Volleyball Drops First Match of Illinois Trip

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Aces ready for Bradley tomorrow 

 Sophomore Mildrelis Rodriguez posted a team-best 10 kills as the University of Evansville volleyball team fell by a 3-0 final at Loyola on Friday evening.
Rodriguez led the Purple Aces (4-13, 0-4 MVC) offense with Rachel Tam posting five kills.  Jelena Merseli finished the night with 16 assists while Rodriguez was the top defensive performer with 12 digs.

Pacing the Ramblers (7-9, 2-1 MVC) was Sami Hansen with 11 kills while Morgan Reardon had 10.  Delilah Wolf kept the offense going with 30 assists.

In the first set, the action was back and forth.  After the Ramblers jumped out to a 4-1 lead, Evansville fought back to tie it up at 5-5 as Tam and Rodriguez each had a kill.  The turning point of the set came with Loyola up 11-10 as they embarked on a 7-1 run before taking a 25-16 win.

Loyola matches its 25-16 win once again in the second frame.  They got off to another 4-1 start before Tam heled the Aces fight their way back.  She did the serving in a 3-0 run that got the squad within two at 9-7.  Rodriguez helped UE get even closer as she did the serving to get the team within one at 14-13.

Another rally by Loyola was the difference as they reeled off the next eight points before taking another 25-16 win.

Evansville played well in the third set, overcoming an early deficit.  After Loyola jumped out to an 8-2 advantage, the Aces fought back with an 8-3 run to cut it to an 11-10 score.  Once again, the Ramblers had the answer, clinching the match with a 25-18 triumph.

Tomorrow night, the Aces are back on the court in Peoria, Ill. where they will take on Bradley at 7 p.m.  The match will also be featured on The Valley on ESPN3.