Last Week
Bradley picked up its first victory of the season, defeating Western Illinois in four games, and the Braves finishing third of four teams at the Radisson Hotel Invitational. Saint Louis won the event, going 3-0, while Montana finished second with a 2-1 record. Senior Nikki Pierzchala was named to the all-tournament team after averaging 2.00 kills and 2.20 digs per game.
This Week
The Braves will travel to Milwaukee, Wis., for the Panther Classic (Sept. 7 & 8). Bradley will face a tough challenge as the three other teams in the tournament have combined for a 15-4 record. The Braves open play against Cincinnati, which is coming off its 12th consecutive 20-win season, and is 5-1 on the year so far. The Bearcats own a 2-0 lead in the all-time series. Bradley will also face Virginia Tech (5-2 overall) for the second time in program history. The Braves won the only other meeting with the Hokies in 2000, defeating Virginia Tech in four games at a tournament in Manhattan, Kan. Bradley concludes play against tournament-host Wisconsin-Milwaukee (5-1 overall). The Panthers and Braves will be meeting for the 13th time, but it will mark the first meeting in the series since 1994. Bradley is 7-5 all-time against UWM and has won five straight against the Panthers.
Tough Stretch
Bradley will begin what is arguably the toughest part of its schedule beginning this weekend with the Panther Classic. The Braves will play seven of its next nine matches against teams that won 21 or more matches last year. In fact four of the next five opponents won 22 or more matches last year and those five teams combined for a 115-43 (.728) record last season. Drake (Sept. 21) is the only team in the next 10 matches to have a losing record last year and the next nine opponents (including Drake) combined for a 195-95 (.672) mark.
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 going. Comiskey has already passed her season total for digs from her freshman season and is averaging a team-best 4.77 digs per game. With 105 digs in the first seven matches she has accounted for over 30 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 465 digs which would rank as the fourth best season total in school history.
Pierzchala Nears 600 Kills
Senior Nikki Pierzchala is closing in on 600 career kills, needing 16 to reach the mark. The Braves active career leader with 584 kills, she still needs over 100 kills to crack into Bradley's career top 20 in the category but is closing in on joining another exclusive group. Pierzchala enters this week's action with 436 career digs and is averaging a career-best 2.48 digs per game. She needs just 64 digs to become the 23rd player in program history with 500 kills and 500 digs and could be the 18th member of the 600-kill, 500-dig club.
Hillary Tops 1,000 Assists
Senior setter Eileen Hillary became the 12th player in school history to record 1,000 career assists, reaching the mark during the first game of the Braves loss to Montana. Hillary joins current teammate Sam Black and former teammate Ashley Vance in the select group and is currently 12th all-time with exactly 1,000 career assists and needs 24 assists to pass Ange Martin for 11th in school history. Black is currently 10th among Braves setters with 1,108 and is 606 assists behind Carrie Brigman for ninth place.
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- 1108 57
11. Ange Martin 1991-94 1023 119
12. Eileen Hillary 2004- 1000 83
Sister Act
For the third consecutive year the Radisson Hotel Invitational featured a matchup between sisters. Senior Jenna Harrison's younger sister Emily is a sophomore outside attacker on the Western Illinois volleyball team. Last season the Harrisons both played in the Radisson Hotel Invitational during Jenna's junior and Emily's freshman seasons. In 2005, former Bradley attacker Kelly Niemeyer had the opportunity to play against her younger sister Katrina who was a member of the volleyball team at Southeast Missouri State during the 2005 event at Robertson Field House.
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 584 and she is followed by fellow senior Jenna Harrison, who recorded her 300th career kill during the opening weekend and now has 353 kills. 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 132-142 record at BU and has a career mark of 580-393 (.596). Luster has coached in 973 matches as a Division I head coach, including 274 matches at Bradley. He has led the Braves to a 75-87 (.463) 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) 132 142 .482 75 87 .463
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 -- -- --
