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Johnson and Rosborough named to All-MVC Third Team
Johnson and Rosborough named to All-MVC Third Team
The Purple Aces have multiple postseason honors for the first time since 2022
ST LOUIS — University of Evansville women’s soccer had two players earn a place on the Missouri Valley Conference’s all-conference third team.
The MVC announced the 2024 Women’s Soccer all-conference teams on Wednesday with Purple Aces Rachel Rosborough (Mt. Brydges, Ontario) and Taylor Johnson (Evansville, Ind. / Reitz HS) making the third team. The two players combined to score four of UE’s nine goals in the 2024 season and 22 shots.
Rosborough and Johnson were voted to the league’s all-conference third team in a vote of the league’s head coaches. Rosborough started and played a full 90 minutes in all 16 matches this year along UE’s backline helping Evansville record five shutouts. She finished the year fourth on the team in shots, recorded her first goal since 2021, and set the Aces program record for most minutes played in a career at 6,596.
Johnson played in all 16 matches for UE while starting in 14 matches. Johnson was Evansville’s leading scorer in 2024 along with freshman Emmy Brenner (Arlington, Tenn. / St. Benedict at Auburndale HS) with three goals. Johnson recorded 11 shots over 16 matches with seven landing on goal for 63.6% accuracy.
For Rosborough, it marked the fifth-straight year in which she was honored in the league’s post-season awards for her hard work in defense for UE. She earned MVC All-Freshman team honors in the COVID Spring season of 2021, before earning honorable mention all-Valley honors as a sophomore later that fall, third-team all-MVC honors in 2022, and second-team all-MVC honors in 2023. This is Johnson’s first postseason recognition with the Aces.
Missouri State swept the postseason individual awards after a dominating 9-0-1 run in Valley play. Evansville was the only team to play spoiler to the Bears with their lone tie of MVC action. Senior forward Julia Kristensen was named the MVC Player of the Year while senior Jenna Anderson was named Defensive Player of the Year. For the second season in a row graduate goalkeeper Camilla Day was named the Goalkeeper of the Year. While freshman defender Jane Hansen was named the Freshman of the Year.
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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
EVANSVILLE, Ind.—University of Southern Indiana Men’s and Women’s Cross Country will be recognized at halftime of the USI Men’s Basketball game against Bucknell University Thursday night. Tip-off is 7 p.m. at Liberty Arena, home of the Screaming Eagles.
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
The Purple Aces opened the 2024-25 season at IU Indy
INDIANAPOLIS – The University of Evansville women’s basketball team dropped its first game of the 2024-25 season 101-76 at IU Indy.
Despite a strong start with a 26-point first quarter, the Purple Aces offense couldn’t keep pace with the IU Indy Jaguars. Four UE players ended the night in double-digits led by sophomore forward Maggie Hartwig (Sauk City, Wis. / Sauk Prairie HS) with 21 points. Also in double-digits were senior guard Julia Palomo (La Seu d’Urgell, Spain) and freshman guards Camryn Runner (Cicero, Ind. / Hamilton Heights HS) and Kylee Norkus (Naperville, Ill. / Neuqua Valley HS).
It was a quick start for Evansville as Palomo hit the first bucket of the night with a three-pointer. The Aces kept the lead for over six minutes as UE made two threes and held the Jaguars scoreless for two separate minute stretches. But IU Indy caught back up to Evansville as the lead was traded three times in the final four minutes of the first quarter. A three with just under 40 seconds on the clock for the Jaguars had the Aces down by only two after 10 minutes.
Neither team found the basket for the first minute and a half of the second quarter. But IU Indy began the scoring with five points to set UE back by seven. Evansville was able to cut into the deficit at the line, but an 11-point run for the Jaguars forced an Aces timeout midway through the quarter. Hartwig eventually broke the scoring drought for UE with a jumper trey as Evansville had a brief four-point run with just over two to go. IU Indy increased its lead to 13 with a minute left in the half but a fast break bucket and trip to the line for the Aces made it a 52-42 game after two quarters.
The second half began with traded baskets between the teams for the first seven minutes. An eight-point run for the Jaguars pushed UE’s deficit to 19. Hartwig broke the IU Indy run with another three in the final minute of the third quarter. But the trey was the last made bucket making it a 78-60 game with only 10 minutes remaining.
Evansville had a four-point run early in the final quarter of the night bringing the gap down to 16 points. The Aces weren’t able to string together another run until the final minute and a half of the game. The Jaguar lead ballooned to 29 with under two minutes to go after a 14-2 stretch over three minutes. UE made three more baskets to end the game but ultimately fell to IU Indy 101-76.
Along with leading the team on offense Hartwig also led the team in rebounds with nine. Point guard Avery Kelley (Evansville, Ind. / Memorial HS) dished out five assists while four separate players had a steal each. Evansville’s best shooting quarter was the first as they went almost 70% from the floor while overall the team shot 41%. The Aces struggled with turnovers, giving the ball away 23 times on Tuesday. But UE got extra chances throughout the game by drawing 21 fouls for 28 chances at the line.
Evansville hosts its first home game of the 2024-25 season on Sunday, November 10th. The Aces will welcome Wright State to Meeks Family Fieldhouse for the first time as the Raiders last visited the River City in 2008. Tip-off for Sunday’s game is set for 11 a.m.
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.