PEORIA, Ill. -- Freshman Jamie Livaudais (Fenton, Mo./Rockwood Summit) tallied a season-best 16 kills, but North Dakota State used strong play at the net and solid serving to top Bradley 25-23, 23-25, 25-20, 25-19 Saturday to conclude the 2014 CEFCU Classic at Renaissance Coliseum.

Livaudais, who earned a spot on the CEFCU All-Tournament team, reached double figures in kills for the second time in three outings and finished with eight or more kills for the fourth consecutive match with her team and season-high 16 Saturday against the Bison.

In addition, Bradley freshmen Taylor Thiele (Aurora, Neb./Aurora) and Afton Sobasky (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./St. Croix Lutheran) each collected double-doubles for the fourth time in five contests.  Thiele finished with 13 kills and 13 digs, while Sobasky added 43 assists and 13 digs in the setback for the Braves (0-10 overall).

Thiele, who was playing in the 10th match of her career, notched her 100th kill of the season to join Cindy Novak (eight matches in 1992) and Marika Gigerue (10 matches in 2000) as the only Bradley freshman since 1993 to reach 100 career kills in 10 or fewer matches.

The first set was close throughout before North Dakota State (4-6 overall) made a late push to claim the opener.  Bradley led 21-20 when Jenni Fassbender recorded three of her six first-set kills to highlight a 5-2 Bison spurt which capped a 25-23 North Dakota State win.

Livaudais snapped an 18-18 tie in the second set with a kill and the Braves eventually held set point at 24-21 after a Thiele kill.  Senior Madison Kamp (Orland Park, Ill./Chicago Christian) sealed a 25-23 Bradley win with a kill as the Braves pulled even in the match.

After tallying four blocks in the second set, North Dakota State added five more blocks in the third frame in a 25-20 victory for the Bison.  Emily Miron found the floor with a kill for North Dakota State to break a 19-19 tie in the third set and followed with a block to put her squad in front 21-19.  After a Bradley kill, Miron added two more kills and a block to help power the Bison to the win.

Bradley had its best offensive set of the night in the fourth frame, hitting .394.  North Dakota State was more than up to the task, however, answering with a .529 attack percentage.  The Bison had 19 kills with just one attack error as they closed the match with a 25-19 victory.  Fassbenber gave North Dakota State a 20-18 led with a kill and the Bison held a 22-18 edge after a BU attack error and another kill.  Emily Minnick followed another Bradley kill with a kill and block of her own to set up match point at 24-19 and North Dakota State scored the final point of the night on an attack error by the Braves.

Minnick finished with 20 kills to lead North Dakota State and was joined on the CEFCU Classic all-tournament team by Fassbender, who added 15 kills, four aces and 10 digs.  The Bison, finished with 11 blocks in the four-set victory in addition to eight aces.   

UMKC won the CEFCU Classic title earlier in the afternoon with a 25-20, 31-29, 16-25, 25-18 victory against Miami (Ohio) to finish tournament play 3-0.  Taryn Miller of UMKC was named tournament MVP after notching a Renaissance Coliseum record 38 digs in the victory against Miami Saturday.  Rounding out the CEFCU Classic all-tournament team were Kaylyn Brandt and Sydney Crimmins of UMKC along Miami (Ohio) teammates Maeve McDonald and Meg Riley.

Bradley will open Missouri Valley Conference play on the road for the first time since 2009 Friday with a 7 p.m. match against Drake in Des Moines, Iowa.