Box Score PEORIA, Ill. -- Bradley couldn't overcome 15 Presbyterian aces as the Braves fell in four sets to the visiting Blue Hose Saturday afternoon during the second day of play at the CEFCU Classic. Set scores in favor of BU were 26-24, 17-25, 21-25, 12-25.
Bradley (4-5 overall) had to rally from behind to take the opening set 26-24. Presbyterian (3-4 overall) led by as many as five points (15-10), before the Braves used a 9-2 run to take a 19-17 lead with senior Melissa Collins (Manchester, Mo./Parkway South) highlighting the BU spurt with three of her season-high seven kills. The Blue Hose later tied the set at 24-24, but a pair of Presbyterian errors sealed the 26-24 opening-set victory for Bradley.
The Braves held a 9-5 lead in the second set when Presbyterian rattled off 11 consecutive points to open a 15-2 push. Amanda Kettles served three of her six aces on the afternoon during the run which put the Blue Hose in front 20-11. Bradley closed the gap to five points, but would get no closer as Presbyterian pulled even in the match with a 25-17 win.
The third set went back and forth in the early going, featuring three lead changes and nine ties before Presbyterian took control midway through the frame. The Braves held a 12-11 advantage, when Presbyterian's Lisa Shelley recorded back-to-back kills and a block to spark a 6-2 spurt. Shelley added two more kills during the run and finished with a match-high 20 kills as she helped put the Blue Hose in front 17-13. Bradley pulled to within three points on three occasions, but Kettles ended the set with a kill to close out a 25-21 win for Presbyterian.
The Blue Hose jumped out to an early 10-2 lead in the fourth set and never looked back as Presbyterian cruised to a 25-12 win to take the match. Presbyterian hit .429 in the set and limited Bradley to a .094 attack percentage in the final set.
Freshman Amy Angelos (Waukegan, Ill./Waukegan) led the Braves with 10 kills and also added three blocks. Sophomore Genevieve Dejean (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) tied a career-high with 20 digs to lead Bradley's defensive efforts.
Shelley was one of three Presbyterian players in double figures in kills with her match-high 20 kills. Kettles collected 12 kills to go along with her six aces, while Presley Mabrey added 17 kills to help lead the Blue Hose.
In earlier action Saturday at the CEFCU Classic, Valparaiso swept Hofstra in the day's first match to improve 2-0 in the tournament. Hofstra is tied with Presbyterian in the tournament with a 1-1 record after the loss.
The CEFCU Classic continues with a 4:30 p.m. match featuring Hofstra and Presbyterian. The tournament concludes at 7 p.m. with Bradley taking on Valparaiso.
