Match Notes  -  Live Stats

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – On Saturday, the University of Evansville volleyball team will complete a four-match home stands as the squad is set to face Southern Illinois at the Carson Center.
 
Evansville looks to improve upon its 1-4 mark in Valley play as it plays host to Southern Illinois on Saturday evening at 6 p.m.  The Aces take to the road next weekend to face Illinois State and Indiana State.
 
It was deja vu all over again as the Purple Aces defeated Bradley by a 3-1 final last Saturday at the Carson Center.  Down 24-19 in the fourth game, Evansville capped off the exciting victory by scoring the final seven points to clinch the match with a 26-24 win.  In 2014, UE made a similar comeback against Bradley.  Facing a 24-20 deficit in the third game, UE scored five in a row before eventually winning by a 40-38 final.
 
Genesis Miranda had the best conference match of her young career versus the Braves on Saturday evening.  Miranda posted 25 kills while hitting .489 in the contest.  The final kill tally was the most she has had against a conference opponent while her .489 finish was her most accurate performance in any match since beginning her career at Evansville.  She remains among the top offensive players in the league, topping the list with 5.02 points per set while sitting in second place in service aces and kills.
 
Sophomore newcomer Jelena Merseli had the best night of her career in the victory over Bradley, setting career numbers across the board.  The setter posted a career-best 39 assists while notching her UE high of 6 digs with the Aces.  Her final career mark came as she notched an impressive seven kills in seven attempts, hitting a perfect 1.000.  The setter took advantage of several opportunities to attack the Bradley defense and converted each of those chances.
 
The Salukis have a solid 12-6 overall mark and have been victorious in three of their first five conference matches.  Their wins have come over Drake, Bradley and Missouri State while their losses have been at the hands of Loyola and UNI.  Highlighting their non-conference efforts were wins over Dayton, Tulsa and Butler.  Alex Rosignol enters Saturday's tilt as the top blocker in the Missouri Valley Conference with 1.42 per set.  Taylor Pippen and Andrea Estrada pose two of the top offensive threats in the league.  Pippen ranks fourth, hitting .394 on the season while Estrada is 4th in kills, tallying 3.32 per set.
 
Saturday will also mark Alumni Night for the team as they welcome several former players back to campus.  They will be recognized on the court in between the second and third sets.
 

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