Braves Open Up Four-Match Homestand With Pair Of Losses
Bradley lost a pair of home matches, falling to Evansville in three sets in the Braves' Valley home opener and also dropped a three-set decision to Southern Illinois Saturday at the Markin Family Student Recreation Center. Junior Caitlin Staib had a team-high nine kills Friday against Evansville and sophomore Annie Cave led Bradley with eight kills vs. Southern Illinois.
This Week
Bradley will play a pair of home matches to close out a four-match homestand beginning with a Friday match against Northern Iowa. The Braves will face SIU Edwardsville Sunday afternoon to close out the non-conference portion of the schedule. Northern Iowa holds a 46-9 lead in the all-time series with the Braves and the Panthers have won seven consecutive meetings. Bradley is 6-19 in home matches against UNI. The Braves hold a 1-0 lead in the all-time series with SIU Edwardsville after defeating the Cougars in five sets last season at Illinois Central College.
Valley Home Openers
Bradley fell in three sets to Evansville in the Braves MVC home opener. The loss was Bradley's fourth straight in a Valley home opener and the Braves are now 13-14 in the first home conference match of the year.
Home Again
Bradley closes out its third homestand of four or more matches this week with contests against Northern Iowa (Friday) and SIU Edwardsville (Sunday) as part of Homecoming Weekend. The matches bring to an end a four-match homestand. Bradley has not had three four-match homestands in the same season since 2002 when the Braves finished the year with a 12-5 home mark. The Braves have an MVC leading 11 home matches to date (5-6 overall) and will play 13 of the first 19 matches on the schedule in Peoria. Indiana State is the only Valley school with more than seven home matches so far this season, having played 10 home matches to date.
Young Guns
Senior Amy Reichel may lead Bradley in kills with 157 on the year, but the younger players have highlighted the Braves offensive attack. Five of Bradley's top seven 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 89 percent of the squad's digs and 90 percent of the team's aces. The freshmen and sophomores have also combined for 60 percent of the team's blocks.
Halfway Point
Friday's match against Evansville marked the halfway point of the 2009 regular season for the Braves. Bradley (8-9 overall) already has the most wins since the 2006 team finished 8-22 overall and the team's five home victories is the best total since going 10-5 in home matches in 2005. The Braves' 98 aces on the year are just 12 short of the team's total from entire 2008 campaign (110).
Aces Wild
Bradley is second in the Valley in aces per set at 1.61. The Braves average of 1.61 aces per set is the team's best since averaging 2.03 aces per game in 1997.
Climbing The Digs List
Sophomore defensive specialist/libero Rachelle Dejean broke into Bradley's career top 40 for digs last week and is currently 39th all-time in digs at BU. Dejean ranks second among active players in career digs and needs 27 digs to pass Tammy Mitchell for 38th on the Bradley career chart.
Ending On A High Note
Sunday's home match against SIU Edwardsville will be the final non-conference match of the season for the Braves. Bradley has made it a habit of ending the non-conference slate on a high note, boasting an 18-8 record in the final non-conference match of the season. The Braves have not won the final non-conference match of the season since 2005, however, when Bradley won at Western Illinois to wrap up the non-conference slate.
Keeping It In State
Sunday's match against SIU Edwardsville will be the Braves fourth non-conference match against an in-state opponent of the season. Bradley is 1-2 against in-state foes and is looking to finish with a .500 record against in-state non-conference opponents for the first time since going 3-3 in 2005. The Braves are 34-22 (.607) 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. Reichel moved up three spots on Bradley's career kills list into 21st place and is the 24th player in program history to reach 700 career kills. She needs five kills to pass Lisa Gehlhaar for 20th on the Braves' all-time list.
Lesan Still Serving Them Up
Freshman Skylar Lesan has recorded at least one ace in 14 of 17 matches this season and has served up two or more aces in a match in nine of 17 matches to date. One match over halfway through the regular season, the freshman setter has a MVC-best 29 aces on the year. Her 29 aces are the most by a Bradley player since Sam Black had 29 aces in 2006 and is the most by a BU freshman since Tegan Catlin had 36 aces in 1995.
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.
Making An Impact
Freshman setter Skylar Lesan has had a big impact early on, averaging 9.70 assists and a Missouri Valley Conference best 0.48 aces per set. Lesan's 592 assists on the season is the sixth best freshman total in school history and the most by a Bradley freshman since Amelie Rodrigue had 647 assists in 1999.
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.
On The Air
Bradley's match at Drake (Sept. 19) was the first-ever radio broadcast for a Bradley volleyball match and the first of five radio dates for the Braves in 2009. The next radio broadcast which can be heard on 96.5 ESPN Radio in the Peoria area is the Oct. 10 at Indiana State (6 p.m.). The other matches that will air on 96.5 ESPN Radio are the Oct. 24 match at Evansville, the Nov. 13 contest at nationally ranked Wichita State and the Nov. 14 contest at Missouri State.
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.
Non-Conference Success
Bradley owns an 8-5 non-conference record with one non-conference remaining on the slate. The eight non-conference victories are the most for the Braves since 2001 (9-3 non-conference record) and with only one non-conference match remaining on the schedule, Bradley will finish a season with a winning non-conference record for the first time since 2004.
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.
Can You Dig It?
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.
8-4 Start
Bradley's 8-4 start to the year was the best for the Braves since opening 2002 season with a 12-3 record. The 2002 squad went on to post a 19-12 overall record. The Braves have started 10 other seasons with an 8-4 record and have never finished with a losing record when opening a slate with an 8-4 mark or better.
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 1.61 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 98 aces on the season through the first 17 matches and average 5.76 aces per match after averaging 3.44 aces per match last year. Leading the way is freshman Skylar Lesan, whose 29 aces this fall is already more than any Bradley player had last season and the most by a Brave since Sam Black had 29 aces in 2006.
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.
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 3-5 in three-set matches, after going 1-15 in three-set matches last Fall. The Braves are 5-3 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 won 29 sets 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 .196 attack percentage after 17 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 will play 13 of the first 19 matches of the year at home.
Up Next
Bradley hits the road for a brief two-match road swing, beginning Friday, Oct. 9 at I-74 rival Illinois State. The Redbirds hold a 50-12 lead in the all-time series and have won 12 consecutive matches in the series. The Braves are 3-25 all-time in matches played in Normal, Ill. The road swing continues with an Oct. 10 match at Indiana State. Bradley has won seven of the last eight against the Sycamores and own a 33-19 lead in the all-time series with Indiana State. The Sycamores hold a 13-11 lead in matches played in Terre Haute, Ind., in the series.
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 16-person roster features just three seniors and six upperclassmen. Six newcomers (five freshman and one transfer) will help bolster the roster.
New Setter
Freshman Skylar Lesan has taken over the starting spot at setter, making her the first freshman to start at setter since Amelie Rodrigue (1999-2002). Rodrigue ranks fifth in school history in assists and is eighth all-time in digs. Lesan is averaging 9.70 assists per set and leads Missouri Valley Conference with 29 service aces. Her 592 assists on the year is already the sixth best total by a Bradley frosh. She enters this weekend's matches needing 55 assists to move into fourth among Bradley freshman.
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 750 in her career. Reichel, who is 21st in career kills at Bradley, also ranks as Bradley's active career leader with 160 career blocks and 56 service aces. Fellow senior Kaitlyn Comiskey is BU's active career leader in digs with 868 during her Bradley career. Comiskey ranks 17th all-time with her 868 career digs and is 32 digs from becoming the 15th player in program history with 900 career digs.
