DES MOINES, Iowa -- Sophomore Alise Tupuritis (Des Plaines, Ill./Maine West) had 17 kills and sophomore Amy Angelos (Waukegan, Ill./Waukegan) added 14 kills to lead Bradley, but Drake rallied in each of the final two sets to top the Braves 25-22, 19-25, 25-22, 26-24 Saturday at the Knapp Center.

The Braves (7-11 overall, 1-8 MVC) had an advantage in hitting percentage, attacking at a .135 clip, compared to .119 for the Bulldogs; and tallied a season-high 15 blocks in the loss to wrap up a season-long, three-match Missouri Valley Conference road swing. 

The first set went back and forth early on, featuring 10 ties and five lead changes before Drake (7-15 overall, 3-6 MVC) took control.  With Bradley leading 11-9, Michelle Reidy highlighted a 6-0 Bulldog run with two kills and a block to help Drake take a 15-11 advantage.  BU pulled with two points on several occasions, but Whitney Westrum closed out a 25-22 Bulldog win in the opening set with a kill.

Tupuritis tallied seven of her match-high 17 kills in the second set to power Bradley to a 25-19 victory as BU evened the match.  The Braves led 17-16 when senior Annie Cave (Easton, Ill./Illini Central) sparked a 5-1 Bradley run with a kill.  Angelos had a pair of kills during the spurt to help BU to a 22-17 lead and Tupuritis later closed out the set with a kill and block on back-to-back plays. 

The third set featured 15 ties and eight lead changes before Drake rallied for a 25-22 win to take a two-sets-to-one lead.  Bradley went ahead 21-19 after an Allie Falter (Lincoln, Ill./Lincoln Pius X) block and Drake attack error, but the Bulldogs answered with five consecutive points to take a 24-21 lead.  Cave ended the Drake run with a kill, before Reidy sealed a 25-22 Bulldog win with a kill.

Bradley held a 21-20 lead in the fourth set following a Megan Schmidt (Bloomington, Ill./Central Catholic) kill, but Bradley had to fight off consecutive match points by the Bulldogs to pull even at 24-24.  Stacie Hansen had a kill to give Drake a 25-24 lead and a Bradley attack error was the final point as the Bulldogs took the match with a 26-24 fourth-set win.

Tupuritis added 12 digs and two blocks to her match-high 17 kills for her fourth double-double of the year.  Angelos finished with 13 kills and five blocks to help pace the Braves, who play six of their next eight matches at home.  Senior Rachelle Dejean (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) collected a season-high 28 digs.

Mancini Bentley led Drake with 13 kills and was joined in double figures by Westrum, who added 10 kills.  Sarah Madden was one of four Bulldog players in double figures in digs with a match-high 30 digs.

Bradley opens a three-match homestand Thursday with a 7 p.m. match against I-74 rival Illinois State at Renaissance Coliseum.  Thursday's contest against the Redbirds will be the Braves' Dig Pink match.  Fans are encouraged to wear pink to the match against the Redbirds and can donate money to the Side Out Foundation's Dig Pink initiative at the following web site http://www.side-out.org/application/ous/fundraising_page/2758