PEORIA, Ill. -- Talk to a volleyball coach and they will most likely tell you the most important position on the floor is setter. After all, which player has the most influence on the tempo of a team's offensive attack. Tuesday, third-year Bradley volleyball head coach Sean Burdette announced junior college All-American setter Jennifer Sykes (Racine, Wis./Case H.S./Parkland C.C.) signed a National Letter of Intent during the recent spring signing period.
A 5-9 setter, Sykes was a First-Team NJCAA All-American last Fall after helping the Cobras to a 42-6 record and third-place national finish. She ranked second nationally at the NJCAA Division II level with a 10.15 assists-per-set average and was third in the nation in total assists (1,451).
Sykes earned Midwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year in addition to earning all-region honors as a sophomore and was a national All-American Scholar-Athlete selection. She also earned a spot on the NJCAA All-Tournament team. A four-time all-conference selection at Case High School, Sykes was a two-time team captain and team MVP.
"Jeni will bring experience in both her level of play and leadership as she enters Bradley as a junior this fall," Burdette said. "She was able to compete at a very high level for Parkland last fall, leading her team to the national semifinals. Jeni will make the setter position very competitive for us. She is not only effective at running an offense but is a strong blocker and good at attacking the second ball. She is a great addition to our program and this recruiting class."
The addition of Sykes pushes Bradley's incoming class to five, as she joins 6-1 middle blocker Amy Angelos (Waukegan, Ill./Waukegan), 6-2 middle blocker Allie Falter (Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln Pius X), six-foot outside hitter Brianna Lampe (Metamora, Ill./Metamora) and six-foot middle blocker Lauren Zerante (Elmhurst, Ill./York) among the Braves newcomers in 2010. Bradley's 2010 roster also features nine returning letterwinners from last year's squad.
Season tickets are available at the Bradley Athletics Ticket Office at Shea Stadium (1523 W. Nebraska Ave., Peoria, Ill) for $50 for adults and $25 for children (K-12). Personal Seat Options (PSO) are also available through the Bradley Athletics Ticket Office. Included in the PSO are volleyball and women's basketball season tickets in addition to preferred status to purchase tickets in their seat(s) for all other events in the new arena, excluding commencement ceremonies, during a 12-month period from August 2010-July 2011. For more information please call (309) 677-2625.
