the night with the 80-63 triumph.
Evansville outshot North Texas by a 46.8%-45.6% margin. In its second-half comeback attempt, the Aces shot 64% and converted six of their final 13 tries from outside. The Mean Green completed the night with a 39-22 edge on the glass. Josh Hughes was the leading rebounder for UE, finishing with six while Cuff posted five boards and four assists.
On Saturday, UE will open its regular-season home slate with a 1 p.m. game against Brescia.
Aces women’s basketball stumbles in season opener
Mike Braun Wins the Mandate He Campaigned For
A few days before the votes were counted, Mike Braun told supporters in Evansville that he was looking for enough votes to enter into office with a mandate from the people. Just moments after the polls closed in Evansville, Braun was declared the next Governor of Indiana. At the end of the night, his mandate was reflected in the outcome: 54% Braun, 41% Jennifer McCormick, and 5% Donald Rainwater. Braun’s 18-point margin of victory is the highest since 1980.
Some polls had shown a tightening of the race in the late weeks of the campaign, and Democrats believed there was a chance to flip the race in McCormick’s favor. Large sums of money flowed into both campaigns, but the Red Wave gave the victory to Braun.
Spending a Day in the Voter Center Shows the Best Our Nation Has to Offer
Spending a Day in the Voter Center Shows the Best Our Nation Has to Offer
by Johnny Kincaid
Working at the polls is a long, grueling day. The poll workers arrive at the voting center at 5 AM to set up tables, chairs, and machines. They will work until the polls close at 6 PM and will stay another 30-45 minutes to tear everything down. In an ordinary election year, there are slower times during the day when workers can take short breaks, but in the election of 2024, the line never let up.
After my day at the voting center, I am even more determined to keep my voting streak going. I cast my first vote in a presidential primary in 1976, and I’ve always believed in the importance of voting.
A 94-year-old came to vote. She waited patiently for her turn to cast her ballot. I asked her how many elections she had voted in, “All of them,” she said with a big smile. She wouldn’t dream of missing her chance to cast a ballot, and nothing, including age, would stop her from voting.
Later in the day, a lady passed out while waiting in line. Her first concern was still being able to vote. Again, nothing was going to stop her from casting a ballot.
Then came “garbage bag man.” I noticed someone in line that made me do a double-take, he was wearing a trash bag. I understood the statement he was making based on the whole controversy about Trump supporters being trash. Another poll worker also made the connection and asked if that counted as electioneering. It didn’t violate any of the voting rules. When I got a better look at the guy in the trash bag, I realized that it was Sean Selby, and I decided that I needed a picture with him.
The real pay-off for poll workers is getting the chance to meet and assist people who understand the importance of the vote. We live in a great nation that can only thrive when “we the people” are in control.
WOuldn’t it be amazing if every election drew the same level of interest as the election of 2024? In presidential years it would be great to have the majority of registered voters cast their ballots and be just as energized by the down ballot races. Imagine city elections where over half of the eligible voters went to the polls to select the mayor. As long as voters stay home, the same people will be in control and they will act in their interest instead of ours. When we the people speak, we do it through the ballot box and huge voter turnouts are a voice that can’t be ignored.