Box Score PEORIA, Ill. -- The Bradley Volleyball team opened its new home with a bang, sweeping in-state foe Western Illinois before a school record crowd of 1,752 fans. Freshman Allie Falter (Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln Pius X) notched 10 kills and five blocks, while hitting at a .412 clip and sophomore Madelyn Ervin (Lewis Center, Ohio/Olentangy) tallied a team-best 11 kills to help highlight the victory for the Braves.
The Braves are playing host to the Hotels at Grand Prairie Invitational to open the season Friday and Saturday in the first athletic event in the new 4,200 on campus arena which stands where historic Robertson Memorial Field House once stood.
Fueled by the record-setting crowd, Bradley scored the first six points of the match and jumped out a 13-6 lead in the first set. Western Illinois answered with 11 consecutive points to take a 17-13 advantage, before the Braves rallied to pull even at 25-25. BU trailed 31-30 when freshman Lauren Zerante (Elmhurst, Ill./York) tied the opening set with a kill and Ervin followed with back-to-back kills to close out a 33-31 Bradley come-from-behind win.
The Braves once again got out to an early lead (6-1), before the Leathernecks rallied and eventually led 17-16 in the second set. Senior Caitlin Staib (Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central) highlighted a 4-1 BU spurt with a pair of kills to give Bradley a 20-18 lead. After Western Illinois pulled back to within one point (21-20), Falter and junior Annie Cave (Easton, Ill./Illini Central) combined for a block to spark a 4-0 Bradley run to close out the set 25-20.
Falter and Ervin took over in the third set, combining for 10 kills on just 14 attacks in the frame. The Braves hit .091 in the first two sets, but heated up to .333 in the third set and ran away with a 25-15 third-set victory to complete the sweep.
The Braves tallied six aces with Zerante and sophomore setter Shelly Mueller (Mount Prospect, Ill./John Hersey/Marquette) each serving up two. Mueller added 32 assists in her first career collegiate start at setter, while sophomore Allie Gardner (Chicago, Ill./Mother McAuley) notched a career-best 18 digs to help pace Bradley defensively.
BU improved to 7-1 when opening the season at home after the season and facility-opening victory. The crowd of 1,752 fans surpassed the previous school attendance mark of 1,313 set on Nov. 12, 1999 against Illinois State.
Krissy Bergquist led Western Illinois with 16 kills, while Allison Gilbert added 11 kills. Leatherneck setter Ellen Miller finished with a double-double, collecting 36 assists and 13 digs.
Earlier in the day USC Upstate defeated Southeast Missouri State in four sets, 19-25, 25-17, 25-21, 25-20 in the first match of the Hotels at Grand Prairie Invitational.
The Hotels at Grand Prairie Invitational continues Saturday with four matches. Western Illinois and Southeast Missouri State open the second day of play with a 9:30 a.m. match, with Bradley and USC Upstate following with a noon contest. USC Upstate and Western Illinois take the court at 4:30 p.m. and the tournament concludes at 7 p.m. with the Braves squaring off against Southeast Missouri State.
