DES MOINES, Iowa - Playing at home for just the second time this season, the Drake University volleyball team swept Evansville, 3-0, on Friday, Sept. 25, to open the Missouri Valley Conference season 1-0.  

The Bulldogs (10-8, 1-0 MVC) took the match by set scores of 25-15, 25-11, 25-18.

“I'm really proud of our team tonight,” Drake head coach Darrin McBroom said. “Physically this team is no different than they were a week ago, but mentally our team came out tonight and executed our game plan to near perfection.”

Freshman Grace Schofield (Mundelein, Ill.) led the team with 10 kills, while Kyla Inderski (Urbandale, Iowa), Makena Schoene (Seattle, Wash.) and Taylor Zant (Libertyville, Ill.) all had six kills each. Chandelle Davidson (Gretna, Neb.) led the team with 18 assists, while Rebecca Brown (Bentonville, Ark.) also had 12. Defensively, Inderski had 13 digs, while Katie Allen (Mokena, Ill.) totaled four blocks.

The Purple Aces (6-9, 0-1 MVC) were led by Mildrelis Rodriguez's six kills as the team was held to just -.010 hitting on the evening.

Drake got out to an early, 8-3, lead in the first set and never trailed, winning the first set 25-15. Inderski led the team with four kills in the first set, as the team hit .300.

Katie Dulek's (Lenexa, Kan.) serving propelled the Bulldogs in the second set with a 12-0 run after a tight start. Drake won the set 25-11, with Katie Allen recording three kills.

Drake trailed for the first time in the match, after the third set got off to a 7-8 start. The set continued to be tight until Drake went on a 7-1 run to eventually win, 25-18, led by Schofield with five kills, and Zant with four.

“We're a team that's learning how to win and how to deal with success,” McBroom said. “Tonight we had some success and the team did a phenomenal job of being consistent throughout the match despite the score.”

Evansville's Genesis Miranda came into the game leading the conference with 4.38 kills per set but was held to only five kills on the whole evening against the Bulldogs' defense.

"We knew we had to slow her [Miranda] down some to be successful tonight,” McBroom added. "We worked on blocking from the outside, but nothing more than you would typically do. Our girls just came in and got it done at the net and in the back court.”

The Bulldogs will have little time to enjoy the win as MVC play continues on Saturday evening when the team hosts Southern Illinois.

“That's the next test for our team is coming off a big win, how do we deal with that,” McBroom said. "SIU played an exceptionally tough non-conference schedule and will really give us a good test Saturday night.”

First serve against the Salukis is set for 7 p.m. In the Knapp Center.