Schedule Modified For Home-Opening Dunn Hospitality Tournament
Aces Host Cleveland State And Murray State
 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Schedule modifications have been announced as the University of Evansville volleyball team prepares to open its home schedule this weekend with the Dunn Hospitality Tournament.
Due to COVID protocols, Liberty University withdrew from the tournament. The updated schedule will feature a total of three matches with Cleveland State and Murray State playing at 10 a.m. on Friday before the Vikings take on the Purple Aces at 6 p.m. Saturday’s single match will see the Aces and Racers tangle at 1 p.m. inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse.
Tournament History
– This will mark the 10th time the Purple Aces have hosted the Dunn Hospitality Tournament
– It has been held annually since 2010 with the exception of 2012 and 2020 – overall the Aces are 16-10 in the event while going a perfect 3-0 in 2010 and 2019
Looking at the Start
– With Tuesday’s win at Tennessee State, Evansville improved to 8-1 on the season
– It is the best start since 2010 when UE won 11 of its first 12 matches
Last Time Out
– A wild match ensued on Tuesday when UE traveled to 5-0 Tennessee State
– The Tigers had significant leads in each of the first two sets before Evansville rallied to win both
– Game three saw the Aces complete the night with a 25-21 win following a slight delay for an apparent fire in the ceiling of the arena
– Melanie Feliciano had 12 kills with Giulia Cardona and Alondra Vazquez finishing with 11 apiece – Vazquez had a team-high 12 digs
– Cardona and Taya Haffner added three service aces apiece
Four in a Row
– Freshman Giulia Cardona continued her impressive season at Tennessee State, posting 11 kills for her fourth double-figure kill performance in a row
– Cardona has been racking up the kills at a rate of 4.0/game over the last three matches
– In two matches at the Miami Invitational, she recorded 4.13 kills on her way to a spot on the All-Tournament Team; she set her career mark with 22 kills vs. Miami
– She ranks second in the MVC in three categories including kills (3.83), points (4.52) and service aces (0.50)
– Her 3.83 kills is 8th among all freshmen in the NCAA
Racking up the Aces
– As a team, UE has recorded seven or more service aces in four of the last five matches to tally an average of 1.93 per set
– That average is second in the MVC and 32nd in the country
– Cardona and Haffner had three each at TSU…Cardona leads the Aces and is tied for the top average in the MVC (0.50/set)
In a Groove
– Melanie Feliciano has recorded 4.57 kills/set over the last seven sets to bump her season average to 3.07
– The junior has had at least seven kills and seven digs in all nine matches
– She completed the Miami Invitational with 20 kills and 15 digs, both season highs – she registered eight kills in the first set alone against the Norse
One of the Top Freshmen
– Taya Haffner is averaging 10.90 assists per set which is tops in the Missouri Valley Conference and 19th in the country
– Equally impressive is her standing within her class as she is the #4 freshman in that statistic in the NCAA
– She had contributed in other facets of the game, notching three service aces and seven digs at TSU
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