Aces Women Volleyball Chosen Second In Preseason MVC Poll
 SAINT LOUIS – In its highest preseason ranking since joining the Missouri Valley Conference, the University of Evansville volleyball team was picked second in the annual coaches’ preseason poll. Along with the team recognition, a pair of UE student-athletes were named to the 2022 MVC Preseason All-Conference Team with Alondra Vazquez and Melanie Feliciano earning the recognition.
Accumulating a total of 121 points and two first-place votes, the Purple Aces were second in the poll behind Illinois State, which received five of the 12 possible top votes. Just behind Evansville was UIC with 108 points with Bradley being chosen fourth.
Evansville returns the core of its roster from its 2021 team that finished the season 21-12 overall and 9-9 in MVC play. The Aces return five starters plus their libero in 2022. Evansville is coming off its best season in over 30 years. The Purple Aces had their first 20-win season since 1988. With its perforÂmance during the season, UE was invited to the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) where the team won two matches.
For the second time in her career, Alondra Vazquez garnered All-MVC First Team honors. Vazquez broke the single-season program record with 494 kills. Joining her on the first team was Melanie Feliciano. In her third seaÂson with the program, Feliciano recorded 3.28 kills and 2.52 digs per set. One of the most electric players in the conference was the 2021 MVC Freshman of the Year Giulia Cardona. She paced the league with 0.50 service aces per set. Her final tally of 467 kills was the most by a freshman in program history.
The action begins for UE in just over a week with a trip to the Marshall Invitational in Huntington, W.Va. The Aces open on Friday, August 26 with a 2 p.m. CT match versus Wright State.
