Aces earn 3-2 win over Golden Flashes
An exciting 3-2 victory by the University of Evansville volleyball team over Kent State put the finishing touches on the Dunn Hospitality Tournament on Saturday night at the Carson Center.
Evansville (2-7) earned the win over Kent State (4-6) in the days final game after falling to Dayton earlier in the day by a 3-0 score. The Flyers went a perfect 3-0 in the tournament.
In the finale against the Golden Flashes, Mildrelis Rodriguez led the way with 18 kills while Rocio Fortuny notched 16. Rachel Tam finished with 11. Jelena Merseli had a strong 45 assists while four players had double figure digs, led by 15 from Rodriguez and Olivia Goldstein. Drew Norberg led KSU with 19 while Kelsey Bittinger notched 17.
“To see this time to rise to adversity like they did was not easy, especially for a young team. We showed great maturity and got everyone involved,†Aces head coach Manolo Concepcion said. “I am proud of the attention we are paying to the process. This is a big win for us, especially for the RPI that Kent State has. It is great to see Rachel rising in that moment of the game and a lot of props to Mildrelis too.â€
Fortuny had five kills in the opening frame as the Aces grabbed a 25-22 win. UE took a 5-3 edge before Kent State rallied back to lead 8-7. From there, the Aces were able to regroup as a Merseli kill helped UE go back up 17-11. Just when it looked like UE would cruise to the win, KSU fought back. Trailing 22-17, the Golden Flashes scored five in a row to tie it up. That is when Fortuny struck again as her kill gave the Aces the lead for good as they won, 25-22.
It was all Aces in the second set as Rodriguez posted four kills. Evansville jumped out to a 4-1 lead and held a 14-10 advantage before KSU punched back. They scored three in a row, but Evansville countered, extending its advantage back to four at 18-14. From there, the Aces were able to extend the lead, holding on for a 25-19 win to take a 2-0 lead.
Kent State put it together in the third set, taking a 6-1 lead before cruising to a 25-14 win. The Aces got off to the better start in the fourth game, holding strong with a 14-10 lead. The second half of the set belonged to KSU, however, as they took their first lead at 20-19 and won by a 25-20 final to force a fifth and deciding game.
Once again, the Golden Flashes had the hot hand early on, taking an 8-4 lead, but the Aces stormed their way back. A Rachel Tam service ace got the Aces within one before they tied it up at 9-9. Consecutive KSU errors saw UE take a 12-10 lead before the Golden Flashes were able to tie it up at 13-13. With the match on the line, UE regained its composure as Fortuny and Tam each notched kills to finish off the 15-13 win.
UE opened the day against the Flyers, falling 3-0. A competitive opening frame saw the Flyers take the early 8-4 advantage. Evansville showed its fight, closing the gap to just one at 11-10. Later, the Aces trailed 22-18, but Rachel Tam brought the squad back. Two kills saw her give UE a 23-22 lead before Dayton roared back, scoring the final three points to clinch the set, 25-23.
From there, it was all Flyers as they grabbed a 25-15 win in the second game before capping off the match with a 25-13 triumph. Jessica Sloan led UD with 16 kills while Amber Erhahon notched 11. Fortuny led the Aces with 8 kills with Cathy Schreiber and Rachel Tam notching seven apiece. Merseli had 22 assists.
The final non-conference tournament for UE is set for next weekend as they travel to Jacksonville, Ala. For the Gamecock Classic. The Aces will face Kennesaw State, Louisiana Monroe, Jacksonville State and Nicholls State.
