Last Week
The Braves suffered a pair of home losses, falling to Drake in five games and Creighton in three games. The loss to the Bulldogs ended a 12-match win streak in the series for the Braves and was Drake's first victory at Robertson Memorial Field House since the 1998 season. Senior Nikki Pierzchala and freshman Melissa Collins led the Braves offensively, averaging 2.75 kills per game for the week. Junior Katrina Goncher returned to the lineup after missing four matches and averaged 2.62 kills per game while hitting .333.
This Week
The Braves opened the week with the final non-conference road match of the season at Valparaiso Tuesday. Bradley fell in three games, hitting .136 in the match, while Valparaiso hit at a .324 clip and served up 12 service aces. The Braves conclude the week against Missouri Valley Conference foe Northern Iowa.
UNI Series
The Panthers own a 42-9 advantage in the all-time series and have won three consecutive meetings in the series. Bradley has lost 19 consecutive road matches in the series dating back to four-game Bradley win on Oct. 27, 1984. The Braves are 1-19 all-time against UNI in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Bradley is 4-21 all-time in matches in Cedar Falls, Iowa, which includes the 1999 and 2005 State Farm MVC Tournaments and Northern Iowa Invitational in 2004.
Up Next
Bradley opens up a stretch in which seven of the next 10 matches are at home with I-74 rival Illinois State on Friday. The Redbirds lead the all-time series 46-12 and have won eight consecutive matches in the series. Bradley is 6-17 in home matches against Illinois State.
Balanced Attack
Bradley used a very balanced attack last Friday against Drake, 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. 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.
Goncher Returns To Lineup
Junior Katrina Goncher returned to the lineup after missing four matches due to injury and had a big impact last weekend, averaging 2.62 kills per game and hitting .333 in the two matches this past weekend. Goncher is fourth on the team in kills per game (2.03) and is tied for second in blocks per game (0.86). She recorded 14 kills and five block assists against Drake.
Road Stretch Ending
Saturday's match at UNI will end a season-opening stretch in which Bradley played 11 of the first 16 matches of 2007 away from home. The Braves are 0-5 in true road games and 0-10 away from home this season. Bradley has dropped six consecutive road games and 11 straight games away from home dating back to a win at Indiana State last season. The Braves will end the regular season with nine of the last 15 matches at home.
Nearing The Halfway Point
This week's action will mark the halfway point of the 2007 season. Bradley is averaging 2.41 blocks per game through 14 matches, which is the highest average since 2002 when the Braves averaged 2.67 blocks per game. Leading the way at the net for the Braves is freshman Emily Austin who is averaging 1.10 blocks per game. Current junior Katrina Goncher was the last freshman to lead the team in total blocks in 2005.
Black Stepping Up
Junior Sam Black leads the team in double-doubles, posting four in the last five matches heading into Saturday's match at UNI. Black, who is the Braves active career leader in double-doubles, assists and aces, has posted double-doubles in six of the last nine matches and is averaging 6.13 assists and 2.77 digs per game during that stretch.
Freshmen Playing Big Roles
Bradley's freshmen class has played a big role in the first 15 matches of the season, combining for nearly 37 percent of the Braves kills and almost half of the team's blocking. This season the freshmen have combined for 233 kills (36.5 percent of the team's total), 21 aces (33.9 percent), 147 digs (20 percent) and 54.5 blocks (45.2 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. 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.
Pierzchala Tops 600 Kills
Senior Nikki Pierzchala notched her 600th career recently and is closing on the Braves career top 20. She enters this weekend's match at UNI with 650 in her Bradley career and needs 58 kills to crack into the Braves top 20 in kills. Pierzchala is closing in another feat, however, needing just five digs to reach 500 in a career. Averaging a career-best 2.31 digs per game, she has a chance to become the 18th player in program history to reach 600 kills and 500 digs. Only 17 individuals have recorded 700 kills and 500 digs in a career with Briony Hammet being the last person to join the group.
Tough Schedule
One of the main reasons for the Braves start to the season is a tough schedule. Bradley's 15 opponents to date have combined for a 138-95 record (.592) through Tuesday. The teams the Braves have suffered losses to are a combined 133-87 (.605) on the year. The schedule doesn't get much easier, unfortunately, as the Braves play at preseason MVC favorite Northern Iowa Saturday and then return home to face I-74 rival Illinois State, which is 10-5 on the year.
Duo Rank Among Bradley Leaders
Senior setter Eileen Hillary and junior setter Eileen Hillary both rank among Bradley's career leaders in assists. Black currently ranks 10th with 1,267 career assists, while Hillary is 11th all-time with 1,109 assists. Black needs 448 assists to pass Carrie Brigman for ninth place all-time.
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- 1267 65
11. Eileen Hillary 2004- 1109 91
12. Ange Martin 1991-94 1023 119
Tough Stretch
Bradley is in the midst of what is probably the toughest portion of its schedule. Starting with the Sept. 7 match against Cincinnati, seven of nine opponents won 21 or more matches last year. Those teams are all off to good starts again this year, combining for an 86-43 record (.667) through Tuesday. Drake and Northern Iowa are the only teams during this stretch to have a losing record, while the other seven teams have combined for an impressive 75-25 (.750) mark this season through Tuesday's matches.
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.
Comiskey Takes Over Libero Duties
Sophomore Kaitlyn Comiskey has taken over the duties at libero and has been one of the Braves top passers in the early stages of the 2007 season. Comiskey has already passed her season total for digs from her freshman season and is averaging a team-best 4.18 digs per game. With 205 digs in the first 15 matches she has accounted for over 28 percent of the team's digs to date. Last season the Braves libero, Jennifer Bohan, accounted for just over 21 percent of the team's digs (398 digs). Comiskey is on pace to finish the regular season with 424 digs which would rank as the seventh best season total in school history.
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. Senior Nikki Pierzchala is the Braves active career leader in kills with 650 and she is followed by fellow senior Jenna Harrison, who recorded her 300th career kill during the opening weekend, and is at 399 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 20 wins to reach the mark. The second winningest coach in program history Luster owns a 132-150 record at BU and has a career mark of 580-401 (.591). Luster has coached in 981 matches as a Division I head coach, including 282 matches at Bradley. He has led the Braves to a 75-91 (.452) 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) 132 150 .468 75 91 .452
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 -- -- --
