Cardona racks up 26 kills

 TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Another superb effort saw Giulia Cardona finish with 26 kills on Monday as the University of Evansville volleyball team dropped a 3-0 match at Indiana State.

Cardona led all players with her 26 kills while hitting .314 in the contest.  She added 12 digs.  Ainoah Cruz recorded a match-high 18 digs while Kora Ruff picked up a double-double with 35 assists and 11 digs.

Set 1 – ISU 25, UE 23

Both teams swapped the lead in the opening moments of the set but with the score tied at 10-10, the Sycamores scored three in a row and six out of seven to wrestle away a 16-11 lead.  The Purple Aces stormed back as three players registered kills as they tied the game at 19-19.  Following a time out, the Sycamores were able to complete the frame with a win and take a 1-0 lead.

Set 2 – ISU 25, UE 23

The second set was very similar to the first as the squads exchanged the lead in the early moments before ISU flexed its muscle midway through.  With the game tied at 12-12, Indiana State scored four in a row before opening a 5-point lead at 22-17.  Just as they did in the first, UE never gave up.  With Ruff doing the serving, the Aces scored four in a row as Cardona racked up three kills to cut the deficit to one.

Another kill by Cardona tied the score at 23-23, but it was the Sycamores posting the final two points to take a 2-0 match lead.

Set 3 – ISU 25, UE 21

Evansville had the upper hand through most of the set as Ruff opened with an ace to help UE score the opening four points.  After ISU fought back to take a 10-9 lead, the Aces countered with a 4-0 run to go up 13-10.  Krystell Pappas was efficient on the serve while Cardona had two more kills.

With the Aces up 16-13, the Sycamores took control with a 7-1 run that gave them a 20-17 edge.  UE was unable to overcome the rally, falling by a 25-21 margin.  The Aces remain on the road this weekend with matches at UNI and Drake.

Final round set for Tuesday

 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – With an even score of 72, University of Evansville’s Kate Petrova holds the individual lead at the Braun Intercollegiate.

Petrova completed Monday’s opening 18 holes with an even mark at 72 at Oak Meadow Country Club.  She is two strokes ahead of four players who are tied for second place.

Finishing the day at 2-over was Mallory Russell.  Her score of 74 has the redshirt senior in a tie for third place, just two off the pace of Petrova.  She is tied with three others for the runner-up position.  One behind her was Louise Standtke.  The freshman carded a 3-over 75 and is tied for 7^th.

Izzy Steele and Trinity Dubbs completed Evansville’s “A” team.  Steele posted an 84 while Dubbs checked in with an 86.

Evansville’s “B” team was led by the duo of Elizabeth Mercer and Jane Grankina.  Mercer finished the round with an 80 while Grankina was one behind with an 81.  Destynie Sheridan completed the day with an 85 Adeline Wittmer and Mia Cruz posted rounds of 95 and 97, respectively.

Indiana State holds the lead in the team standings with a 301.  They are four strokes ahead of the Purple Aces entering Tuesday’s final round.  Purdue Fort Wayne is in third, two shots behind UE.

Senior averaged 7.44 kills per set

 LOUIS – On the heels of one of the most impressive weekends you will ever see, University of Evansville senior Giulia Cardona earned Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week honors on Monday.

In a weekend that will go down in the record books, Cardona recorded an average of 7.44 kills per set while hitting an equally impressive .321 to lead the University of Evansville to wins over Southern Illinois and Missouri State.

Cardona finished Friday’s match against the Salukis with 37 kills.  It was the third-highest total in an NCAA match this season and second-highest in a 5-set contest.  Her effort was just three off the Missouri Valley Conference single-match record of 40.  She hit .330 and finished with 11 digs and two block assists.

The native of Argentina followed that up with a 30-kill performance in a 4-set win over Missouri State.  She hit .310 while adding 11 digs, 3 service aces and a pair of block assists as she recorded a double-double in each match.

With her recent efforts, Cardona has assumed the NCAA lead in kills per set with 5.43 per game over the course of the 2024 season.

 
Beginning with November 18, “Stan Gouard on Basketball Show” will air each Monday normally 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Turoni’s. The show will be tape-delayed on November 5 due to election day and will air from the road November 12.
 
The radio talk show features ESPN 97.7FM’s Brad Klein and USI Men’s Basketball Head Coach Stan Gouard, who will discuss the Screaming Eagles and college basketball in front of a live in-person audience at Turoni’s Pizza & Brewery on Main Street.
 
 “Stan Gouard on Basketball Show” dates are:
 
October 28 (6 p.m.)
November 5 (7 p.m.; Recorded due to Election Day)
November 12 (7 p.m.; Live show from the road)
November 18 (7 p.m.)
November 26 (7 p.m.)
December 5 (7 p.m.)
December 9 (Following IU Basketball)
December 16 (7 p.m.)
December 30 (7 p.m.)
January 6 (7 p.m.)
January 13 (7 p.m.)
January 20 (7 p.m.)
January 27 (7 p.m.)
February 3 (7 p.m.)
February 10 (7 p.m.)
February 17 (7 p.m.)
February 24 (7 p.m.)
March 3 (7 p.m.)
March 10 (7 p.m.)