Aces defeat Bulldogs after trailing 2-0
 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Trailing by a 2-0 score on Friday evening, the University of Evansville volleyball team rallied in a big way to defeat Drake in five sets inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse.
Alondra Vazquez recorded a match-high 24 kills to help the Purple Aces (18-7, 8-7 MVC) overcome the 2-0 deficit against the Bulldogs (10-13, 5-10 MVC) to win by a final of 3-2. She added 15 digs and a pair of service aces. Giulia Cardona picked up 17 kills, 9 digs and three aces while Melanie Feliciano completed the night with 12 kills and 11 digs.
“This team never quits and we knew that we were not out of it when we went down 2-0,†Aces head volleyball coach Fernando Morales said. “Our message to them was that if we started to play better, we were going to have a chance.â€
UE looked to be on its way to taking the second set to knot the match at 1-1, but a 4-0 rally by the Bulldogs saw them take the commanding lead. From there, the Aces went on to win by finals of 25-16, 25-18 and 15-13. Taya Haffner led the way with 51 assists while Vazquez recorded a solo block and four block assists. Madisyn Steele and Kate Tsironis recorded four block assists each. Drake was led by Mariana Rodrigues’ 16 kills.
Set 1 – Drake 25, UE 14
Drake had a strong start, recording the opening three points before continuing the run to take a 12-5 lead, forcing an Evansville time out. The Bulldogs extended the lead to 19-10 before Blakeley Freeman picked up an ace that got her squad back within seven. Unfortunately, that was as close as UE would get as the Bulldogs pulled away for a 25-14 win.
Set 2 – Drake 26, UE 24
A pair of blocks early in the second set saw UE take a 6-3 advantage. Hannah Watkins assisted in both blocks. Alondra Vazquez picked up a kill that extended the UE edge to 12-7 before Drake cut the deficit to one at 13-12. A kill by Giulia Cardona got the Aces back on track where they would go back by four at 16-12, but a run by the Bulldogs saw them tie it up at 17-17. Cardona put her team back in front with a kill and ace as UE would go back up by four at 23-19. The Bulldogs continued to fight back and their persistence paid off as they would rally all the way back to take a 26-24 decision. Trailing 24-22, DU reeled off the final four points to take the set and a 2-0 lead.
Set 3 – UE 25, Drake 16
After falling behind by a 3-0 score, Evansville stormed back to take the lead on a double block from Vazquez and Kate Tsironis. The Bulldogs tied it at 7-7, but a service ace from Freeman put Evansville back on top. After that, it was Cardona notching a kill before picking up back-to-back aces to put UE up 13-8. It was Vazquez who helped her team pull away even more, adding consecutive aces before UE took the 25-16 victory.
Set 4 – UE 25, Drake 18
It was the Bulldogs taking the early lead once again, posting the first three points before going up 9-5. The Aces came back once again, knotting the score at 12-12 when Cardona and Tsironis picked up a block. One possession later, it was Cardona putting UE in front with a kill. From there, it was all Evansville with the Aces pulling away to force a fifth game with a 25-18 decision.
Set 5 – UE 15, Drake 13
Evansville had the upper hand to begin the fifth set, scoring the opening four tallies, but Drake never gave up. Trailing 8-3, the Bulldogs scored four in a row to cut the gap to one. UE regained the edge, going up 14-10 on a Taya Haffner ace. Once again, the Bulldogs fought back, cutting the deficit to 14-13. With the pressure on, it was Vazquez who had the deciding point, recording her 24th and final kill of the night to seal the match.
On Saturday, the Aces close out the home schedule for the regular season with a 5 p.m. match against UNI. Seniors Elena Redmond and Cecilia Thon will be recognized before the match.
