Last Week
Bradley suffered a pair of home losses, falling to Illinois-Chicago in four games and Missouri Valley Conference preseason favorite Northern Iowa in three games. Senior Nikki Pierzchala had a match-high 22 kills in the loss to UIC to lead the Braves while sophomore Kaitlyn Comiskey matched a career-high with 28 digs against the Flames. UNI used a potent offense to defeat the Braves, hitting .376 in the match, while limiting Bradley to a .110 attack percentage.
Indiana State Series
Bradley will close out a three-match homestand next Friday against Indiana State. The Braves hold a 31-18 lead in the all-time series with the Sycamores after defeating Indiana State in four games earlier this season in Terre Haute, Ind. Bradley has won each of the last five meetings in the series with the Sycamores and 15 of the last 19 overall. The Braves are 16-5 at home in the series and also own a 16-5 record under 10th-year head coach Scott Luster. Eight of the last 15 matches in the series have gone to five games, with Bradley winning five of those contests.
Illinois State Series
Bradley will open its final road swing of the season, beginning with a Saturday evening match at I-74 rival Illinois State. The Redbirds hold a 47-12 lead in the all-time series with the Braves and have won nine consecutive meetings in the series, which includes a three-game ISU sweep at Robertson Memorial Field House earlier in the year. Bradley is 3-23 in road matches in the series.
Braves Complete Horizon League Challenge
Bradley wrapped up the non-conference portion of its schedule Monday night against Illinois-Chicago at Robertson Memorial Field House. The Flames were the fifth non-conference opponent for the Braves from the Horizon League and BU finished with an 0-5 record against teams from that conference. Bradley also faced the top three teams in the Horizon League standings (Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Cleveland State and Valparaiso) in addition to playing Loyola.
Last Time Against Indiana State
Bradley defeated Indiana State in four games in the team's first meeting of the season in Terre Haute, Ind. Senior Jenna Harrison led the Braves with 14 kills and was one of four Bradley players to reach double figures in kills. Sophomore Kaitlyn Comiskey set a career-high with 28 digs in the season's first meeting with the Sycamores.
Comiskey Nears 400 Digs
Sophomore Kaitlyn Comiskey enters Friday's match against Indiana State with a team-leading 394 digs on the year. Comiskey is looking to become just the eighth different player in program history to record 400 digs in a season. Kathy Bickler is the only player to accomplish the feat twice (1984 & 1985). At her current season average, Comiskey is on pace to finish the regular season with 489 digs which would rank as the fourth best season total in school history. Comiskey is also 12 digs short of reaching 500 for her career.
Tough Stretch To Close Season
Bradley will face a very tough schedule to close the 2007 regular season. After Friday's match against Indiana State (3-18 overall), the Braves final five opponents have combined for an 82-40 record (.672) on the year. Bradley will open the brutal stretch with three road matches; at Illinois State (15-9), at Southern Illinois (12-12 overall) and at Evansville (11-12), before coming home to face Missouri State (23-3) and 25th-ranked Wichita State (21-4).
Down The Stretch They Come
With six matches remaining in the regular season, Bradley has little margin for error if the Braves are to advance to the 2007 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in Springfield, Mo., Nov. 23-24. Bradley is currently three games back from a tie for sixth place in the Valley standings. The Braves must win at least four of the final six matches (including the matches at Southern Illinois and Evansville) to have a chance to qualify for the six-team field.
Blocking The Night Away
Bradley had arguably one of its defensive efforts against Loyola-Chicago (Oct. 16) at Robertson Memorial Field House, posting 82 digs and a season-best 19 blocks in a five-game loss. The 19 blocks were the most by the Braves since notching 22 blocks in a four-game victory at Drake on Nov. 1, 2003. Junior Katrina Goncher led Bradley, trying career highs with 14 kills and 10 blocks. Her 10 blocks were the most by a Bradley player since she recorded 10 blocks at Indiana State on Oct. 7, 2005 and it was the first time a Bradley player had a double-double that included double digit blocks since Ashley Vance's triple-double (57 assists, 18 digs, 11 blocks) at Drake at Nov. 1, 2003.
Austin Climbs Blocks List
Freshman Emily Austin leads Bradley in blocks, averaging 1.03 per game. Austin is second no the team with nine block solos and her 68 block assists is 12 better than any other player on the roster. Her 68 block assists is the eighth best total by a freshman and her 77 total blocks is also eighth among freshman marks. In fact she has already joined Lindsay Stalzer and Katrina Goncher as the only freshman since 1996 to have over 60 block assists and 70 total blocks.
Pierzchala Warming Up
Senior Nikki Pierzchala has reached double figures in kills in seven of the last eight matches and is averaging 3.80 kills per game during that span of time. Pierzchala had 10 or more kills in seven consecutive matches, prior to a three-kill effort last match against UNI. The streak marked the first time in her career Pierzchala has reached double figures in kills in three consecutive matches or more and she is the first Bradley player (besides the Valley's all-time career kills leader Lindsay Stalzer) to have 10 or more kills in seven straight matches since Jenna Passman ended the 2003 season with nine straight double-digit kill efforts.
Collins Notches Season High In Kills
Freshman Melissa Collins has been one of the Braves top outside attackers and currently ranks second on the team in total kills with 184 this season. She posted a season-best 18 kills in Bradley's five-game loss at Drake (Oct. 20), marking the most kills by a freshman in a match since Marika Giguere reached the 18-kill mark six times during the 2000 season. Collins is averaging 2.79 kills per game over the last nine matches after averaging 1.71 kills per game in the first 16 matches of the season.
Pierzchala Cracks Top 20
Senior Nikki Pierzchala recorded her 700th career kill against Southern Illinois on Oct. 13. The 23rd player in program history to reach 700 career kills, she is 19th in school history with 779 career kills and enters this weekend's match against UNI 48 kills behind former teammate Briony Hammet for 18th place. At her current season pace Pierzchala would finish the regular season with 839 career kills which would put her in 17th place. She is the 18th player in program history with 700 kills and 500 digs in a career. With six matches remaining in the regular season, she needs 21 kills and 16 digs to become the 15th player in school history with 800 career kills and 600 digs.
Comiskey Also On A Tear
Sophomore Kaitlyn Comiskey has also been on a bit of tear lately, averaging better than five digs per game (5.29) over the last eight matches. Comiskey, who is averaging a team best 4.58 digs per game this season, has had 18 or more digs in six of the last eight outings. She started her recent trend with a career-high 28 digs in the Braves four-game win at Indiana State. Comiskey tied for team-high honors with 21 digs against Evansville and finished with a team-high 19 digs against both Southern Illinois and Loyola. This season she has accounted for nearly 30 percent of the team's digs (28.4 percent). No player in school history has ever accounted for over 25 percent of the team's digs in a season. Comiskey is on pace to finish the regular season with 489 digs which would rank fourth among school season marks.
Blocking Is Improved
One area the Braves have improved upon from recent years is play at the net. Through 25 matches, the Braves are averaging 2.33 blocks per game, which is the highest average since the 2002 team averaged 2.67 blocks per game. Leading the way at the net for the Braves is freshman Emily Austin who is averaging 1.03 blocks per game. Current junior Katrina Goncher was the last freshman to lead the team in total blocks in 2005.
Strarks To Seek Medical Hardship
Freshman Alex Starks is likely done for the season and will apply for a medical hardship for the 2007 season. The Peoria, Ill., native played in nine matches and 19 games and was averaging 2.11 kills per game.
Freshmen Playing Big Roles
Bradley's freshmen class has played a big role in the first 25 matches of the season, combining for nearly 35 percent of the Braves kills and over 40 percent of the team's blocking. This season the freshmen have combined for 388 kills (34.3 percent of the team's total), 31 aces (31.6 percent), 252 digs (18.2 percent) and 81.5 blocks (40.2 percent). Last season the freshmen had a combined 118 kills (8 percent of the team total), 10 aces (8 percent), 177 digs (9 percent) and 18.5 blocks (9 percent) for the entire season. Freshman Melissa Collins has 184 kills, 21 aces, 174 digs and 18.5 blocks on the season. The last freshmen class to contribute more than 25 percent of the team's kills in a season were freshman during the 2000 season. That group included Ann Franklin, Marika Giguere and Jenna Passman.
Balanced Attack
Bradley used a very balanced attack against Drake (Sept. 21), with six different players collecting 10 or more kills. It is believed to be the first time in program history, six BU players had 10 or more kills in a match, unfortunately not all box scores prior to the 1992 season are available in sports information archives. Freshman Emily Austin paced the Braves offensively with 15 kills, while the trio of Nikki Pierzchala, Katrina Goncher and Melissa Collins each added 14 kills. Amy Reichel had 12 kills and senior Jenna Harrison notched 10 kills as the six players combined for all 79 of the Braves kills in the match and all but five of Bradley's attack attempts.
Black Stepping Up
Junior Sam Black leads the team in double-doubles, reaching double figures in assists and digs in 10 of the last 15 matches and owns a team-best 12 double-doubles on the season. Black, who is the Braves active career leader in double-doubles, assists and aces, has posted double-doubles in 12 of the last 19 matches and is averaging 9.25 assists and 3.11 digs per game over the last 15 matches.
Duo Rank Among Bradley Leaders
Senior setter Eileen Hillary and junior setter Sam Black both rank among Bradley's career leaders in assists. Black currently ranks 10th with 1,665 career assists, while Hillary is 11th all-time with 1,123 assists. Black needs 50 assists to pass Carrie Brigman for ninth place all-time, while Hillary will likely finish her career 11th all-time in career assists.
Bradley's Career Assists Leaders
Player Years Assists MP
1. Michelle Pack 1992-95 4251 110
2. Sam Hardwick 1998-01 3828 112
3. Ashley Vance 2002-05 3721 117
4. Wendy Carney 1986-89 2937 137
5. Amelie Rodrigue 1999-02 2546 116
6. Sharon Zaba 1982-85 2434 123
7. Julie Penn 1987-90 2107 128
8. Trish Jording 1994-97 2081 97
9. Carrie Brigman 1984-85 1714 65
10. Sam Black 2005- 1665 75
11. Eileen Hillary 2004- 1123 101
12. Ange Martin 1991-94 1023 119
Pierzchala Named To All-Tournament Team
Senior attacker Nikki Pierzchala picked up the first honors of the season for the Braves, earning all-tournament honors at the Radisson Hotel Invitational. Pierzchala averaged 2.00 kills and 2.20 digs per game. She posted her second double-double of the year in the Braves four-game victory against Western Illinois, finishing with 11 kills and 12 digs.
Braves Picked Eighth In Preseason MVC Poll
Bradley was picked to finish eighth according to a vote of Missouri Valley Conference coaches. Despite the eighth-place prediction, the Braves were just six points behind sixth-place Southern Illinois in the preseason predictions. Defending regular-season champion Northern Iowa is the favorite to repeat, picking up seven of 10 first-place votes and a total of 97 points. Wichita State was second with 85 points and one first-place vote, while Creighton garnered two first-place picks and was third with 81 points. Missouri State was fourth at 71 points, while Illinois State rounded out the top five with 65 points. Southern Illinois checked in at sixth with 39 points, with Evansville (7th - 38 points) and Bradley (8th - 33 points) following. Drake was picked ninth with 28 points and Indiana State received 13 points and was picked to finish 10th.
2007 Preseason Coaches' Poll
Team.......................................................... Total
Northern Iowa (7)............................................... 97
Wichita State (1)................................................. 85
Creighton (2)...................................................... 81
Missouri State.................................................... 71
Illinois State....................................................... 65
Southern Illinois.................................................. 39
Evansville......................................................... 38
Bradley............................................................ 33
Drake............................................................... 28
Indiana State...................................................... 13
No One-Two Combo?
Bradley entered the 2007 season without having two players on the roster with 300 or more career kills, marking the first time since the 1997 season the Braves have done so. Senior Nikki Pierzchala is the Braves active career leader in kills with 779 and she is followed by fellow senior Jenna Harrison, who recorded her 300th career kill during the opening weekend, and is at 464 kills during her career. The last time the Braves entered the season without two players on the roster with 300 or more career kills was the 1997 season. Entering the 1997 campaign, Jenny Pavlas had 1,236 career kills, but no other player on the roster had more than 200 kills. Jennifer Dority was second on the squad entering the season with 165 kills.
Luster Nearing 600 Wins
10th-year Bradley head coach Scott Luster is closing in on 600 career victories, needing 19 wins to reach the mark. The second winningest coach in program history Luster owns a 133-159 record at BU and has a career mark of 581-410 (.586). Luster has coached in 991 matches as a Division I head coach, including 292 matches at Bradley. He has led the Braves to a 76-98 (.437) record in Missouri Valley Conference play. Bradley was just 71-118 (.376) in conference action prior to Luster's arrival on The Hilltop.
Bradley Career Coaching Victories
Overall Record Conference Record
Head Coach (Years) W L Pct. W L Pct.
Pam Stanek (1982-94) 212 249 .460 49 84 .368
Scott Luster (1998-present) 133 159 .455 76 98 .437
Anelle Griffin (1975-80) 115 86 .572 -- --- --
Kalani Mahi (1995-97) 38 53 .418 22 34 .393
Darlene Kluka (1981) 11 27 .289 -- -- --
Marty King (1974) 5 10 .333 -- -- --
