UE faces Loyola and Valpo this weekend
 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – A 3-match road swing to open Missouri Valley Conference play continues this weekend with the University of Evansville volleyball team traveling to Loyola and Valparaiso. UE will be in Chicago on Friday to face the Ramblers before facing Valpo on Saturday with both matches beginning at 6 p.m.
Last Time Out
– For the second season in a row, the Purple Aces opened the MVC slate in Terre Haute, facing the Sycamores
– Despite a quick start to the first set for UE, it was Indiana State battling back to take a 3-0 sweep
– Alondra Vazquez and Melanie Feliciano finished with 12 kills apiece while Giulia Cardona added 10 kills and a team-best 13 digs
Scouting the Opposition
– Loyola enters the weekend with a 9-5 mark while sitting at 2-0 in the Valley after sweeping Missouri State and Southern Illinois by 3-1 finals last weekend
– Offensively, the Ramblers are led by 3.4 kills per set from Addie Barnes while Taylor Venuto is hitting .354 on the season, second in the league
– Pacing the defense is Grace Hinchman, whose 4.7 digs per game is second in the MVC
– Valparaiso sits at 10-3 overall after splitting their conference opening weekend versus SIU and MSU
– One of the top defenses in the league, the Beacons hold the opposition to an MVC low .162 hitting percentage; Rylee Cookerly paces the conference with 5.1 digs per set with Valpo ranking second in the league in that statistic
In a Groove
– Recording at least seven kills and seven digs in 10 out of 12 matches, Melanie Feliciano continues to be one of Evansville’s most consistent performers
– Her season average of 3.14 kills is third for UE and 8th in the MVC while she is second on the squad and 19th in the conference with an average of 2.68 digs
– She has averaged 4.0 digs over last five matches (14 sets)
Top 10 Freshmen
– Since her arrival in Evansville, Giulia Cardona has established herself as an offensive force, ranking second in the MVC behind teammate Alondra Vazquez in kills (3.71) and points (4.37)
– Her kill average is 10th-best among all freshmen in the NCAA and she has recorded 8 or more kills in each of the last seven contests
– Cardona is tied with Vazquez for the #2 spot in the Valley with 0.47 service aces per set
– Equally impressive has been her efficiency as she has completed 7 of the last 10 matches hitting .226 or better; that came after she hit under .140 in the first two contests
