University of Evansville Athletics

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Friday's opener of a home-and-home series saw the University of Evansville volleyball team fall to USI by a 3-0 final inside Liberty Arena. The teams meet up on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. at Meeks Family Fieldhouse.
 
Savannah Gogel led the Purple Aces with eight kills in the contest while Wren Jones finished with five. Carsyn Kelley recorded a double-double with 24 assists and 10 digs. Lexi Owen added three service aces in a strong performance. Ashby Willis led all players with 13 kills.
 
Set 1 – USI 25, UE 20
Helped by an 8-0 run in the middle portion of the set, USI took a 1-0 match lead. After Lexi Owen's kill gave the Aces a 5-4 lead, the Screaming Eagles countered to score the next ten points to go up 14-5. Kerigan Fehr had back-to-back aces during the rally while Ashby Willis finished the rally with two kills.
 
Lyla Fisher got UE back on track with a kill as the squad battled back. Trailing 19-12, Evansville scored three in a row to get within four. USI fended off the challenge to take the set by five points.
 
Set 2 – USI 25, UE 22
USI took a 6-3 lead out of the gate while the Aces scored the next two points to get back within a tally with Wren Jones and Ryan Scheu recording kills. An error by the Screaming Eagles saw Evansville tie the game at 7-7, but USI regrouped to score the next three. They went up by as many as four points (16-12) before UE made it a 1-point game at 17-16 with a Fisher kill. Each time the Aces rallied, the Screaming Eagles answered as they took the second game by a 25-22 final.
 
Set 3 – USI 25, UE 20
Three service aces by Lexi Owen early in the frame set the Aces up with a 6-1 advantage. USI chipped away at the deficit to tie things up at 9-9. Savannah Gogel registered a kill to put the Aces up 14-11 before USI made its run. Scoring four in a row, the Screaming Eagles took their first lead at 15-14.
 
Evansville fought right back with three in a row to retake a 17-15 lead. Brooke Herdes and Holland Morris picked up kills for UE. Unfortunately, USI came back with another stretch that saw them score six in a row on their way to the 25-20 win.