Aces back home next weekend

DES MOINES, Iowa – Ainoah Cruz continued to show why she is one of the top defensive players in the Missouri Valley Conference as she tallied 15 digs in the University of Evansville volleyball team’s 3-0 defeat at Drake on Saturday afternoon.

Cruz’ 15 digs led all players in the match. Kora Ruff chipped in 11 digs and 8 assists. Sabrina Ripple and Chloe Cline posted three kills apiece for the Purple Aces. Macy Daufeldt was the top offensive player of the day for Drake, tallying 12 kills.

Game 1 – Drake 25, UE 13

Brooke Herdes’ first kill of the match saw the Aces tie the game at 2-2. The teams battled to a 6-6 score before the Bulldogs took an 8-6 lead. A service error by Drake brought UE one point closer, however, the Bulldogs would score the next three to take a 12-7 advantage. Another Herdes kill made it a 14-9 game and the Bulldogs responded once again with five in a row to go up by double figures before finishing with the 25-13 win.

Game 2 – Drake 25, UE 12

Drake jumped to a 5-0 lead and cruised to a 25-12 win to take a 2-0 match lead. Throughout the middle portion of the frame the Aces battled back. Two Bulldog errors got UE within three at 9-6 while Ryan Scheu had consecutive kills to get her team back within six (17-11). Drake countered to score the final six points of the set.

Game 3 – Drake 25, UE 13

Two errors by the Bulldogs helped the Aces open with a 3-1 lead. McKenzie Laubach’s second kill of the contest put her team in front by a 5-4 margin before Drake fought back with five in a row to go up 9-5. They would continue to add to the lead and clinch the match with a 25-13 decision.

UE travels to Indiana State on Tuesday before welcoming UNI to Meeks Family Fieldhouse on Saturday.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana swimming and diving won all five duals meets during the two-day USC Invitational Friday and Saturday (Oct. 10-11) inside the Uytengsu Aquatics Center in Los Angeles.

The Hoosiers swept the four relays and won 18 individual events. Three IU swimmers – freshman Liberty Clark, junior Miranda Grana and senior Zalán Sárkány – won all three of their individual events. Twelve Hoosiers captured NCAA qualifying times and seven IU divers picked up NCAA zone qualifying scores on the springboards.

The Indiana men won 15 of 17 swimming events while holding No. 14 Texas A&M and No. 17 USC to double-digit team scores.

A day after becoming the second woman to go 1:42 in the 200-yard freestyle, Clark dropped the program’s second fastest time in the 100-yard freestyle. Her 47.39 is the fastest time by a Hoosier outside of a championship meet and is just 21 hundredths short of Olympian Anna Peplowski’s program record. Clark won the 50 free, 100 free, 200 free and participated in all four relay victories.

A part of three of the four winning relays, Grana totaled six victories over the meet. The junior swam the program’s best-ever non-championship times in the 100-yard backstroke (50.75) and 200-yard backstroke (1:49.85) to sweep that stroke while also winning the 100-yard butterfly (51.55).

Sárkány posted the program’s best non-championship times in the 500-yard freestyle (4:11.39) and 1,650-yard freestyle (14:29.87) and won a third race in the 400-yard IM (3:43.45). His mile time shattered the USC pool record (prev. 14:41.62) and finished 49 seconds in front of the field.

TEAM SCORES

Men

No. 2 Indiana 257, No. 17 USC 95

No. 2 Indiana 278, No. 14 Texas A&M 74

Women

No. 9 Indiana 190, No. 12 USC 162

No. 9 Indiana 235, No. 24 UCLA 112

No. 9 Indiana 238, No. 21 Texas A&M 108

HOOSIER WINNERS

Women

Liberty Clark – 400 medley relay (3:30.27), 50 freestyle (22.03), 200 freestyle relay (1:28.50), 200 freestyle (1:42.43), 200 medley relay (1:37.10), 100 freestyle (47.39), 400 freestyle relay (3:12.20)

Mya DeWitt – 400 medley relay (3:30.27), 200 freestyle relay (1:28.50), 200 medley relay (1:37.10)

Miranda Grana – 400 medley relay (3:30.27), 100 backstroke (50.75), 100 butterfly (51.55), 200 medley relay (1:37.10), 200 backstroke (1:49.85), 400 freestyle relay (3:12.20)

Macky Hodges – 400 freestyle relay (3:12.20)

Jonette Laegreid – 400 medley relay (3:30.27), 200 medley relay (1:37.10)

Kristina Paegle – 200 freestyle relay (1:28.50), 400 freestyle relay (3:12.20)

Ella Roselli – 1-meter diving (288.70)

Chiok Sze Yeo – 200 freestyle relay (1:28.50)

Men

Alexei Avakov – 100 breaststroke (52.22), 200 medley relay (1:24.58)

Noah Cakir – 400 medley relay (3:05.97), 200 breaststroke (1:54.19)

Vidar Carlbaum – 200 freestyle relay (1:18.06)

Brandon Fleck – 200 freestyle (1:35.50)

Miroslav Knedla – 100 backstroke (45.58), 200 medley relay (1:24.58), 200 backstroke (1:40.44)

Mikkel Lee – 400 medley relay (3:05.97), 200 freestyle relay (1:18.06), 50 freestyle (19.16), 200 medley relay (1:24.58), 100 freestyle (43.31), 400 freestyle relay (2:50.98)

Owen McDonald – 400 medley relay (3:05.97), 200 freestyle relay (1:18.06), 200 IM (1:42.91), 200 medley relay (1:24.58), 400 freestyle relay (2:50.98)

Raekwon Noel – 400 medley relay (3:05.97), 400 freestyle relay (2:50.98)

Zalán Sárkány – 500 freestyle (4:11.39), 400 IM (3:43.45), 1,650 freestyle (14:29.87)

Dylan Smiley – 200 freestyle relay (1:18.06), 400 freestyle relay (2:50.98)

NCAA QUALIFIERS

Women’s 400 medley relay (3:30.27), Women’s 400 freestyle relay (3:12.20); Alexei Avakov – 100 breast (52.22); Noah Cakir – 200 breast (1:54.19); Liberty Clark – 50 free (22.28), 200 free (1:42.43), 100 free (47.39); Mya DeWitt – 100 back (52.34), 200 back (1:54.06); Miranda Grana – 100 back (50.75), 100 fly (51.55), 200 back (1:49.85); Macky Hodges – 200 back (1:54.06); Miroslav Knedla – 100 back (45.58), 200 back (1:40.44); Mikkel Lee – 50 free (19.43); Owen McDonald – 200 IM (1:42.91), 200 fly (1:42.01); Zalán Sárkány – 500 free (4:11.39), 400 IM (3:43.45), 1650 free (14:29.87); Reese Tiltmann – 400 IM (4:12.62); Kai van Westering – 100 back (45.87)

NCAA ZONE QUALIFIERS

1-meter: Joshua Hedberg (334.40), Ella Roselli (288.70), Lily Witte (279.00)

3-meter: Kaylee Bishop (287.00), Joshua Hedberg (362.25), Aiden Sadler (328.75), Joshua Sollenberger (360.75), Maxwell Weinrich (351.50), Lily Witte (297.55)

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – In what was a crucial match for MVC Tournament positioning, the University of Evansville women’s soccer team secured a dramatic win, using a go-ahead goal from Brooklyn Robinson (West Haven, Utah/Fremont) in the 82^nd minute to secure a 2-1 over Belmont on Saturday night at Arad McCutchan Stadium.

Evansville controlled play throughout the first period, beginning with shots on goal by Taylor Wehrer (Las Vegas. Nev./Desert Oasis) and Ella Hamner (Evansville, Ind./Memorial).

The Purple Aces grabbed the lead in the 24^th minute, as Taylor Johnson (Evansville, Ind./Reitz) sent a cross into the box where it was collected by Kathryn Tyler (Dallas, Texas/Liberty Christian) on the right side of the six. From there, Tyler put up a shot that deflected off a Belmont defender and found the back of the net for the first goal of the evening.

The lead remained heading into the halftime break, but the Bruins answered in the 57^th minute to level the score at one.

From there, the Aces and Bruins battled to find the winner. Finally, Evansville was able to break through in the 82^ndminute, when Isa Valdez (Phoenix, Ariz./Desert Vista) put a ball into the six for Robinson, who put a shot past a diving Belmont keeper for the go-ahead goal.

From there, the Evansville defense held strong to secure the win.

“I saw energy and togetherness,” said Head Coach Chris Pfau. “We’ve talked about it through the season, the ups and downs. I thought this week was good training, and I think we are slowly coming out of that fog that we were in. It was a great win, we needed it and we’ve worked hard all this week and it puts us back in the mix of things.”

“I think we are coming out of (the fog) and realize that if we stick together, good things are going to come out of it.”

With the win, Evansville moves to 6-4-2 overall and 2-2-1 in MVC play, climbing to fourth in the MVC table with seven points. UE returns to action next Sunday, traveling to Murray State.

Both teams competed on Saturday

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Saturday’s Dan Ross Indiana Intercollegiates saw the University of Evansville men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams both finish in 7^th place.  Evansville’s women totaled 101 points while the men finished with 99.

There were notable performances by both squads with a 6^th place effort in the 500-free relay marking the top finish of the day for the women. Claire Mewbourne, Delaney Miller, Jaley Hamilton, Hannah Krings, Ane Madina, Audrey Wandling, Amanda Denny, and Jillian Giese finished the race with a time of 4:19.34.

Mewbourne, Madina, Evelyn Chin, and Grace Moody combined to post a 1:48.97 to finish 10^th in the 200-medley relay while Chin, Madina, Moody, and Mia Pesavento came in 13^th in the 200-free relay registering a time of 1:40.13.

Grace Moody picked up the top individual finish for the ladies, taking 8^th in the 100-fly. She swam a 58.03. Chin also earned a top ten in the race coming in 10^th with a 58.49. Moody added a 12^th in the 100-free. Her time checked in at 53.90. Mewbourne added a 20^thin the 100-breaststroke. She swam a 1:08.05.

Leah Gardner and Eden McRoberts both earned top 20 finishes in the 3-meter dive. Gardner took 17^th with a score of 163.50 while McRoberts was 18^th with a 149.75.

On the men’s side the top finish of the day came in the 500-free relay. Alex Willis, Michael Pruett, Tyler Jackson, Joseph Capo, Chris Rector, Wyatt Gallas, Carter Bolling, and Logan Tenison took 5^th place in the race with a 3:38.27. Adam Pawlak, Boris Tavrovsky, Capo, and Gallas earned a 12^th-place finish in the 200-free relay. Their race finished in 1:28.99.

In the 200-medley relay, Brendan Ulewicz, Tenison, Rector, and Willis finished 8^th. Their time checked in at 1:34.99.

Tenison recorded a top ten in the 100-backstroke event. His time of 50.98 saw him place 9^th. In the 100-breaststroke Jesse Montano had a strong race. His 58.17 was good for 14^th. Chris Rector and Robert Hargrove added top 20 efforts in the event. Rector’s 58.89 saw him take 17^th while Hargrove came in 18^th with a 59.02.

Michael Pruett came in a strong 13^th in the 100-free. He finished in 46.56. Capo placed 23^rd in the event with a time of 47.83.  Capo picked up a 20^th in the 200-free. He finished the event in 1:42.90. Rector added a top 20 as he took 20^th in the 100-IM. He swam a 54.38.

Highlighting the men’s diving was Levi McKinney. His score of 239.55 in the 1-meter event saw him earn a finish of 12^th.

DES MOINES, Iowa – For the first time since 2017, the University of Evansville men’s soccer team earn a road result in Des Moines, playing the Drake Bulldogs to a 0-0 draw on Saturday night. Goalkeeper Michal Mroz (Elk Grove, Ill./Elk Grove) and the Aces defense recorded their third consecutive shutout in MVC play, marking the first time since 1990 that Evansville has opened their conference schedule with three clean sheets.

Mroz began his night with a leaping stop in the 16^th minute, taking a goal away from the Bulldogs. The sophomore made two more saves throughout the rest of the first period, keeping the match scoreless into the halftime break.

The best chance of the night for the Purple Aces came in the 57^th minute, as Tancredi Fadda (Monza, Italy, University of Milan) ripped a strike from the top of the box, but his shot hit the crossbar and the Aces were left empty-handed.

Mroz made another huge save in the 69^th minute, turning away a shot on goal to keep the clean sheet in tact.

Nacho Garcia (Zaragoza, Spain/UNIR) tallied Evansville’s first shot on goal in the 73^rd minute, but his shot was saved by Drake keeper Tomas Butkovic.

From there, the defensive battle continued, as the night ended in a scoreless draw.

“It was a tough battle,” said Head Coach Robbe Tarver. “They probably created a few more chances, but we defended well. To be on the road again and get a result, not allow a goal, there are a lot of good things we can take away.”

“This is our first result here since 2017, we haven’t allowed a goal in conference, and we are guaranteeing ourselves to at least be tied atop on the table after the weekend’s matches, so I’m happy with the result and we push for more.”

Mroz made three saves on the night to post his fifth clean sheet in the last seven matches. Evansville remains the only MVC team to not allow a goal in conference play.

With the draw, Evansville moves to 4-3-6 overall and 2-0-1 in MVC play, remaining atop the conference table with seven points. UE returns to action on Saturday, traveling to Chicago to take on UIC.