EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Giulia Cardona recorded a match-high 19 points, however, a balanced Drake attack saw them hit .336 as they took a 3-0 win over the University of Evansville volleyball team on Saturday at Meeks Family Fieldhouse.
Box Score
Cardona was the lone player to record double figure kills for the Purple Aces. Melanie Feliciano recorded five while Angelica Gonzalez Maltes finished with four. Kora Ruff led all players with 27 assists while Ainoah Cruz tallied 16 digs.
Haley Bush and Taylor Oberpriller paced the Bulldogs with 15 and 13 kills, respectively. Oberpriller also completed the contest with a match-high 20 digs.
Game 1 – Drake 25, UE 10
Drake set the early tone as they scored the first four points of the night. Evansville rallied to tie it right up with Giulia Cardona picking up a pair of kills. The Bulldogs slowly regained their edge. After a Cardona kill made it a 13-8 game, they outscored the Aces by a 12-2 tally to open the night with a 25-10 decision.
Game 2 – Drake 25, UE 14
Another big start saw the Bulldogs reel off the first four points of the set once again. An error by DU saw the Aces get within one at 5-4 before they pulled back out to an 11-7 advantage. Two Cardona kills made it a 2-point UE deficit and that is when the Bulldogs took over.
Four in a row pushed their lead to six and they would post another late rally to open a commanding 2-0 match lead with a 25-14 victory.
Game 3 – Drake 25, UE 20
Evansville put forth its best performance in the third frame. Kills from Madisyn Steele and Cardona helped the Aces take a 3-1 lead. The Bulldogs took their first advantage of the set at 5-4 and things would remain within two points as another Cardona tally cut the UE deficit to 11-10.
Things turned for the Bulldogs at that point with a 6-0 run to take a 17-10 lead. Using it second time out of the game, the Aces came out reenergized and posted three in a row to make it a 4-point game. Drake used its first time out at that point and would rebound to fend off the Evansville challenge and clinch the match with a 25-20 win.
UE is back home on Monday night to take on Indiana State at 6 p.m.
