EVANSVILLE, Ind. – For the second weekend in a row, the University of Evansville volleyball team takes to the road for a pair of Missouri Valley Conference matches. On Thursday the Purple Aces head to Valparaiso for a 6 p.m. contest before traveling to Chicago for a 6 p.m. match on Friday with both matches being carried on ESPN+.
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Last Time Out
- Last weekend, the Aces opened with a win at Murray State before falling at Belmont
- In the win over the Racers, Lyla Fisher and McKenzie Laubach tallied 14 kills apiece while Savannah Gogel added 13 kills and six blocks
- Carsyn Kelley set her career mark with five kills while posting 45 assists
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Hit the Ground Running
- Savannah Gogel made her season debut on Sept. 15 at UT Martin and has been on a roll ever since
- Averaging 1.27 blocks and 2.55 kills per set in her first week, Gogel was named the MVC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 22
- Gogel set her career mark with 14 kills in home matches versus USI and Bradley
- In her first seven matches of 2026, Gogel is averaging 2.70 kills and 1.15 blocks while hitting an unbelievable .379; all three would rank in the top 12 in the MVC with enough matches played
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Winning Effort
- McKenzie Laubach tied for the team high with 14 kills in the win at Murray State
- It marked her top season tally surpassing a 10-kill effort at Tennessee State
- Laubach is one of the most efficient hitters in the MVC ranking 4th with a .359 tally
- Over her last nine matches, Laubach is averaging 1.97 kills per set
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Scouting the Opponent
- Valparaiso enters Thursday's match-up with a 9-7 mark while going 1-3 in the opening two weeks of MVC action
- Ava Helming paces the Beacons with 3.71 kills per set, which ranks 3rd in the league
- UIC stands at 5-11 overall and 1-3 in the Valley following a road win at SIU last weekend
- Emma Colombari is the team's offensive leader with 2.44 kills/frame
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