Evansville, Indiana — The fall sports season officially begins Thursday for the University of Evansville, as the women’s soccer team welcomes Vanderbilt.
There’s a lot of optimism throughout the Carson Center about the Purple Aces’ potential as they enter a new year with new energy throughout the athletics department, especially after the end of last fall. The women’s and men’s soccer teams competed in the championship matches of the Missouri Valley Conference, losing to Loyola and Missouri State, respectively. Hopes are high for both of them again, as well as for the volleyball show as it is coming off its most successful season since 1988.
Let’s take a look at what to expect this year from these programs, all of which are capable of earning a spot in the NCAA tournament.
Volleyball
The Aces’ 2021 season ended in the third round of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship, a 31-team single-elimination tournament that is basically the same as the NIT for men’s and women’s basketball. On the same subject : Netflix: The Absolute 49 Best TV Shows to Watch.
Now the EU has momentum on its side.
The Aces return most of their starters and added top 100 Kora Ruff to a team that went 21-12, finishing fifth in MVC. They qualified for the conference tournament for the second time since 2008 and are optimistic about using their postseason spot as a springboard to the NCAA tournament.
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Coach Fernando Morales and fifth-year forward Alondra Vazquez kept busy over the summer representing the Puerto Rico national team in international competition, and current MVC rookie of the year Giulia Cardona returns looking to build on her success.
“We’ve been working since my first year here to change the way we play,” Morales said.
Before last season, he told his team, “It’s time to start winning.” With the high expectations that come with success, there is added pressure. Still, they could benefit from hosting the MVC tournament in November.
“Our goal is to win the conference,” said Ruff. “You hear that quite often.”
The Aces have a tough non-conference list, headed by No. 10 Baylor, Michigan State and Arizona State. The season kicks off against Wright State at the Marshall Invitational on August 26. The EU’s first home game is on August 30 against the University of Southern Indiana, sparking a cross-city rivalry.
“When you get better, you feel pressure. But pressure is not necessarily a negative thing,” Morales said. “We wanted to feel that pressure, we wanted to be better, and being better comes with pressure. … Let’s embrace it and use it to improve ourselves.”
Men’s soccer
The Aces are coming off what coach Marshall Ray described as a season-long “roller coaster”. EU advanced to the MVC championship despite only finishing 4-14-2 overall To see also : New movies and shows to watch this weekend: ‘Elvis’ on Amazon Prime Video and more.
A tactical change turned the team’s fortunes around and showed glimmers of potential in the first half of their preseason loss to Kentucky. The Aces will face Division III Hanover College in another showing on Sunday before starting the season at Bellarmine on August 25.
With a strong core of returning players, including Jose Vivas, who was ranked one of the top 100 rookies in the country last season, the EU feels they can build on last year’s postseason. The Aces placed fourth in the MVC during the regular season at 3-6-1.
“I think (the MVC race) gives us an understanding of what we are capable of,” Ray said.
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The Aces added important pieces in the spring, notably the transfer from Akron, Tobias Bak. These additions, as well as player-led training ahead of official sessions, helped the EU improve. “Every minute spent together is crucial,” said defender Raphaello Perez-Colasito.
The Aces were competitive in most matches last season, but continued to fall short. Perez-Colasito credited the turnaround and the tournament to a lineup change from a 4-3-3 to a 3-4-2-1, saying the former “wasn’t exactly adequate”. The team bounced back from the exchange and went on to win four of the five games for the title.
“All the experience we learned there we can show to our young people,” said Perez-Colasito. “I hope they are able to show for years after them and we will know what to expect when we do it again this year and hopefully get the ring.”
When returning a strong group, the EU has a large class of newcomers, freshmen, and transfers. Graduate goalie Alex Vidizzoni of Oklahoma Wesleyan is likely to start at the net and Bak is likely to start off to the side.
“The team looks really good. We have a lot of talent,” said defender Carson Thomas. “I’ve been talking to some of the older guys, and they’ve mentioned how this is a very deep roster and gives us a chance to do some good racing this season.”
Women’s soccer
Coming from the disappointment of losing the conference championship, head coach Chris Pfau likes the Aces’ look this fall. To see also : When could Invincible season 2 be released on Amazon Prime Video?. Although a weekend showing against Saint Louis ended in defeat, it showed them what they need to build on to come out of their most successful season in nearly a decade.
His opening against Vanderbilt will be another measure.
“They will expose us if we have weaknesses and we will find out who we are against these teams,” Pfau said. “That’s our big thing, can we compete with the big schools? Can we put ourselves in a position to win a game or get a result out of it?”
The Aces return several key players, including Chaser Emily Ormson. They also brought in outstanding freshmen and transfers, most notably Kaylee Woosley, a North graduate, and Ryleigh Anslinger, a Memorial graduate, who transferred from Indiana University. The EU must lay a solid foundation before playing out of the conference.
“I think we bonded a lot with the group that we had and we’ve done a better job, I think, of being really inclusive with our rookies and transfers,” Ormson said. “That has been our motto – of many, one family.”
Last season, the Aces finished 7-5-7, with Pfau betting on keeping a clean sheet. He said that when he arrived in the EU, the Aces were winning “about three games a year and losing a lot of goals”. The objective is to have a chance to win every game with 10 minutes to go.
“If we do that, we will have a good season,” he said. It all boils down to “one extra thing we have to do in a game: one extra shot, one extra tackle, one extra big play in the area that we hope will turn this tie.”
He said he thought aces were in every game but two, so this will serve as a significant building block for the show.
What is Evansville basketball record?
| In general | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rk | Season | Ç |
| 1 | 2021-22 | 6 |
| two | 2020-21 | 9 |
| 3 | 2019-20 | 9 |
What is Valparaiso’s basketball record? In a limited season due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Valparaíso finished the 2020-21 season 10-18, 7-11 in the MVC game to end a three-way tie for fifth place. As the #6 seed in the MVC Tournament, they lost to Missouri State in the quarterfinals.
What is the score of the Evansville basketball game?
past Evansville 65-42.
Is University of Evansville d1?
The University of Evansville competes at the highest level of college athletics: NCAA Division I. The EU is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference, along with schools such as Bradley, Drake, Illinois State, Indiana State, Loyola, Missouri State, Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois and Valparaiso.
Does University of Evansville have a basketball team?
Men’s Basketball – University of Evansville Athletics.
Is D3 or NAIA better?
Well-funded NAIA teams are much better than D3 as they should be. The NAIA can offer 24 scholarships (plus as many as you like for non-varsity or red shirt players. Also, lower academic standards for NAIA athletes allow the NAIA to get more D1 skill players.
Is the NAIA superior to Division 3? The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, or NAIA, has about 300 member institutions. NAIA schools are smaller and have relatively low athletic department budgets, roughly on par with Division III schools. However, unlike the NCAA Division III, NAIA schools offer scholarships to athletes.
Is Division 3 the same as NAIA?
NAIA Institutions May Provide Scholarships for Athletes The recruitment budget of NAIA schools typically have smaller recruitment budgets, as do Division III schools. However, unlike Division III schools, NAIA schools may provide scholarships for athletes.
Is NAIA more competitive than Division 3?
DIII schools spend 70% more than NAIA schools to provide quality athletic programs. NAIA schools spend significantly less to be competitive nationally. The average difference in athletics operating budget between the top 100 NAIA Directors’ Cup schools and all NAIA members was $300,000.
Is NAIA D2 better than NCAA D3?
NAIA schools are most comparable to NCAA II and NCAA III schools in terms of size, enrollment, and level of competition; although there are exceptions with some of the stronger NAIA programs (in sports) competing at a level comparable to D-I schools.
How many people go to Evansville?
About Our Student Body Total enrollment in Fall 2021 (including undergraduate, graduate, adult, graduate and full-time and part-time EU students at Harlaxton) is 2,078 students. 48 countries and 46 states are represented on campus. The average class size is 16 students and the student-teacher ratio is 9.5:1.
How many undergraduates are at the University of Evansville? The University of Evansville has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,041 (Fall 2020), with a gender distribution of 42% male students and 58% female students.
Is the University of Evansville a party school?
Tons of parties almost every night of the week.
What level is University of Evansville?
The University of Evansville competes at the highest level of college athletics: NCAA Division I.
Is the University of Evansville a party school?
Tons of parties almost every night of the week.
Is the University of Evansville a dry campus? All campus community members and guests are expected to comply with Indiana State Law and university policies regarding the possession, consumption, use, production or sale of alcohol. The state of Indiana sets the legal drinking age as 21 years of age or older.
Is university of Indiana a party school?
His school rose from unranked to the top of the list, but Indiana University officials weren’t exactly bubbly Monday with the news that their university was named the nation’s No. 1 partisan school.
What is the University of Evansville known for?
Teaching in the EU is carried out by professional academics, with no classes taught by postgraduate assistants. Evansville is known as one of the most international regional colleges in the United States, with around 80% of students studying abroad.
