EVANSVILLE, Ind. – For the seventh time in eight home matches, the University of Evansville volleyball team battled the opposition to a fifth set, but on Monday, it was Bradley coming out victorious by a 3-2 final at Meeks Family Fieldhouse.
 
Melanie Feliciano led the Purple Aces (14-10, 5-8 MVC) with 20 kills while Alondra Vazquez posted 17 and Rachel Tam finished with 16.  Gabriela Macedo was one of five UE players to record double digit digs, tallying 36.  Vazquez had 18 while Allana McInnis and Tam notched 17 apiece.  Feliciano added 10.  McInnis led all players with 53 assists.  Bradley (12-11, 8-4 MVC) saw Rachel Pranger finish with 18 kills.

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Box Score (PDF)

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Bradley posed three of the first four points of the night, but Evansville fought back with five in a row.  A Rachel Tam kill gave UE its first lead at 4-3 before Allana McInnis had an ace to make it a 6-3 game.  UE would extend its lead to 12-6 before Bradley came back to get within a pair at 14-12.  Melanie Feliciano and Gabriela Macedo each added kills as the lead grew back to six points at 21-15.  The Braves had one more run left and used it to retake the lead at 23-22 as Sara Maddox notched the kill.  Evansville showed its fight as Hannah Watkins and Patricia Joseph posted kills before an error gave the Aces the 25-23 win.  Vazquez had three stellar digs in one points to cement the win.
 
Feliciano recorded an early kill to put the Aces up 3-1, but it was the serving of Hannah Angeli that got the Braves back on track.  She recorded three service aces to help BU go up 10-5.  A kill from Tam helped UE cut the deficit to a pair, but the Braves extended the lead to five at 16-11.  Their lead reached as many as eight at 23-15, but UE reeled off three in a row, including a Vazquez aces, before Bradley finished the set with a 25-19 victory.
 
Evansville scored the first two tallies of the third frame before Bradley stormed back to take a 6-3 edge.  Their lead grew from there as it hit double figures at 21-11 before they won by a 25-13 final.
 
UE once again had a nice start, opening up another 3-1 lead in game four.  The Aces added to it from there, going up 10-4 on a Feliciano kill.  Bradley overcame the start and got back with two at 12-10, but three in a row by the Aces got the back on track and made it a 6-point game (19-13).  BU cut the gap to a pair at 19-17 before rallying all the way back to tie it up at 21-all.  A Feliciano kill and a block assist from Patricia Joseph and Tam got the Aces back in the right direction and they forced another deciding game with the 25-22 victory.
 
Bradley scored the first four points of the fifth set, including two more service aces, before Feliciano's 18^th kill of the evening put UE on the board.  Evansville was unable to make a run from there with BU clinching the match on the strength of a 15-12 win.  Despite trailing 11-2 to begin the set, Evansville never gave up and got within two points at 14-12 to make it interesting down the stretch.
 
Indiana State is next on the schedule for UE.  The Sycamores come to Meeks Family Fieldhouse on Friday for a 6 p.m. contest.
 

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