DENVER, Colo. – Freshman Taylor Thiele (Aurora, Neb./Aurora) reached double figures in kills for the fourth consecutive match and led Bradley in kills for the second straight outing, but the Braves fell to Kansas 25-15, 25-19, 25-20 Friday afternoon at the Pioneer Classic.

Thiele notched a team-high 10 kills Friday against Kansas (3-1 overall) to lead Bradley (0-4 overall) and is the first Brave since at least the 1992 season to record 10 or more kills in the first four matches of their collegiate career.  Complete box scores prior to the 1992 season are unavailable in the Bradley archives.

Kansas, which was ranked in the AVCA preseason top 25 and received votes in the most recent poll, took control of the first set with an 11-3 run to build a 22-12 advantage.  The Jayhawks hit .323 in the frame and took the opener 25-15.

In the second set, Bradley rallied from five points down (14-9) to take a 16-15 lead and the teams were knotted at 18-18 after one of 10 Kansas attack errors in the set.  Madison Rigdon followed a Bradley attack error with a pair of kills for KU to help highlight a 7-1 Jayhawk spurt as Kansas took a two-sets-to-one lead with the 25-19 victory.

The third set featured nine ties and four lead changes before Kansas made another late push.  Junior Jessie Tulacka (Westmont, Ill./Downers Grove North) gave the Braves a 17-16 lead with a kill, but three straight Kansas points opened an 8-2 Jayhawk run which put KU ahead 24-19.  Chelsea Albers had a pair of kills and two blocks during the Kansas run.  Bradley answered with a point of its own, before the fourth Kansas block of the set closed out the 25-20 win and sweep for the Jayhawks.

Albers led Kansas with a match-high 12 kills and was joined in double figures by Rigdon, who added 10 kills of her own. 

Bradley continues play at the Pioneer Classic Saturday with a 1 p.m. (CDT) contest against tournament-host and Summit League favorite Denver.