EVANSVILLE, Ind. – In a close match throughout the evening, the University of Evansville volleyball team came up short against Drake by a 3-1 final on Friday night inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse.
Rachel Tam was the top performer for the Purple Aces (6-11, 0-5 MVC) as she notched 16 kills and four block assists. Mildrelis Rodriguez finished with nine kills while Gabriela Dos Santos had a great all-around effort, recording 8 kills and 14 digs. Cassie Brooks paced the defense with 18 digs and Allana McInnis chipped in 24 assists.
Box Score (PDF)
For the Bulldogs (16-3, 5-0 MVC), Emily Plock had a match-high 19 kills and Cathryn Cheek finished with 12. Paige Aspinwall led everyone with 42 assists.
Evansville got off to a great start in game one, jumping out to a 4-0 advantage. The Bulldogs quickly fought back, tying it up at 6-6 before taking their first lead of the night at 12-11. With the score tied at 11-11, the Bulldogs went on a 7-2 run as they pulled away to take the first set by a 25-19 final.
In game two, it was Drake getting off to the fast start as they took a 6-1 advantage. Evansville refused to give up as they battled back to trail by a 6-5 margin and kept it rolling to tie it up at 14-14 on a kill by Mildrelis Rodriguez. Rodriguez kept it going as she did the serving in a 5-0 run with the score tied at 18-18. She had a service ace in the run as UE pulled away for the 25-19 victory.
Drake came back with a 25-22 win in the third set to take a 2-1 lead. They had a strong start, taking a 12-4 lead. The Aces battled back as an 11-4 stretch got them within just one at 16-15. UE cut the gap to one again at 22-21, but the Bulldogs hung on for the win.
UE stormed out to a 6-3 edge in the fourth frame with Rachel Tam adding her 16th kill of the night. Evansville added to the lead, holding a 4-point edge at 12-8. That is when the Bulldogs made the game-changing run, going on an 8-0 run to go up 16-12. From there, they hung on to clinch the match with a 25-18 decision.
Tomorrow, UE will be right back in action as they take on #21 UNI. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
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