EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Drake volleyball team improved to 17-6 overall and 8-2 in MVC play this evening with a 3-0 sweep at Evansville. The Bulldogs won the match 27-25, 27-25, 25-15 for their third-consecutive victory.
The first two sets were played in a similar fashion with both teams trading blows into extra time. In the opener, Drake trailed 24-22 before forcing an Evansville error and getting a kill from
Taylor Oberpriller to tie the match. Drake then rattled off a 3-1 run to win the first set, 27-25.
The second set saw similar action with a few more extended rallies by both teams. Drake jumped in front 7-4 with three unanswered points before the Purple Aces retook the lead with a 4-0 run of their own. The Bulldogs seemed to be in control of the set with a 23-20 advantage before Evansville forced extra time with another 4-0 rally. Drake persisted, however, and went on a 4-1 run including two kills from Oberpriller to win the second set.
Drake finally settled into a groove in the third set. The Bulldogs and Purple Aces traded blows until the Dogs scored a 9-1 run to take a 20-9 lead. Drake held on to their healthy lead to secure the match win.
Mariana Rodrigues led the match with 16 kills. Freshman
Addison Beagle recorded 36 and led the Bulldogs with two service aces. Defensively,
Haley Bush led all players with four blocks and
Jada Wills paced all players with 17 digs.
"We did well on offense," Drake head coach
Darrin McBroom. "Congrats to Mariana [Rodrigues] on her 16 kills. There is still some room for improvement for us to get better on defense and in serve receive. Evansville did a great job of challenging us tonight. We need to be better tomorrow night."
The Bulldogs will conclude their weekend tomorrow evening with a 5 p.m. match at Indiana State.
NOTES
- Drake's win matched the second-best win streak of the year (3 games).
- Friday's sweep was the Bulldogs' eighth 3-0 win of the year.
- Mariana Rodrigues' 16 kills marked her third-straight double-digit effort in that category.
