EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Two home matches are on the docket this weekend as the University of Evansville volleyball team welcomes Missouri state and Southern Illinois to Meeks Family Fieldhouse. UE faces the Bears on Friday with the Salukis coming to town on Saturday; both matches are set for 5 p.m. start times with ESPN+ having both broadcasts.
On a Roll
– Giulia Cardona earned her third MVC Player of the Week honor on Oct. 16 as she averaged 6.62 kills in matches versus Indiana State, UIC and Valparaiso
– Highlighting the week was her 40-kill performance versus UIC that tied the league’s single-match record that was set by UNI’s Bobbi (Becker) Petersen in 1989
– Along with her 40 kills, Cardona had 94 attempts, tying for the second-highest total in league history; teammate Melanie Feliciano holds the MVC record with 95 in 2019
– Cardona remains the national leader in kills (5.27/set), points (6.00/set) and attacks (14.90/set)
– With seven aces over the weekend, Cardona has retaken the MVC lead with 0.48 per set (33rd in the nation)
30 for 30
– Ainoah Cruz has put together an excellent streak over the last five matches, picking up her first two 30-dig performances
– With 32 digs against UIC, Cruz put forth the top performance of her young career; her previous high of 27 digs came in the road win at Samford
– On Oct. 21 at Bradley, Cruz added 30 digs and has averaged 5.60 per set over the last five matches
– Cruz checks in with an average of 4.40 digs per set, which is 8th in the MVC
– Her numbers in MVC matches is even better at 4.78/frame
Scouting the Opposition
– Missouri State enters Friday’s match with a 10-13 overall mark while going 4-7 in MVC matches
– Teagan Polcovich paces the defense with 4.90 digs per set, which ranks 6th in the conference
– Southern Illinois is 12-10 on the season but opens the weekend tied with the Bears at a 4-7 MVC mark
– Imani Hartfield is one of the most efficient hitters in the league, ranking third with a season tally of .381
