EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Non-conference action continues for the University of Evansville volleyball team as the Purple Aces travel to Atlanta for the GSU Invitational. Evansville face Florida A&M and Queens on Friday before taking on Georgia State on Saturday afternoon.
"Building off of last night, we're excited to play 3 more teams that will prepare us for MVC play. FAMU, Queens, and Georgia State all present very different challenges, so this weekend will truly test how adaptable we are," UE head volleyball coach Zach Weinberg said. "We're looking forward to competing against 3 opponents we don't see very often."
Last Time Out
- Evansville gave Michigan State everything it could handle in Wednesday's home opener inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse before falling by a final of 3-1
- Sabrina Ripple, Hinsley Everett, and Brooke Herdes paced the offense with six kills apiece
- Kora Ruff led the Aces with 24 assists and eight digs
Sell Out Crowd
- The third-largest crowd in Meeks Family Fieldhouse history was on hand for the home opener versus Michigan State
- A sell out crowd of 864 were in attendance
- The first sell out in the facility came against Indiana University of Sept. 8, 2017 when 1,164 were in attendance while 1,012 fans packed the stands when the Aces faced USI on Aug. 29, 2023 in the first meeting as Division I foes
Freshmen Lead the Offense
- UE's top three offensive weapons following the opening four matches are freshmen
- Ryan Scheu leads the team with 2.88 kills per set while Hinsley Everett and Brooke Herdes hold averages of 2.72 and 2.56, respectively
- Everett and Herdes have the top tallies by a UE player this season with each posting 17 in the opening weekend
Scouting the Opposition
- UE opens the weekend against Florida A&M who open the tournament with a 1-2 record
- Last season, the Rattlers were 27-7 and a perfect 16-0 in the SWAC
- The second opponent on Friday is Queens University of Charlotte
- Through four matches, the Royals are 3-1 with victories over Gardner-Webb, Sacred Heart, and USC Upstate
- A match against Georgia State completes the weekend on Saturday
- The Panthers hosted a home tournament last weekend that saw them go a perfect 3-0 versus Presbyterian, West Georgia, and Furman
