PEORIA, Ill. -- After playing seven of the first 11 Missouri Valley Conference matches of the year on the road, the Bradley volleyball team will play five of the final seven matches of the regular season at Renaissance Coliseum starting Friday with a home matchup against Southern Illinois and wrapping up a two-match home stand Saturday against Evansville.
The Braves will play a rare Halloween home match Friday at 7 p.m. against Southern Illinois. Bradley will be playing on Halloween for the first time since 2009 and will play a home contest on All Hallows' Eve for the first time since 1998. Friday's contest is just the third time in program history the Braves will take the court at home on Halloween, with both previous matches going five sets; 1998 vs. Evansville and 1997 vs. Indiana State.
Fans are encouraged to wear their costumes to Friday's match vs. Southern Illinois and kids will be able to trick-or-treat with Kaboom! at the game. Members of the Bradley women's basketball, women's tennis and women's golf teams will be handing out candy to children at Renaissance Coliseum. In addition, the concourse will also feature face painting and game stations for children.
Saturday's match vs. Evansville will also start at 7 p.m. as Bradley looks to improve on a 12-9 home record in the all-time series with the Purple Aces. BradleyBraves.com will provide links to live stats and subscription video streams for both contests.
Friday's match is just third home contest in the month of October for the Braves, who have the fewest home matches in October since 2005. Saturday's tilt vs. Evansville is the first of four November home dates for Bradley and the Braves will play five of the final seven regular-season Missouri Valley Conference contests at home for the first time since 1999.
Junior Lea Sack (Lincoln, Neb./Pius X) recorded her 700th career dig last Friday at Missouri State and has climbed into 31st in school history with 726 digs. She is 31 digs from passing Ashley Vance for 30th in school history and 74 from becoming the 25th Brave to reach 800. Currently seventh in MVC play with a 4.00 digs-per-set average, Sack would be the 11th Bradley player to reach 800 career digs before the end of their junior year.
Freshman Taylor Thiele (Aurora, Neb./Aurora) notched her 200th dig of the season last week and is the first Bradley freshman with at least 180 kills and 200 or more digs since 2007. In fact, Thiele is 18 kills from becoming the eighth Bradley freshman with 200 kills and 200 digs in a season. Melissa Collins was the last BU freshman with 200 kills and 200 digs back in 2007.
Following the quick two-game home stand, Bradley opens the final road swing of the season Friday, Nov. 7 at Indiana State with a 6 p.m. (CST) contest in Terre Haute, Ind.
