Aces Set For Baylor Invitational
 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Looking to gain experience against some of the top competition in the nation, the University of Evansville volleyball team travels to the Baylor Invitational in Waco, Texas. Opening play on Friday, the Purple Aces face Colorado State and Arizona State before taking on #15 Baylor on Saturday evening. Live stats will be available for all three matches while none of the three are set to be televised.
 Long-term Goals
– This weekend, Evansville will be without the services of two of their top weapons – Alondra Vazquez and Melanie Feliciano
– Both are battling injury but are on track to return when the Aces open Missouri Valley Conference play on September 23
– In their absence, the younger players will have the opportunity to play against top competition while gaining valuable experience heading into the league slate
 National Rankings
– Since the start of the 2022 season, multiple UE players have been near the top of the national statistical rankings
– Freshman Kora Ruff has accumulated 304 assists, which ranks second in the NCAA while her average of 10.13 assists per set is just outside the top 50
– Giulia Cardona continues to rack up the aces at an impressive rate – her total of 21 is third in the nation while her average of 0.70 per set is 17th
– Cardona’s 138.5 points checks in 6th nationally and her season total of 110 kills is 9th
Back-to-back-to-back
– In each of the last three matches, Giulia Cardona has recorded 18 kills, an average of 4.5 per set over that span
– Last time out, Cardona recorded 18 kills, 6 digs and 5 aces against Tennessee State
– She has posted at least 9 kills in each of Evansville’s eight matches while her most efficient effort saw her hit .333 against USI
– Last year’s MVC leader in service aces paces the league once again with 0.70 per set and a total of 21 (3rd in the NCAA)
Picking up the Slack
– With Alondra Vazquez sidelined for the last four matches, Emilee Scheumann has stepped in and has put up the top numbers of her collegiate career
– Scheumann has five or more kills in each of the last four contests and is coming off the top performance of her Aces career, totaling 11 kills versus Tennessee State on Tuesday
– She added nine kills against Northwestern and set her top mark with 28 attacks, a number that she tied against the Tigers
Making her Presence Known
– As the season has progressed, Madisyn Steele has gotten into a nice groove both offensively and defensively
– She has posted 5+ kills in five of the eight matches thus far and checks in with an average of 1.43 per set
– On the defensive side, Steele recorded at least one block in each match and set her season mark with 5.0 total blocks against Big Ten foe Northwestern and paces UE with 0.80 per game
Rising up the Charts
– Finishing with at least 33 assists in all eight matches, freshman Kora Ruff has racked up 304 assists, which ranks second in the nation
– Her total paces all freshmen nationally and leads the MVC
– Ruff’s average of 10.13 helpers per set is second in the conference
– Her top assist tally came in the opener against Wright State where she registered 45 assists along with a season mark of 10 digs on the way to her first UE double-double and has a pair of 2-kill efforts thus far
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