Box Score (PDF)

NORMAL, Ill. – It was Mildrelis Rodriguez pacing the University of Evansville offense once against as the Purple Aces volleyball team came up just short at Illinois State on Saturday night.
 
Rodriguez had a team-best nine kills and also led UE (5-23, 1-14 MVC) with 11 digs.  Joselyn Coronel had a solid night, posting nine digs and four kills.  Jelena Mersei notched 20 assists.  Three Redbirds (16-10, 9-5 MVC) notched double digit kills, led by Ella Francis' game-high of 12.
 
Illinois State began the night with a 25-16 win.  Evansville fell behind by a 10-3 margin, but picked up momentum in cutting the gap to 11-7.  Trailing 21-16, UE gave up the final four tallies as ISU took a 1-0 lead.
 
Evansville had a pair of early leads in the second game before the Redbirds wrestled away a 13-9 lead.  They added to it from there, taking a 25-18 victory.

The never-give-up attitude of the Aces was evident in the third set as they overcame an early 5-1 deficit to fight back to trail by just one at 9-8.  Cathy Schreiber had a service ace in the rally.  Just a few points later, the Aces tied it up at 13-13.  The pivotal moment came after UE made it a 19-17 game.  Illinois State scored three in a row and fended off the challenge to clinch the match with a 25-20 win.
 
On Friday night, UE is back home to face Southern Illinois in a 7 p.m. match.
 

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