EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Just four days away from the season opener, the University of Evansville volleyball team is continuing its work for the Indiana Invitational in Bloomington.
 
Today, we sit down with Elizabeth Giller, Erlicia Griffith and Taylor Jones to get their thoughts on the upcoming season.
 
READY TO ROLL
 
Indianapolis native Elizabeth Giller enters her second year with the Purple Aces after playing in 94 sets as a freshman.  One of the top blockers on last year's squad, Giller notched 59 last year.  Like everyone else on the team, her goals are all team-oriented.
 
"Our chemistry has been great, when the new girls got here, we all clicked immediately," Giller said.  "A few of our girls are really the vocal leaders, but that is not me, I want to lead with my play."
 
The 6-0 middle blocker does just that and is also focused on her individual goals. 
 
"Last year, I spent a lot of time relearning things, this year, it is more about getting into specific habits," she added. 
 
When she was looking at her collegiate options coming out of high school, Giller was excited about how close the UE campus was, especially with the completion of Interstate 69 from Evansville to Bloomington.
 
"Before the interstate was finished, it was a 3 ½ hour drive for my family and I with a lot of that being on 2-lane country roads, but now it is so much better," Giller explained.  "My family is able to come to most of our matches and if there is ever something I need to make it home for at the last minute, I can definitely do that."
 
The opening weekend will be especially special for Giller.  She is expecting several family members and friends to make the trip to Bloomington.  Her mother is an IU grad, so she will have some extra motivation for the first few matches of her sophomore campaign.
 
WHARTON TO EVANSVILLE
 
Erlicia Griffith is a Texan at heart.  She has spent her entire life in the Houston area, growing up in Wharton, which is a town of less than 10,000 that is 50 miles southwest of the metro area.  She then began her college career at San Jacinto College in Pasadena, which is to the east of downtown Houston.
 
When it came time for her to continue her career, Griffith originally was looking at institutions in the Houston area as well as nearby Louisiana.  Then, luckily for the Purple Aces, it all changed.
 
"My coach at San Jacinto got me in contact with UE.  I was not sure what to expect, it was a 14-hour drive away from home, but I definitely wanted to see the campus," Griffith said.  "I had never been to Indiana, but when I got there, I fell in love with the girls on the team, the coaches and campus."
 
After arriving over the summer, Griffith has adjusted to life away from home.  She has been staying busy on the floor and is also excited to begin her studies.
 
"Surprisingly, I am not homesick, everyone here is just so supportive and motivating," she explained.  "It will also be great to be closer to my dad, who is in Chicago.  He is going to be at a lot of our matches."
 
As for her studies, Griffith is setting herself up for a great future in the medical industry.  Griffith will be a Personal Health Major at UE.  That will act as a precursor to her eventual goal – Nursing. 
 
She is also excited to get her career at UE rolling on the floor.
 
"I am going to bring plenty of positive energy to our team.  I am so excited to get started."
 
HARD WORK PAYS OFF
 
Prior to Taylor Jones, Winamac High School in northern Indiana never had a Division I volleyball player.  Did that deter Jones?  No way.  It only motivated her.
 
As she made her way through high school, Jones was focused on being the first one to break through to the Division I level.  She knew that would not happen on its own and made that her goal as she completed her last two years of high school.
 
"I was always confident and knew that I deserved to play at the DI level.  My family and I worked to make that happen," Jones said.  "Every Monday, Wednesday and weekend, we would drive 90 minutes each way so I could play on my club team."
 
That team, Epic United, was based in northwest Indiana just outside of Chicago.  Supplementing her high school career with that club gave her more visibility to potential schools.  She played with this club as a junior and senior and those efforts paid off as she was able to stay in state with the Purple Aces.
 
"When I got on campus in July, a lot of information was thrown at me as it would be with anyone coming into a program.  It took a week to get that taken care of and I am on top of the world now," Jones said.  "Our team is so close, we do everything together and it has made for a great experience so far."
 
The setter is hoping to make an immediate impact on the team and will draw on prior experience in order to help her adjust to the college game.
 
"Up until now, I was always the top player on my team, if I made a mistake, I would freak out because I knew everyone depended on me," Jones said.  "But now, there is much less pressure.  I know my teammates will pick me up."
 
Jones is also amped up about her work as a Sport Communication major.  She is looking stay involved in UE athletics through her major throughout the year.
 
 

• INFO: For all of the latest information on University of Evansville volleyball, log on to the sport page on GoPurpleAces.com or follow the program on Twitter via @UEAthletics_VB.

 

• DONATE: For information on giving to UE Athletics or its individual athletics programs, visit the DONATE tab on the top of GoPurpleAces.com.

 

• TICKETS: To purchase tickets for University of Evansville athletics events, log on to GoPurpleAces.com and click on the TICKETS tab on top of the page.