The Basics
Drake University volleyball is set for another weekend on the road in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Bulldogs will visit Evansville on Friday, Oct. 21 and Indiana State on Saturday, Oct. 22.
 
Bulldogs by the Numbers
Drake enters the weekend with an overall record of 16-6 and a 7-2 mark in conference play. The Bulldogs have won their last two matches in convincing fashion with a pair of wins over Valparaiso and UIC. Both wins over Valpo and the Flames came at home in the Knapp Center while Drake dropped just one set.
 
Drake is led by Haley Bush with 303 kills followed by Mariana Rodrigues with 258. Bush is also towards the top of Drake's statistical leader lists with 15 service aces, 176 digs, and 32 blocks. Freshman setter Addison Beagle has recorded 940 assists, the most in the MVC, and leads the team with 24 aces. Defensively, Jada Wills paces the Bulldogs with 421 digs while Kacie Rewerts leads both the Drake roster and the league with 99 blocks.
 
Scouting Evansville
Evansville brings an 8-15 overall record and 5-4 MVC record into the weekend of action. The Purple Aces have won three of their last four contests including a five-set win over Missouri State, a 3-1 win over Indiana State, and a sweep of Illinois State. The Purple Aces' lone loss in that stretch came in a four-set match at Bradley.
 
Giulia Cardona leads Evansville with 349 kills followed by Alondra Vazquez with 276. Cardona also tops the Purple Aces, and the MVC in general, with 41 service aces. The Evansville hitters have benefitted from Kora Ruff's 853 assists, the third-most in the conference. Defensively, five players have recorded 100+ digs led by Ruff's 190 and Cardona's 183. Madisyn Steele's 67 blocks is the best on the team.
 
Evansville is led by fourth-year head coach Fernando Morales. During his tenure leading the Purple Aces, Morales has posted a 51-55 record.
 
Drake leads the all-time series with Evansville by a 33-26 margin. The Purple Aces have won the two most recent matches. From 2014-2021, Drake owned the series with a 12-2 run.
 
Scouting Indiana State
The Sycamores of Indiana State enter the weekend with a 3-14 record overall and 2-7 record in MVC contests. Indiana State has dropped their last four matches with two coming four sets, one in five, and another via sweep. The Sycamores' last victory came in a five-set thriller against Missouri State on Oct. 7.
 
Karinna Gall's 165 kills narrowly lead the Sycamores' offensive attack, just in front of Kaitlyn Hamiltons' 163. A pair of Indiana State setters, Emma Kaelin and Jazzlyn Ford, have recorded over 260 assists. Cadence Gilley and Taylor Shelton are tied for the team-lead with 10 service aces. Defensively, Melina Tedrow paces the Sycamores with 264 digs while Jamie Brown and Storm Suhre have recorded 127 total blocks.
 
Indiana State head coach Ashlee Pritchard is in her first season at the helm of the Sycamore squad. Prior to joining the Indiana State staff, Pritchard led Marian University in Indiana to a 222-103 record over a 10-year tenure.
 
Drake also leads the all-time series with Indiana State by a 38-29 margin. The Sycamores defeated Drake in the two most recent matches after the Bulldogs went on a 12-2 stretch from 2014-2021.
 
Up Next
The Bulldogs will return home for their penultimate homestand. Drake will host Belmont on Friday, Oct. 28 and Murray State on Saturday, Oct. 29.