TOLEDO, Ohio -- Senior Nikki Pierzchala (Sylvania, Ohio/Northview) and sophomore Amy Reichel (Schaumburg, Ill./Schaumburg) each tallied 10 kills to pace Bradley offensively, but the Braves hit just .082 as a team in a 30-23, 30-27, 30-24 season-opening loss to Cleveland State at the Rocket Classic.

Pierzchala, a native of nearby Sylvania, Ohio, also served up a pair of aces and had eight digs to help lead the Braves. Reichel also reached double figures in kills and hit a team-best .261 for the match.

Senior Jenna Harrison (Edwardsville, Ill./Metro East Lutheran) notched three kills during a 13-8 Bradley spurt in the opening game to help give the Braves a 20-15 lead, but Cleveland State fought back to tie the game at 22-22. The Braves regained the lead at 23-22 on a Reichel kill, but the Vikings scored the final seven points of the game to take the opening set 30-23.

Cleveland State led by as many as eight points in game two, before the Braves rallied to take a late lead. A Reichel kill helped spark a 7-0 Bradley run that included a pair of aces by freshman middle blocker Emily Austin (St. Louis, Mo./Oakville), that gave BU a 23-21 advantage. The Braves led 27-24, but four Bradley attack errors and a pair of Amy Benz kills gave the Vikings a 30-27 victory.

Game three went back and forth until Cleveland State closed out the match with a six-point run capped by three consecutive kills by Jenni Ramminger in a 30-24 Vikings win. The final game included 12 ties and four lead changes, before Cleveland State was able to gain control. The score was tied at 24-24 following a Reichel kill, but a kill by Amy Benz gave the Vikings a 25-24 lead. A Bradley attack error on the next play and an Alexis Korovich kill gave CSU a 27-24 advantage. Ramminger, who tied teammate Liz Fazio for match high honors with 11 kills, recorded three conscutive kills to close out the match for Cleveland State.

Senior setter Eileen Hillary (Washington, Ill./Washington) had 34 assists and eight digs to help highlight Bradley's offensive efforts. Austin, who is the first freshman to start a season opener since Hillary and Bethany Dulle in 2004, had four kills, three aces, six digs and two block assists in her debut.

Bradley returns to action at 2 p.m. (CDT) against Xavier at the Rocket Classic in Toledo, Ohio.