Box Score
Box Score (PDF)

NORMAL, Ill. – Down one of its top players due to injury, the University of Evansville volleyball team put up a valiant effort before falling to Illinois State by a 3-0 final on Sunday afternoon.
 
The Purple Aces (4-11, 0-3 MVC) played on Sunday without freshman Genesis Miranda.  Ashley Ring posted seven kills to lead the Aces while Cathy Schreiber (6) and Stephanie Cerino (5) were next for UE.  Grace Carter finished with 16 assists while Kim Deprez had 14 digs.
 
Ashley Rosch led the Redbirds (10-5, 4-0 MVC) with 16 kills.  Emily Schneider finished with 10.  Offensively, Illinois State was hitting on all cylinders, hitting .434 while limiting Evansville to .078.
 
Rosch set the tone in the opening set, posting a pair of early kills as ISU opened up a 7-2 lead before winning by a 25-13 final.  Stacey Niao led Illinois State with five kills in the frame while Kaitlyn Early registered nine assists.  Schreiber was the top player for UE, notching three kills while Tathianna Cordero was solid defensively, posting six digs in the frame.
 
Evansville's top effort came in the second set.  Despite falling behind 6-1, the Aces fought back to get within four points at 14-10 on a Ring kill.  That was as close as the offense for UE would get as the Redbirds extended the lead to as many as eight before earning the 25-18 win.
 
Illinois State continued its accurate hitting in the third set, posting a .474 as Rosch had 11 kills.  Evansville took the early 1-0 lead, but the Redbirds came back to take a 3-2 lead and never looked back, taking a 25-11 victory to seal the match.
 
Playing an extended role on Sunday, Cordero had a strong match with a total of eight digs.  Ring also posted eight.  Schreiber led the offense as she hit .455 on the day. 
 
The Aces return to the Carson Center next weekend, welcoming Bradley and Loyola.