EVANSVILLE, Ind. – In its last midweek match of the season, the Purple Aces volleyball team will make the quick trip to Nashville on Tuesday to face Belmont at 6 p.m.
 
Fresh off of its home-opening tournament, the University of Evansville stands at 5-5 overall while winning two out of three matches against strong competition over the weekend.  Highlighting the matches at the Carson Center was a thrilling 5-set victory over Memphis.

Down 2-0 after two sets, the Aces made some adjustments at the break before coming out on fire, reeling off three wins in a row, including a 15-11 triumph in the fifth game.  Ashley Ring notched 21 kills in the win.
 
Looking at keeping her play going is libero Katie Klages.  The senior leads the Missouri Valley Conference with 5.67 digs per set, but even more impressive is that she ranks seventh nationally in that category. 
 
Ring has been strong offensively and defensively throughout not just this season, but her whole career.  She is having her best year to date, ranking No. 2 in the MVC with 3.87 kills/set and third in the league with 4.40 points.  Meaghan Holmes has also been stout on both sides of the floor, but she has been a true force in the middle as her 1.26 blocks/set ranks third in the conference.
 
Belmont enters Tuesday's tilt with a 3-9 mark as they begin a six-game homestand while looking to put an end to a 3-game slide.  Over the weekend, they traveled to California for the Fresno State Classic where they fell to the host Bulldogs, 3-2, before finding themselves on the wrong end of 3-0 decisions against Oregon and CSU Bakersfield.
 
Freshman Jessica Vestal leads the Bruins with 164 kills, an average of 3.49 per set.  She is followed by Scarlet Gable's average of 2.74.
 
Conference play begins on Friday for the Purple Aces as they begin that portion of their schedule at Illinois State.  The Redbirds are 7-3 thus far in 2013, third in the league.  From Normal, UE will make the quick trip over to Terre Haute for a match on Saturday evening against the 5-5 Sycamores.