PEORIA, Ill. -- The Bradley volleyball team hits the road for the first time in 2011, taking part in the Akron Invitational in Akron, Ohio, Friday and Saturday, where BU will face Canisius, St. Francis (Pa.) and tournament-host Akron during the two-day event.
The Braves (2-1 overall) opened the season with back-to-back home wins against Nebraska-Omaha last week at the CEFCU Classic, before falling to in-state foe Illinois-Chicago Saturday afternoon to wrap up the season-opening event. This weekend's tournament kicks off a stretch in which BU will play six consecutive matches away from home, marking the longest stretch without a home match since early in the 2007 season.
Sophomore Alise Tupuritis (Des Plaines, Ill./Maine West) and senior Megan Schmidt (Bloomington, Ill./Central Catholic) were both named to the all-tournament team at the CEFCU Classic last weekend and will look to lead the Braves again during the squad's first trip to the Buckeye state since 2007.
Tupuritis led BU in kills in each of the two victories and is averaging a team-leading 3.44 kills per set. Her 14 kills in the season opener, nearly matched her kill total of 16 from the entire 2010 campaign.
Schmidt boasts an impressive .413 attack percentage after the first three matches and is closing in on 700 career kills. She needs 22 kills to become the 25th player in school history to reach the 700-kill mark and is 32 kills from moving into 22nd in career kills at Bradley.
One of two out-of-state players on the roster, junior Madelyn Ervin (Lewis Center, Ohio./Olentangy) will be playing in her home state for the first time in her collegiate career. Ervin, who led the Missouri Valley Conference in aces per set last year, averaged 0.43 aces per set last weekend.
Bradley faces Canisius Friday at 9 a.m. (CDT) in the first match of the tournament and plays Akron later that day (6 p.m. CDT). Live stats and video streaming will be available for Friday's matchup with the Zips. The Braves close out action Saturday with an 11 a.m. (CDT) contest against St. Francis (Pa.). Bradley will be playing both Canisius (3-0 overall) and St. Francis (Pa.) for the first time in program history. Friday's tilt with Akron will be the first meeting between the two squads since 1999 at Penn State, with the two teams splitting the two prior contests.
The Braves continue the road swing next weekend, traveling to Conway, S.C. for the Coastal Carolina Invitational (Sept. 9 & 10).
