EVANSVILLE, Ind. – After a seven-match road trip to begin the season, the University of Evansville volleyball team will be home on Friday and Saturday, hosting a weekend tournament with six matches to be played over the span of two days.
 
Aside from Evansville, Memphis, SIU Edwardsville and Valparaiso will take part.  This will be the first time that Aces fans can get a look at the 2013 squad and head coach Manolo Concepcion is excited about that opportunity for his players and the fans.
 
"It will be nice to be home and be in front of our fans and be able to sleep in our own beds," he said.  "We are excited to show everyone what we have been working on and how we are capable of playing."
 
Last time out, the Aces picked up a hard-fought 3-0 win at Murray State.  It marked the third time in a row that UE has swept MSU, but this one did not come as easy with two out of the three sets going to extra points.
 
Ashley Ring had one of the top outings of her career in the victory, getting the job done on both the offensive and defensive sides of the floor.  The junior finished with 16 kills and a career-high 24 digs to lead the way for UE.
 
Rachel TenHoor and Meaghan Holmes also made their presence known, playing extremely efficient offense.  TenHoor posted 12 kills while hitting .385 and Holmes was just a solid, hitting .391 to go along with her 10 kills.
 
The first opponent of the weekend for UE will be SIU Edwardsville.  The Cougars are 2-4 this season, but have won two out of the last three times out.  In last week's Omaha Classic, SIUE got past Southern Utah by a 3-1 final before sweeping Omaha.  Their last contest of the event saw them drop a 3-2 decision against Bradley.
 
Saturday's first match for the Aces see them square off against Memphis.  Standing at 4-2, the Tigers have been strong all season long.  In the season-opening Belmont Tournament, they grabbed wins over the Bruins and Gardner-Webb.  In their home tournament last weekend, they grabbed victories over Alabama A&M and Southeastern Louisiana while falling to Western Carolina in five set.
 
Weekend action wraps up at 6 p.m. Saturday evening versus in-state rival Valparaiso.  The Crusaders enter the weekend with a perfect 8-0 mark.  In their opening trip to the UCF Invitational, they swept past three opponents while taking a 5-set win over the host Knights in their first match of the season. 
 
Last weekend, Valpo hosted the Popcorn Classic and posted another 4-0 mark with wins over Army, Eastern Michigan, Rhode Island and Iowa. 
 
Following action this weekend, Evansville will be back on the road for three matches, heading to Belmont on Tuesday before beginning Missouri Valley Conference play next weekend at Illinois State and Indiana State.
 
Friday, Sept. 13
5 p.m. – Memphis vs. Valparaiso
7:30 p.m. – SIU Edwardsville at Evansville
 
Saturday, Sept. 14
10 a.m. – SIU Edwardsville vs. Valparaiso
12:30 p.m. – Memphis at Evansville
3:30 p.m. – SIU Edwardsville vs. Memphis
6 p.m. – Valparaiso at Evansville