The University of Evansville volleyball team (10-1) looks to improve their 19-set winning streak as they host Drake and Creighton for the first weekend of Missouri Valley Conference play. The Aces will take on Drake at 7:00 p.m. on Friday at Carson Center before returning on Saturday night to go up against Creighton at 7:00 p.m.
“We feel really confident going into MVC play,” said head coach Mike Swan. “We’re getting good swings in, our blocking keeps getting better and we continue to serve aggressively.”
The Aces take their best start in twelve years into the MVC opening weekend. The Aces 19-set winning streak dates back to their September 5th victory against Western Illinois. Coming off eight consecutive victories, UE hopes to use their momentum to take the first win of the conference season.
The Aces are led by senior co-captain and Missouri Valley Player of the Week Emily Wandersee. Wandersee leads the Aces’ offense across the board, recording 136 kills with an MVC-high .379 attack percentage on the season. Averaging 1.12 blocks per set, Wandersee has also tallied a team-high 38 blocks with five solo blocks. Junior Brooke Maher and sophomore Hannah Wilson have each recorded double-doubles this season. Maher posted her fourth and fifth double-double in last weekend’s wins over Loyola-Chicago and Murray State, while Wilson recorded her first in Wednesday’s win over SIUE. As a team, the Aces are outhitting their opponents 488-406 and out-blocking them 80-39.
Drake (14-0) enters Valley play as one of only 14 NCAA Division I teams that remain undefeated in the 2010 season. Picked fifth in the MVC Pre-Season Poll, the Bulldogs are coming off of a 3-2 victory over Iowa earlier this week. Senior Angela Bys leads the team with 194 kills, averaging 3.88 kills per set. Senior Alana Wittenburg has tallied 290 digs on the season to lead the Bulldogs defense. At the net, Drake has put up 119 blocks with junior Michelle Reidy posting a team-high 56.
Picked to finish fourth in the MVC Pre-Season Poll, the Creighton Bluejays enter MVC action with a 5-5 record. Going into the weekend, the Bluejays have a .191 attack percentage as a team and average 17.9 digs per set. Creighton is led by senior Alicia Runge, who has tallied 169 kills on the season with a .265 attack percentage. The Bluejays will take on Southern Illinois on Friday night before traveling to Evansville.
“This weekend will come down to how well we take care of business on our side of the net,” added Swan.
Saturday’s match against Creighton will be video-streamed live. Fans can follow all of the Aces’ MVC action by watching the live Stats
