PEORIA, Ill. -- Bradley rallied for victories in both the fourth and fifth sets to pull out a 22-25, 25-23, 23-25, 25-23, 16-14 victory against SIU Edwardsville Sunday afternoon at the Markin Family Student Recreation Center.  The Braves improved to 9-10 overall on the season and wrapped up the non-conference portion of the schedule with a 9-5 record.  Bradley's nine wins are the most for the team since finishing the 2005 campaign with a 16-17 overall record.

SIU Edwardsville (1-16 overall) led most of the opening set and was clinging to a 23-21 lead when a Bradley attack error pushed the advantage to 24-21.  Sophomore Annie Cave (Easton, Ill./Illini Central) pulled the Braves back to within two points at 24-22 with a kill, but Noelle Franke sealed a 25-22 SIUE win with a kill.

The Braves had to rally again in the second set after falling behind by as many as four points (17-13).  SIU Edwardsville held a 23-21 lead when senior Amy Reichel (Schaumburg, Ill./Schaumburg) notched back-to-back kills as Bradley tied the set at 23-23.  Reichel followed up a SIUE attack error with her eighth kill of the second frame to help Bradley pull even in the match with a 25-23 victory.

The third set featured 10 ties and three lead changes before SIU Edwardsville made a late push to take the set.  The score was knotted at 23-23 following a Cave kill, but SIUE's Jessica Hemann tallied a kill and a Bradley attack error closed out a 25-23 SIU Edwardsville win as the Cougars took a two sets to one lead.

Much like the third set, the fourth set was a back and forth struggle featuring 14 ties and nine lead changes.  SIU Edwardsville held a 23-22 lead after a Bradley attack error and the Cougars appeared to have momentum, but freshman setter Skylar Lesan (Solon, Iowa/Solon) found the floor with a kill to tie the set at 23-23.  A pair of SIU Edwardsville attack errors gave the Braves a 25-23 win and forced a fifth and deciding set. 

The Cougars scored the first three points of the fifth set and jumped out to a 4-1 advantage before Bradley would rally.  SIU Edwardsville was leading 13-11 after a Katie Downing kill, when Reichel would help spark a Braves run.  Reichel notched a pair of kills and sophomore Megan Schmidt (Bloomington, Ill./Central Catholic) added one of her own during a three-point BU spurt which put the Braves in front 14-13.  SIU Edwardsville's Sydney Winslow tied the set at 14-14 with a kill, but just like the end of the fourth set Bradley forced the Cougars into a pair of attack errors as the Braves completed the come-from-behind victory with a 16-14 fifth-set win.

Reichel tied freshman Madelyn Ervin (Lewis Center, Ohio/Olentangy) for match-high honors with 17 kills to help lead Bradley's offensive efforts.  Ervin tallied five of her season-high 17 kills during the fifth set.  Cave was also in double figures with 12 kills and was one of five Bradley players with nine kills or more.  Lesan recorded her team-leading third double-double of the year, finishing with 54 assists and 11 digs to go along with five block assists.  Sophomore Rachelle Dejean (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) helped Bradley to a 71-69 edge in digs, notching a team-best 15 digs on the afternoon.

SIU Edwardsville had five players reach double figures in kills, with Downing, Winslow and Hemann each sharing team-high honors with 13 kills.  Setter Sammi Minton had 52 assists and a match-high 19 digs.

Bradley returns to action Friday when the Braves open a two-match Missouri Valley Conference road swing with a 7 p.m. match against I-74 rival Illinois State in Normal, Ill.