DES MOINES, Iowa ? Senior Nikki Pierzchala (Sylvania, Ohio/Northview) had 20 kills and freshman Melissa Collins (Manchester, Mo./Parkway South) had a season-high 18 kills to lead the Bradley volleyball team, but Drake pulled out a five-game victory against the Braves Saturday night at the Drake Knapp Center.  Game scores in favor of Drake were 24-30, 30-20, 30-26, 19-30, 15-6.

Bradley (2-21 overall, 1-10 MVC) got off to a good start, hitting .382 in the first game and cruising to a 30-24 win.  Bradley led 27-24 when Collins tallied a kill and junior Katrina Goncher (Batavia, Ill./Aurora Rosary) followed with a kill and a block to close out the game.

Drake (6-16 overall, 3-8 MVC) rallied to even the match with a 30-20 win in game two.  The Bulldogs hit .275 in the frame and limited the Braves to an .093 attack percentage.  Drake blew open a one-point game (14-13) with a 12-2 run that included six kills by Angela Bys and went on to win game two 30-20.

Game three was the closest contest of the night.  Bradley led by as many as three points, but Drake scored eight consecutive points during a stretch late in the game and took a 24-18 lead.  The Braves rallied to pull to within one point at 27-26, but a Bradley service error and pair of Drake kills gave the Bulldogs a 30-26 victory.

Bradley dominated the fourth set, winning 30-19, to even the match at two games each and force a deciding fifth game.  The Braves hit .324 as a team and held Drake to an .023 attack percentage.  Bradley led 5-4, before taking the game over with a 17-7 spurt that put the Braves ahead 22-11.  Pierzchala recorded six of her team-high 20 kills in the set to help pace Bradley offensively.

Drake opened the fifth game with a 6-1 run and never looked back, going on to close out the match with a 15-6 win.  The Bulldogs hit .357 in the game and held Bradley to a -.050 attack percentage. 

Bradley fell in the match despite holding a slim edge in kills (69-67) and hit .208 as a team compared to .188 for the Bulldogs.  The Braves also held a 75-59 edge in digs, with five players reaching double figures in digs.  Goncher joined Pierzchala and Collins in double figures in kills with 10.  Sophomore Kaitlyn Comiskey (Crystal Lake, Ill./South) had a team-best 17 digs to lead Bradley.

Drake had just two players reach double figures in kills, but Angela Bys posted a career-high 33 kills to lead the Bulldogs.  Samantha Nelson chipped in with 13 kills.