Last Week
Bradley picked up a pair of victories, winning a three-set match against Illinois State Thursday, before posting a five-set victory against Indiana State Saturday in the final home match of the season. The win against Illinois State ended a 15-match win streak in the series for the Redbirds and was BU's first three-set victory against ISU since the 1994 season. Saturday's win against Indiana State gave Bradley its third victory in its last four home matches and fourth win in the last six matches overall as the Braves moved into ninth place in the MVC standings with the win.
Freshman of the Week Nominee
Freshman Amy Angelos averaged 3.12 kills per set and hit .333 as she helped lead Bradley to a pair of home victories. Angelos had 10 kills and hit .562 in a three-set win against Illinois State. The win snapped a 15-match losing streak in the series with the Redbirds and was Bradley's first home conference win since Nov. 2008. She tied for team-high honors with 15 kills Saturday against Indiana State in a five-set victory and also added three blocks against the Sycamores. The win against Indiana State was Bradley's third in it's last five MVC matches and gave the Braves their highest conference win total (3-13) since finishing the 2006 campaign with a 5-13 league mark.
This Week
Bradley closes out the 2010 season with a pair of road matches, playing at Missouri State (Friday) and at Wichita State (Saturday). Missouri State holds a 40-8 lead in the all-time series after topping the Braves in five sets earlier this season in Peoria. The Bears have won each of the last three meetings in the series and 19 of the last 20 overall. Wichita State holds a 30-18 lead in the all-time series with BU and the Shockers have won 15 consecutive matches against the Braves. WSU swept the first meeting between the two teams earlier this season in Peoria.
Most Valley Wins Since 2006
Bradley heads into the final weekend of the weekend of the 2010 regular-season having won three of its last five Missouri Valley Conference matches. The Braves three conference wins this season are the most for BU since finishing the 2006 Valley slate with a 5-13 mark.
Rare Sweep Of The Redbirds
In addition to ending a 15-match losing streak in the series with Illinois State, Thursday's victory against the Redbirds proved to be a rare a three-set victory against it's I-74 rival. Bradley's three-set win was BU's first sweep in a match against ISU since the 1994 season.
Angelos Joins Elite Group
Freshman Amy Angelos pushed her team-leading kill total to 240 and is looking to become the first freshman in program history to lead the team in kills. Her 240 kills is the highest total by a BU freshman since Lindsay Stalzer finished the 2002 season with 259 kills. Angelos' 240 kills is the ninth best total by a Bradley frosh and she holds a 20-kill lead on junior Megan Schmidt for the team lead. Stalzer's 259 kills in 2002 is the sixth best total by a Bradley freshman.
Schmidt Breaks Into Top 25
Junior Megan Schmidt took over as Bradley's active career kills leader and moved into 25th on BU's career kills list after averaging 2.75 kills per set in the Braves two matches last week. Schmidt passed senior Melissa Collins for the title of active career kills leader Thursday with an 11-kill effort against Illinois State and passed Sandi Kasting for 25th on Bradley's career kills list Saturday against Indiana State. Schmidt has 637 career kills in 91 matches and needs 64 kills to pass Cheryl Christiansen for 24th on the BU career kills list.
Braves Break Attendance Mark
Bradley finished out the 2010 home schedule drawing a school record 515 fans per home match. BU's previous season-best average was 457 fans per home match set during the 1999 season. The Braves also broke the season mark for total attendance surpassing the previous record of 6,991 fans during the 2002 season. Bradley drew 8,751 fans for 17 home matches this season.
3 X 300
Junior Rachelle Dejean recorded her 300th dig of the season Nov. 5 against 13th-ranked Northern Iowa to become just the fifth player in program history with three seasons of 300 or more digs. Dejean is the first BU player to post three 300+-dig seasons since Samantha Hardwick (1998-2001). Joining Dejean and Hardwick (1,329 digs) in the elite group are the Braves career digs leader Jenny Pavlas (1,361 digs - 1993-97), Cindy Novak (1,346 digs - 1992-95) and Blythe Zajakowski (1,175 digs - 1988-91). Dejean moved into 11th on BU's career digs list last week and needs seven digs to pass Stacy Besjak and move into the top 10.
Ending On A High Note
Bradley has made a habit of winning the final non-conference match of the season and this year was no different with BU sweeping Chicago State to close out the non-conference portion of the schedule. In 28 years of conference membership, the Braves boast a 20-8 (.714) record in the final non-conference match of the season. BU is an impressive 13-3 (.813) when ending the non-conference portion of the schedule at home.
Dejean Named BU Scholar-Athlete of the Week
Junior Rachelle Dejean was named the Bradley Country Financial Scholar-Athlete of the Week for the week of Nov. 3 after helping Bradley to a 2-1 record. She averaged 5.09 digs per set in three outings during the week, beginning with a 13-dig effort against Chicago State as she became the 13th player in program history to record 1,000 career digs. In a match at Evansville, Dejean collected 23 digs in four sets to help BU to its first Missouri Valley Conference win of the season and first Valley road victory since Oct. 6, 2007. She capped the week with 20 digs at Southern Illinois and moved into 12th on Bradley's career digs chart. An advertising major, Dejean owns a 3.71 cumulative grade point average.
Coming Up Aces
Sophomore Madelyn Ervin has pushed her team-leading ace total to 36 and is averaging 0.51 aces per set over the last 10 matches. For the season, Ervin boasts a Missouri Valley Conference best 0.40 aces per set. She has 24 aces in Valley play and is averaging 0.50 aces per set in league play. Ervin's 24 aces in Valley play are the most by a BU player in MVC action since Lindsay Stalzer had 28 aces during the 2005 season.
Tough Stretch
BU's match at Northern Iowa (Oct. 8) wrapped up what is arguably the toughest nine-match stretch of the season for the Braves. Bradley's nine opponents starting with the Sept. 11 contest against Valparaiso and finishing up with 14th-ranked UNI have combined for an impressive 159-75 (.679) record through Nov. 8.
Keeping It In State
Bradley's match against Chicago State was the fifth and final non-conference contest on the schedule against in-state opponents and Bradley has played eight of its nine matches against teams from the Land of Lincoln counting four MVC matches against league members Southern Illinois and Illinois State. The Braves are 2-3 against in-state non-conference opponents and 3-6 overall against in-state foes. Bradley finished the 2009 season 2-2 against in-state non-conference 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 37-25 (.597) against in-state non-conference foes since the start of the 1995 campaign.
All-Tournament Honors
Junior Megan Schmidt was named to the all-tournament team at the CEFCU Classic after averaging 2.54 kills and 0.92 blocks per set. Schmidt tallied a career-best 16 kills to go along with seven digs and three blocks against Hofstra. She followed that with a season-best five blocks against Presbyterian and tied for team-high honors with 12 kills against Valparaiso.
Build It And They Will Come
Bradley's new $50-million Renaissance Coliseum is a hit with fans, as the Braves have drawn four of the top 20 crowds in program history through the first nine home dates in the building. In addition to drawing the largest crowd in school history for the arena opener against Western Illinois (1,752), BU has brought in the 8th-largest (754 fans vs. SEMO), 15th-largest (608 fans vs. Valparaiso) and 19th-largest (563 fans vs. Hofstra) in program history already this season.
Big Comeback Win
Bradley dropped the first two sets of it's match against Fordham on Sept. 4, before rallying to take the final three sets against the Rams. The Braves had not rallied from a two-sets-to-none deficit since rallying to top UMBC at home on Sept. 6, 2003. It marked the first time Bradley came back to win after dropping the first two sets in a road or neutral site match since rallying to beat Indiana State in Terre Haute, Ind., on Sept. 10, 1999.
What's Your 20?
Freshman Amy Angelos' 20 kills against Fordham earlier this season is the second-most by a freshman in the Missouri Valley Conference this season and highest output by a Bradley player this year. Angelos, who leads the team with a 2.29 kills per set average, is the first BU frosh to record 20 or more kills in a match since Marika Giguere accomplished the feat twice during the 2000 season. Giguere recorded 28 kills in a home match against Missouri State on Oct. 20, 2000.
Maryland Invite All-Tournament Honors
Freshman Amy Angelos and sophomore Allie Gardner were both named to the all-tournament team at the Maryland Invitational. Gardner earned all-tournament honors for the second consecutive week, while Angelos earned the distinction for the first time in her career. Angelos averaged 2.92 kills and 0.92 blocks per set, while attacking at a .295 clip during tournament play. Gardner averaged 3.25 digs per set as the duo helped Bradley to a second-place finish.
Welcome Home
Bradley opened Renaissance Coliseum with a sweep of Western Illinois on Aug. 27 in the season opener. The new 4,200-seat, $50-million facility sits on the former site of historic Robertson Memorial Field House and will serve as the permanent home for the Bradley volleyball and women's basketball teams. Following the demolition of the Field House after the 2007 season, the Braves played 10 of 13 home matches in 2008 at Illinois Central College's Lorene Ramsey Gym and called the Markin Family Student Recreation Center home for the 2009 campaign.
Gardner Named MVC Defensive Player of the Week
Sophomore defensive specialist/libero Allie Gardner was named the Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Week for the week of Aug. 30. In her first action as the Braves' libero, she earned a spot on the all-tournament team after averaging a Valley best 5.83 digs per set in the opening weekend of play. Gardner had a then career-best 18 digs against Western Illinois in the opener and followed it with a career-high 29 digs in Saturday's five-set win against USC Upstate. The only player in the MVC to have two outings with more than 20 digs during the first week of play, she capped the week with a 23-dig effort against Southeast Missouri State. Gardner is the first BU player to garner Valley Defensive Player of the Week honors since the award was first issued in 2007 and is the first Brave to earn any MVC weekly honor since Lindsay Stalzer captured Valley Player of the Week honors three times during the 2005 season.
New Faces
Bradley had three newcomers in the starting lineup in the season opener and a total of five newcomers have started at least one match through the first 27 contests of the year. In addition, newcomers have accounted for 78 of the team's 162 starts to date. Freshmen Amy Angelos is tied with junior Megan Schmidt for the most starts on the squad with 25 and leads the team in kills while ranking second blocks. Freshman Lauren Zerante has started 24 matches and ranks fourth on the team with 149 kills and is third on the squad in both digs and aces. The Braves have also used two newcomers at setter through the first 27 matches. Marquette transfer Shelly Mueller has started 19 matches at setter and is averaging 8.20 assists and 1.28 digs per set, while junior college transfer Jennifer Sykes is averaging 7.11 assists and 2.00 digs per set.
Can You Dig It
Junior Rachelle Dejean has led the team in digs each of the last two seasons and has a chance to become the first player since Sam Hardwick to lead the squad in digs in three consecutive years. Already owning two of the top 10 single-match dig totals in BU history, Dejean's 413 digs as a freshman ranks as the 10th best season total in program history and she has moved into 12th on Bradley's career digs list. Dejean currently leads the team in digs with 301 and is averaging a team-leading 3.80 digs per set in league play.
Back-To-Back-To-Back?
Junior Megan Schmidt has led the team in blocks each of her first two seasons on The Hilltop and is looking to become the first player to lead the team in blocks in three consecutive years since Jenna Passman (2001, 2002 & 2003). Schmidt has a chance to join Passman and Sandi Kasting (1982, 1983 & 1984) as the only players in program history to lead the team in blocks in three different seasons. She is BU's active career leader in blocks with 249 and needs 50 blocks to move into Bradley's career top 10. Schmidt has a team-best 70 blocks on the season and holds a three block lead on freshman Amy Angelos (67 block) for the team lead.
Hotels at Grand Prairie Invite All-Tournament Honors
Sophomores Madelyn Ervin and Allie Gardner each earned spots on the Hotels at Grand Prairie Invitational all-tournament team. Ervin led the Braves in kills in two of the three matches and averaged 2.92 kills per set to go along with her team-leading five aces. Gardner started at libero in each of the three contests and posted a Missouri Valley Conference-best 5.83 digs per set average during the opening week.
Ervin Named Scholar-Athlete of the Week
Sophomore outside hitter Madelyn Ervin was named the Bradley Country Financial Scholar-Athlete of the Week announced Aug. 31. An advertising major with a 3.78 cumulative grade point average, Ervin was named to the all-tournament team at the Hotels at Grand Prairie Invitational after helping lead Bradley to a second-place finish. She averaged a team-best 2.92 kills per set during the three matches and also boasted a team-high five aces.
Active Leaders
Junior Megan Schmidt took over the title as Bradley's active career kills leader last weekend, passing Melissa Collins. Schmidt also moved into 25th place on BU's career kills chart, passing Sandi Kasting (1981-84). Schmidt has 637 career kills entering the final weekend of the 2010 season and needs 64 kills to pass Cheryl Christiansen for 24th. On the defensive side, junior defensive specialist Rachelle Dejean is the team's active career leader in digs with 1,099 and needs just seven digs to pass Stacy Besjak for 10th place. Dejean needs 263 digs to overtake career digs leader Jenny Pavlas.
