UE looking for second home win in a row 

Meeks Family Fieldhouse will be the scene of the start of the second round of Missouri Valley Conference matches for the University of Evansville volleyball team as it welcomes Indiana State on Friday evening for a 7 p.m. match.

Evansville returns home for three matches in a row following a quick trip to Loyola and Valparaiso last weekend.  The Aces are 2-1 in their last three outings, picking up 5-set wins over Bradley and Loyola.  Mildrelis Rodriguez was the top performer in the victories, notching a total of 35 kills.

Mildrelis Rodriguez averaged 3.23 kills per set and 3.77 digs as the Purple Aces earned a pair of conference wins.  In a 5-set win over Bradley, Rodriguez had a great 20-20 performance, notching 21 kills and 22 digs while adding three block assists.  It was the first such performance for a UE player since Brooke Maher in 2010.  Maher had 20 kills and 31 digs versus Drake on Nov. 20, 2010.  She had another great effort at Loyola, posting 14 kills and 15 digs in the victory.  The weekend finale at Valparaiso saw her notched seven kills and 12 more digs.

Rodriguez has been on quite a run as of late.  Through her first 15 matches this season, the junior posted 97 kills.  In her previous five outings, Rodriguez has had 63.

Over the last week, UE grabbed its first two league victories against Bradley and Loyola, both in five sets.  The largest difference came in the team defense.  In its two MVC wins, the Aces have allowed the opposition to hit .155.  In its seven losses, opponents are hitting .236.

Friday’s win over Loyola came despite the Ramblers notching 18 more kills.  Evansville won with 45 kills while the Ramblers finished with 63.  It was the largest disparity in kill in a UE win since last season when SEMO had 71 while the Aces had 56 in a 5-set win.

Indiana State improved to 7-14 overall and 5-4 in the Valley with a sweep last weekend over Valparaiso and Loyola.   The Sycamores earned a 3-0 win over Valparaiso before hanging on at Loyola by a 3-2 final on Saturday.  Laura Gross paces the offense with 3.27 kills per set, sitting 8th in the league.  In the Sycamore win over the Aces last month, Gross notched 16 kills to lead them to a 3-2 win.  Damadj Johnson leads the conference in blocks, notching 1.09 per set.

The Indiana University men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams will get the 2017-18 season underway in a two-day, tri-meet against Florida and Texas at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center Natatorium in Gainesville, Fla. this weekend.

The two-day meet gets underway on Friday with diving at 11:00 a.m. ET and 2:00 p.m. ET and swimming at 6:00 p.m. ET. On Saturday, swimming gets underway at 10:00 a.m. ET.

The meet will be all SCY, differing from last season when the two days were split with LCM on one day and SCY on another. The two-day meet scoring will be cumulative through both days of competition.

Follow @IndianaSwimDive on Twitter for the latest updates on race results and find results on the Meet Mobile App. Final results and a recap of each day can be found at

The Indiana University men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams will get the 2017-18 season underway in a two-day, tri-meet against Florida and Texas at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center Natatorium in Gainesville, Fla. this weekend.

The two-day meet gets underway on Friday with diving at 11:00 a.m. ET and 2:00 p.m. ET and swimming at 6:00 p.m. ET. On Saturday, swimming gets underway at 10:00 a.m. ET.

The meet will be all SCY, differing from last season when the two days were split with LCM on one day and SCY on another. The two-day meet scoring will be cumulative through both days of competition.

Follow @IndianaSwimDive on Twitter for the latest updates on race results and find results on the Meet Mobile App. Final results and a recap of each day can be found at IUHoosiers.com.

Scouting the Hoosiers

The Indiana Hoosiers enter the season’s first meet with both the men’s and women’s teams ranked in the CSCAA/TYR Top 25 Poll.

The defending Big Ten Champion Hoosier men’s team is ranked No. 6 in the nation, while the Indiana women are ranked 10^th in the country.

At last year’s tri-meet against Texas and Florida in Bloomington, the Hoosier men swept. The IU women earned wins over Florida, but fell to the Longhorns.

Scouting the Gators and Longhorns

All six teams at the tri-meet this weekend are ranked in the CSCAA/TYR Top 25 Poll. The Longhorn men are ranked No. 2 in the country, while the women come in at No. 3.

The Florida men’s team is ranked No. in the nation, while the women’s squad is ranked No. 18.

The tri-meet this weekend is the first meet of the year for Texas, while Florida has had almost a month off since competing in the All-Florida Invitational in September.

King, Pieroni and Looze Nominated for Golden Goggle Awards

Indiana University’s Lilly King earned five nominations, while Blake Pieroni and head swimming coach Ray Looze also earned nominations 2017 Golden Goggle Awards. King is nominated for Female Athlete of the Year, twice in Female Race of the Year and twice in Relay Performance of the Year. Last year, King won Breakout Performer of the Year.

Pieroni is nominated as part of the men’s 4×100 freestyle relay at the 2017 FINA World Championships, while Looze is nominated for Coach of the Year after guiding four swimmers to spots on the U.S. roster at the FINA World Championships and all earned a spot on the podium.

IU Places Six Swimmers, Three Coaches on USA Swimming National Team

Six Indiana University swimmers along with three Hoosier coaches were named to the 2017-18 USA Swimming National Team in September. Current IU swimmers Ian Finnerty, Lilly King and Blake Pieroni were named to the team, along with alum Cody Miller and IU postgrads Zane Grothe and Amanda Kendall. IU head coach Ray Looze, associate head coach Mike Westphal and associate head sprint coach Coley Stickels were named Team USA coaches.

Looze Named ASCA Coach of the Year

Indiana University head coach Ray Looze was named George Haines Coach of the Year Thursday evening by the American Swim Coaches Association. Looze coached four swimmers onto the U.S. World Championships team this summer, including world record-setter Lilly King.

Looze was a women’s assistant coach on the USA staff in Budapest, and he led the Hoosier men to a seventh-place finish this summer at the NCAA championships, and his women took eighth.

King won four gold medals at the World Championships this year and set (or helped set) world records in all four events: the 50 breast, 100 breast and both the women’s and mixed 400 medley relays. Looze also put Cody Miller, Blake Pieroni and Zane Grothe onto the World Championships roster, and all won at least one relay medal in Budapest.

Hoosiers at the FINA World Championships

Indiana Swimming & Diving had quite the showing at the FINA World Championships this summer. Over the course of the week at the World Championships, Hoosiers swimmers – current, alumni and postgrad – combined to win seven gold and two bronze medals. The IU swimmers also combined to set four world records.

Indiana Men Win 2016 Big Ten Championship

The Hoosiers won the program’s 25^th Big Ten Championship in 2016 – the first title for IU since 2006. IU won the team title with a total score of 1,504 points. For the week, IU won a total of 19 medals – 12 gold, five silver and two bronze. Indiana also won four of the five relays at the Big Ten Championships, marking the first time in program history the team accomplished that impressive feat. The dozen league crowns are the most for the team since winning 13 in 1976..

Scouting the Hoosiers

The Indiana Hoosiers enter the season’s first meet with both the men’s and women’s teams ranked in the CSCAA/TYR Top 25 Poll.

The defending Big Ten Champion Hoosier men’s team is ranked No. 6 in the nation, while the Indiana women are ranked 10^th in the country.

At last year’s tri-meet against Texas and Florida in Bloomington, the Hoosier men swept. The IU women earned wins over Florida, but fell to the Longhorns.

Scouting the Gators and Longhorns

All six teams at the tri-meet this weekend are ranked in the CSCAA/TYR Top 25 Poll. The Longhorn men are ranked No. 2 in the country, while the women come in at No. 3.

The Florida men’s team is ranked No. in the nation, while the women’s squad is ranked No. 18.

The tri-meet this weekend is the first meet of the year for Texas, while Florida has had almost a month off since competing in the All-Florida Invitational in September.

King, Pieroni and Looze Nominated for Golden Goggle Awards

Indiana University’s Lilly King earned five nominations, while Blake Pieroni and head swimming coach Ray Looze also earned nominations 2017 Golden Goggle Awards. King is nominated for Female Athlete of the Year, twice in Female Race of the Year and twice in Relay Performance of the Year. Last year, King won Breakout Performer of the Year.

Pieroni is nominated as part of the men’s 4×100 freestyle relay at the 2017 FINA World Championships, while Looze is nominated for Coach of the Year after guiding four swimmers to spots on the U.S. roster at the FINA World Championships and all earned a spot on the podium.

IU Places Six Swimmers, Three Coaches on USA Swimming National Team

Six Indiana University swimmers along with three Hoosier coaches were named to the 2017-18 USA Swimming National Team in September. Current IU swimmers Ian Finnerty, Lilly King and Blake Pieroni were named to the team, along with alum Cody Miller and IU postgrads Zane Grothe and Amanda Kendall. IU head coach Ray Looze, associate head coach Mike Westphal and associate head sprint coach Coley Stickels were named Team USA coaches.

Looze Named ASCA Coach of the Year

Indiana University head coach Ray Looze was named George Haines Coach of the Year Thursday evening by the American Swim Coaches Association. Looze coached four swimmers onto the U.S. World Championships team this summer, including world record-setter Lilly King.

Looze was a women’s assistant coach on the USA staff in Budapest, and he led the Hoosier men to a seventh-place finish this summer at the NCAA championships, and his women took eighth.

King won four gold medals at the World Championships this year and set (or helped set) world records in all four events: the 50 breast, 100 breast and both the women’s and mixed 400 medley relays. Looze also put Cody Miller, Blake Pieroni and Zane Grothe onto the World Championships roster, and all won at least one relay medal in Budapest.

Hoosiers at the FINA World Championships

Indiana Swimming & Diving had quite the showing at the FINA World Championships this summer. Over the course of the week at the World Championships, Hoosiers swimmers – current, alumni and postgrad – combined to win seven gold and two bronze medals. The IU swimmers also combined to set four world records.

Indiana Men Win 2016 Big Ten Championship

The Hoosiers won the program’s 25^th Big Ten Championship in 2016 – the first title for IU since 2006. IU won the team title with a total score of 1,504 points. For the week, IU won a total of 19 medals – 12 gold, five silver and two bronze. Indiana also won four of the five relays at the Big Ten Championships, marking the first time in program history the team accomplished that impressive feat. The dozen league crowns are the most for the team since winning 13 in 1976.