EVANSVILLE, Ind. – With the first weekend of action now complete, the University of Evansville volleyball team is set to play its first home match of 2014, hosting Austin Peay on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Carson Center.
 
While the Purple Aces went 0-3 in their trip to Nashville for the Belmont Invitational, the team showed steady improvement in each of its three matches.  In the final tilt of the weekend, Evansville put forth its best effort before coming up just short in five sets against the host Bruins.
 
A pair of freshman had solid starts to their collegiate careers.  Genesis Miranda led the squad with a total of 30 kills in three matches, an average of 2.50/set.  She also tallied 26 digs to rank third for the Aces.  Cathy Schreiber was also strong, totaling 22 kills against just four errors.  She hit an efficient .321 on the weekend while notching a total of 12 blocks.
 
Senior Ashley Ring did what she has done for the majority of her career with the Aces – notch kills in large numbers.  She finished the weekend with 28 while also tallying 37 digs, second on the team behind Kim Deprez.  Deprez, in her first weekend as libero for UE, led the way with 56 digs.  That was the second-best start to the season amongst MVC players.
 
Meaghan Holmes got the job done offensively in Nashville, finishing with 24 kills, but it was her defense that put her near the top of the conference.  Holmes notched four solo blocks en route to a total of 14 for the weekend, tops on the team and second in the Valley.  As a team, UE leads the MVC with a total of 2.67 blocks per set.
 
Austin Peay opened its season over the weekend at the Big Orange Bash, which was hosted by Clemson.  The Governors went 0-3 in the event, falling to Troy, Clemson and USC Upstate.  Jada Stotts was the top performer for APSU, registering 35 kills over the weekend, an average of 3.89 per set.  She also led the way with three service aces.
 
Evansville looks to continue its recent success in home openers.  The Aces are a perfect 6-0 in its last six with three of those victories being sweeps.