Last Week
Bradley opened a season-long three-match road swing with a pair of four-set losses at Southern Illinois and at Evansville. Senior Amy Reichel collected 16 kills at Southern Illinois to lead the Braves, while sophomore Megan Schmidt tallied a team-best 10 kills at Evansville on Saturday. Sophomore Rachelle Dejean notched a season-best 27 digs in the four-set loss at Evansville.
This Week
Bradley will close out a season-long three match road swing and a stretch in which the Braves played five of seven matches on the road with a match at Northern Iowa on Oct. 31. Northern Iowa holds a 47-9 lead in the all-time series with the Braves and the Panthers have won seven consecutive meetings. Bradley is 1-21 in road matches in the all-time series with UNI with the lone win coming in the Braves first match in Cedar Falls, Iowa, during the 1984 season.
One Streak Ends
Bradley may not have ended its losing streak in Missouri Valley Conference matches, but the Braves did end a skid of 26 consecutive sets lost in Valley matches with an opening set win at Southern Illinois. Just two matches into the second half of league play, Bradley has already won more sets in the second half of Valley play than it did in the first half.
Pushed To The Limit
Each set of Bradley's four-set loss at Southern Illinois was decided by two points. After the Braves took the opening set 25-23, the Salukis rallied for for wins of 26-24, 25-23 and 25-23. Bradley had each set in a match pushed to the limit for the first time since defeating Saint Louis 30-28, 30-28, 31-29 on Sept. 23, 2003.
Reichel Catches Former Teammate
Senior Amy Reichel had a team-best 16 kills Friday at Southern Illinois to become the 19th player in program history with 800 career kills. Reichel is 19th all-time at Bradley with 822 kills, but is just 28 kills from moving up four spots into 15th on the Braves' career list. Briony Hammet is 18th in program history with 827 kills and Ann Franklin is 17th with 836 kills. Reichel's former teammate Amber DeBroux ranks 16th at 844 (22 ahead of Reichel) and Mary Kay Schmidt sits in 15th with 849 kills.
Rk. Player Years Kills MP
15. Mary Kay Schmidt 1990-93 849 113
16. Amber DeBroux 2003-06 844 105
17. Ann Franklin 2000-03 836 108
18. Briony Hammet 2002-05 827 122
19. Amy Reichel 2006- 822 113
20. Nikki Pierzchala 2004-07 792 112
Unfriendly Road
Bradley closes out a season-long three-match road swing Saturday at Northern Iowa. The Braves have three road matches remaining on the schedule including Saturday's match at league-leading UNI, with all three coming against the top three in the Valley standings. UNI, Missouri State and Wichita State have combined for a 51-13 (.797) record this season which includes a 23-1 (.958) mark in home matches. Bradley is 0-7 in road matches this season.
Climbing The Charts
Freshman Skylar Lesan ranks among the Missouri Valley Conference leaders with 36 aces on the year, which ranks as the most by a Bradley player since Lindsay Stalzer had 53 aces in 2005. Lesan's 36 aces is tied for the sixth best total by a Bradley freshman and is the most by a Braves frosh since Tegan Catlin had 36 aces in 1995. The last Bradley freshman with more than 36 aces was Ange Martin, who finished the 1991 season with 38 aces.
Aces By A Bradley Freshman
Rk. Player Year Aces MP
1. Sharon Zaba 1983 54 40
2. Kathy Vaitkus 1984 52 34
3. Tricia Hampe 1990 46 36
4. Ange Martin 1991 38 31
5. Julie Penn 1987 37 29
6. Tegan Catlin 1995 36 29
Skylar Lesan 2009 36 25
7. Karen Adams 1982 33 N/A
Can You Dig It
Sophomores Rachelle Dejean and twin sister Genevieve Dejean have been battling for Bradley's libero spot throughout the season. Genevieve opened the season as the Braves' libero, but Rachelle has taken over the role and emerged as BU's top passer. Rachelle has reached double figures in digs in six of the last seven outings and is averaging nearly four digs per set in Missouri Valley Conference play (3.94 dps). Over the last six matches, Rachelle is averaging 4.50 digs per set and had a team season-best 27 digs Saturday at Evansville. Rachelle is second among active players for Bradley with 661 career digs and is tied with Abby Davidson for 31st in school history.
Bradley Career Digs
Rk. Name Years Digs MP
29. Lindsay Stalzer 2002-05 675 123
30. Karla Heubner 1985-86 665 78
31. Abby Davidson 1999-2002 661 110
Rachelle Dejean 2008- 661 57
33. Abigail Kohnen 1996-99 643 113
34. Kelly Niemeyer 2003-06 637 93
Second Half Rally
The Braves opened the second half of Missouri Valley Conference play Friday last week and have already won more sets in the second-half of league play than in the first. Bradley hopes to continue what has become a trend the last few years, boasting a better record in the second half of league play in two of the last three years. After an 0-9 start to Valley play last year, the Braves closed out the season with a 2-7 record in the second half of conference play. Bradley was 1-8 in both halves of league play in 2007 and went 3-6 in the second half of the 2006 conference schedule after a 2-7 start.
Welcome Back
Freshman Madelyn Ervin was hampered by a preseason injury early in the season, but has emerged as one Bradley's top offensive threats lately. Since collecting a season-best 17 kills against SIU Edwardsville on Oct. 4, Ervin is averaging 2.23 kills per set over the last seven matches. Prior to the match against SIU Edwardsville she averaged just 1.18 kills per set.
Friendly Confines
Bradley's home match against Wichita State (Oct. 17) was Bradley's league-leading 15th home match of the 2009 season. The Braves have not played 15 matches at home since going 10-5 at Robertson Memorial Field House in 2005. With four more home matches remaining on the schedule (three at the Markin Family Student Recreation Center and one at Illinois Central College), the Braves will play the most home matches in program history. The 2002 team played a total of 17 matches at home, which included two matches in the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at Robertson Memorial Field House.
Tough Stretch
Saturday's match at Northern Iowa will end arguably the toughest five-match stretch on the schedule for the Braves. UNI will be the fifth consecutive opponent with a winning record. The stretch started with the Oct. 16 home game against Missouri State (15-7) and also included a home matchup with Wichita State (16-4). Bradley opened a three-game road swing at Southern Illinois (15-7) and followed it with a match at Evansville (12-11). The stretch concludes Saturday at league-leading Northern Iowa (20-2). The five times have combined for a 78-31 (.716) record, including a 35-18 (.660) record in conference play.
Serving Them Up
Bradley has served up 126 through the first 25 matches of the season. The Braves are second in the MVC with a 1.42 aces per set average this season and the team's 126 aces are the most since 2005. Bradley had 110 aces in 2008 and averaged 0.94 aces per set. With seven matches remaining on the schedule, the Braves are on pace to post the most aces since finishing with 171 aces in 2003.
Good Starts Key
Bradley is 7-1 this season when taking the first set and 7-1 when taking the second set of matches. The Braves were just 5-5 in 2008 when taking the opening set of a match.
Braves End Losing Skid With Win Against SIUE
Bradley fell to Northern Iowa (0-3) Oct. 2, before ending a six-match losing streak with a non-conference victory against SIU Edwardsville (3-2) on Oct. 4. In addition to ending the longest losing streak of the season, the Braves snapped a four-match losing streak in five-set matches with the victory and also snapped a four-match home losing skid.
Most Wins Since 2005
Bradley picked up its ninth victory of the season, topping SIU Edwardsville on Oct. 4 in five sets. The nine wins are the most for the Braves since finishing the 2005 season with a 16-17 record. The win against SIUE was Bradley's sixth home victory of the season, giving the Braves the most home wins since 2005 when Bradley boasted a 10-5 home mark.
Non-Conference Success
The Braves wrapped up the non-conference portion of the schedule with a five-set victory against SIU Edwardsville and finished the year with a 9-5 record against non-league foes. Bradley's nine non-conference wins are the most since 2001 and the Braves 9-5 record is the squad's best since going 9-3 against non-conference opponents in 2001.
Lesan Climbing Charts
Skylar Lesan was already the first freshman to start at setter for the Braves since Amelie Rodrigue (1999-2002) and the frosh joined even more impressive company recently. Lesan pushed her season assist total to 840, giving her the most by a Bradley freshman since Sam Hardwick. Hardwick recorded 1,127 assists in 28 matches as a freshman during the 1998 season. Lesan ranks fourth among Bradley freshman in assists behind Sharon Zaba (1,281 assists in 1983), Hardwick and Michelle Pack (900 in 1992).
Assists By A Bradley Freshman
Rk. Player Year Ast. MP
1. Sharon Zaba 1983 1281 40
2. Sam Hardwick 1998 1127 28
3. Michelle Pack 1992 900 24
4. Skylar Lesan 2009 840 25
5. Amelie Rodrige 1999 647 26
Ending Some Streaks
Bradley's five-set victory against SIU Edwardsville on Oct. 4 ended several streaks for the Braves. Bradley snapped a four-match home losing skid with the win and also brought to an end a four-match losing streak in five-set matches. The Braves also ended a three-match losing streak in the final non-conference match of the season. Bradley improved to 19-8 in the final non-conference match of the season.
Young Guns
Senior Amy Reichel may lead Bradley in kills with 229 on the year, but the younger players have highlighted the Braves offensive attack. Six of Bradley's top eight in kills are underclassmen and the Braves' freshmen and sophomores have combined for 60 percent of BU's kills in 2009. Bradley's underclassmen have accounted for 90 percent of the squad's digs and 88 percent of the team's aces. The freshmen and sophomores have also combined for 60 percent of the team's blocks.
Keeping It In State
Bradley's match against SIU Edwardsville on Oct. 4 was the Braves fourth non-conference match against an in-state opponent of the season. Bradley finished 2-2 against in-state foes and posted at least a .500 record against in-state non-conference opponents for the first time since going 3-3 in 2005. The Braves are 35-22 (.614) against in-state non-conference foes since the start of the 1995 campaign.
Reichel With Career-High 22 Kills
Senior Amy Reichel turned in a career-high 22 kills against Western Illinois in a five-set loss. Reichel, whose previous career high for kills was 18, is the first Bradley player to top 20 kills since Nikki Pierzchala had 22 kills against Illinois-Chicago on Oct. 22, 2007.
Rare Occurrence
The Braves did not record a block in Bradley's three set-loss at Drake (Sept. 19), marking the first time in just over 20 years BU did not have a block in a match. The last time Bradley failed to record a single block in a match was almost 20 years to the day - Sept. 15, 1989 against Auburn at the Big Orange Classic in Clemson, S.C. The Braves had recorded at least one block in 613 consecutive matches prior to Saturday's match against Drake.
Western Illinois Snaps Braves Win Streak In Series
Bradley had a 10-match win streak in the series with Western Illinois snapped after the Leathernecks posted a five-set victory against the Braves. The loss was Bradley's first to WIU since suffering a four-set loss in Macomb, Ill., on Oct. 8, 1996. The Braves had won eight consecutive home matches against the Leathernecks dating back to a three-set Western Illinois win on Nov. 8, 1991 when both teams were part of the Gateway Conference.
Conference Openers
Bradley fell to 15-12 all-time in conference openers after falling at Creighton (Sept. 18). The Braves have lost four consecutive Valley openers and are now 7-7 when opening league play on the road.
Braves Take Second Again
For the third consecutive week, Bradley finished second in a tournament after going 2-1 at last week's CEFCU Classic. The Braves tied Montana State and UTEP for the best tournament record as all three schools went 2-1. UTEP was declared tournament champs because of the Miners' 8-3 record in sets played compared to Bradley's 6-4 mark and Montana State's 7-6 record. The Braves finished second in all three in-season tournaments this year, going a combined 8-3 in those matches.
All-Tournament Honors
Senior Amy Reichel and sophomore Megan Schmidt were both selected to the All-Tournament Team at the CEFCU Classic. Reichel averaged 2.40 kills per set, while Schmidt averaged 1.90 kills, 3.90 digs and 0.90 blocks per set as the duo helped Bradley to a second-place finish. Schmidt turned in her first double-double of the year with 12 kills and a career-high 23 digs against Montana State. Reichel also tied for match-high honors with 12 kills against Montana State.
Digging The Night Away
Sophomore middle blocker Megan Schmidt notched her first double-double of the season against Montana State (Sept. 12), finishing with 12 kills and 23 digs. In addition to setting a new career, Schmidt's 23 digs are the most by a Bradley player this season. In fact, the 23 digs are the most for any Bradley player not playing libero in a match since Kelly Niemeyer had 24 digs at Southern Illinois on Oct. 28, 2006.
Braves Finish Second At Radford Invite
For the second time in as many tournaments, Bradley took second at the Radford Invitational (Sept. 4 & 5) after going 3-1 in tournament play. The Braves were the only team to play four matches over the weekend, posting wins against South Carolina State, Western Carolina and Coppin State before falling in four sets to tournament-host Radford.
Radford All-Tournament Honors
The freshmen duo of Alise Tupuritis and Skylar Lesan were both named to the All-Tournament team at the Radford Invitational after helping Bradley to a 3-1 record and second-place finish. Tupuritis earned all-tournament honors for the second consecutive week, after averaging 2.85 kills and 1.31 digs per set. Lesan turned in her second double-double of the season during the tournament and averaged 1.00 kill, 9.20 assists, 0.80 aces and 1.67 digs per set.
Coming Up Aces
Bradley ranks second in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 1.42 aces per set average, after tying for eighth in The Valley with a 0.94 aces per set average in 2008. The Braves have already recorded 126 aces on the season through the first 25 matches and average 5.04 aces per match after averaging 3.44 aces per match last year. Leading the way is freshman Skylar Lesan, whose 36 aces this fall is the most by a Bradley player since 2005.
More On The Aces
Sophomore Annie Cave, who entered the Radford Invitational with 12 career aces, had a career-high five aces against Coppin State on Sept. 5 and also had a four-ace outing against Western Carolina Sept. 4. The five aces against Coppin State is the most by a Bradley player since Bethany Dulle had five aces at IUPUI on Sept. 6, 2004. On the season, Cave has 19 aces after recording five aces as a freshman.
Home Tournaments
For the first time in program history, Bradley hosted two in-season tournaments in the same season. The Braves opened the season with the five-team Hotels at Grand Prairie Invitational (Aug. 28 & 29) and also hosted the four-team CEFCU Classic (Sept. 11 & 12). Bradley is no stranger to hosting in-season tournaments, having hosted an in-season tournament 18 times in the last 26 years. The Braves have also had quite a bit of success when hosting in-season tournaments, boasting a 42-18 (.700) record in those events. Bradley has gone undefeated in its own tournament six times (1984, 1985, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2005), while going winless in its own event just once (1987 - 0-3). The Braves are 7-3 (.700) under head coach Sean Burdette in home tournaments.
Making Strides
Bradley has already swept three opponents and is 3-10 in three-set matches, after going 1-15 in three-set matches last Fall. The Braves are 5-5 in four setters in 2009, after owning a 3-8 mark in four-set matches in 2008. Bradley won a total of 32 sets in 2008, but has already matched that total with 34 sets won this Fall.
Megan Schmidt Named Scholar-Athlete of the Week
Sophomore Megan Schmidt was named the Bradley Country Financial Scholar-Athlete of the Week for the week of Sept. 1 after helping Bradley to a second-place finish (3-1) at the Hotels at Grand Prairie Invitational and getting named to the all-tournament team. Schmidt averaged 2.23 kills per set while attacking at .435 clip and also averaged 1.23 blocks per set as she helped the Braves to their best four-match start to a season since opening the 2000 season with a 4-0 record. In the season opener, Schmidt had six kills on just eight swings (.625) and also added four block assists in a four-set victory against South Carolina-Upstate after sitting out the first two sets of the match. She collected a match-high 10 kills on her first 10 swings against Chicago State and finished with a .769 attack percentage (10-0-13) to go along with three block assists against the Cougars. Schmidt had five kills, one ace, seven digs and two block assists in a four-set win against Lehigh and wrapped up the weekend with eight kills (.364 attack percentage), and seven blocks against IUPUI.
Braves Take Second At Home Tournament
Bradley finished second in its own tournament, going 3-1 at the season-opening Hotels at Grand Prairie Invitational. The Braves, which opened a season at home for the first time since 2000, are off to their best start since beginning the 2000 campaign with a 4-0 record. The 2000 season was also the last time Bradley opened a season at home. The Braves have nine previous starts of 3-1 or better to a season and have never finished a season with a losing record when opening a year with a 3-1 mark.
Opening At Home
After playing four matches in two days to open the season, the Braves closed out a season-opening five-match homestand with a three-set loss against Northern Illinois on Sept. 1. The five-match homestand is the longest for the Braves since the 2005 season. Bradley was 4-1 during its last five-match homestand, with the lone loss against Northern Illinois in the final match of the Radisson Hotel Invitational at Robertson Memorial Field House.
Hotels at Grand Prairie All-Tournament
Sophomore Megan Schmidt and freshman Alise Tupuritis were both named to the All-Tournament team at the season-opening Hotels at Grand Prairie Invitational after helping Bradley to a 3-1 record and second-place finish. Schmidt averaged 2.23 kills and 1.23 blocks per set while hitting an impressive .435. Tupuritis led the Braves in kills in three of the four matches and averaged 3.33 kills, 2.60 digs and 0.47 aces per set while posting a pair of double-doubles.
Efficient Attack
Another reason for the Braves early season success has been a much improved offensive attack. Bradley, which hit .146 as a team in 2008, boasts a .164 attack percentage after 25 matches this season. The highlight of the opening weekend came against Chicago State, when the Braves owned a .395 attack percentage. The .395 hitting percentage was the best for the Braves since hitting at a .430 clip at Indiana State on Sept. 14, 2002.
On The Internet
Live stats for all Bradley home matches can be found on the Bradley Athletics website (www.bradleybraves.com) under the Live Stats link located near the top of the page. A free audio stream and pay-per-view video streams for most home matches will be available at www.bradleybraves.com.
Home, Sweet Home
After playing 10 of 13 home matches in 2008 at Illinois Central College's Lorene Ramsey Gym, the Braves return to campus for the bulk of the 2009 schedule and will call the Markin Family Student Recreation Center home this season. The Markin Center will serve as Bradley's third home court in as many years, before Bradley moves into a new facility which will be completed this spring on the former site of Robertson Memorial Field House. The Braves played the final three home matches of the 2008 season at the Markin Center and posted a four-set victory against NCAA Tournament participant Missouri State on Senior Night. This season, Bradley will play a program record 19 home matches. The Braves played 13 of the first 19 matches of the year at home.
Up Next
Bradley will return home for a pair of matches, hosting Indiana State on Friday, Nov. 6 at the Markin Family Student Recreation Center before wrapping up the annual I-74 rivalry on Nov. 7 against Illinois State at Lorene Ramsey Gym in East Peoria, Ill. The Braves have won seven of the last nine meetings against the Sycamores and own a 33-20 lead in the all-time series, but Indiana State has won two of the last three meetings. Bradley is 18-5 all-time in home matches against Indiana State. The Redbirds hold a 51-11 lead in the all-time series and have won 13 consecutive matches in the series. Illinois State holds a 19-6 lead in matches played in Peoria.
What's Back
The Braves return 10 of 13 letterwinners, including five starters from last year's team. Included in that group is Bradley's top four attackers and five of the team's top six in kills from 2008. The 14-person roster features just three seniors and six upperclassmen.
Braves Picked Ninth In Preseason Poll
Bradley was picked to finish ninth in a preseason poll of Missouri Valley Conference coaches, receiving 24 of a possible 100 points. Defending regular-season champion Wichita State picked up nine of 10 first-place votes and is picked to defend its title. Missouri State garnered the one remaining first-place vote and is second in the poll with 87 points. Northern Iowa was third with 83. Drake was selected to finish ahead of Bradley in eighth place at 33 points, while the Braves were ninth with 24 points. Indiana State rounded out the poll in 10th place with 19 points.
2009 MVC Volleyball Preseason Poll
Rk School (First-Place Votes) Points
1. Wichita State (9) 99
2. Missouri State (1) 87
3. Northern Iowa 83
4. Creighton 67
5. Southern Illinois 49
6. Evansville 47
7. Illinois State 42
8. Drake 33
9. Bradley 24
10. Indiana State 19
Active Leaders
Senior Amy Reichel is the Braves active career leader in kills with 822 in her career. Reichel, who moved into 19th in career kills at Bradley, also ranks as Bradley's active career leader with 170 career blocks and 57 service aces. Fellow senior Kaitlyn Comiskey is BU's active career leader in digs with 869 during her Bradley career. Comiskey ranks 17th all-time with her 869 career digs and is 31 digs from becoming the 15th player in program history with 900 career digs.
