Bradley University Athletics

Volleyball Opens Second Half Of MVC Play At Home

Ricky Bassman

Volleyball 10/20/2016 9:46:00 AM

PEORIA, Ill. -- Bradley Volleyball closes out a stretch in which the Braves will have played six of nine matches at Renaissance Coliseum, taking on I-74 rival Illinois State Friday at 7 p.m. and hosting Indiana State Saturday at 7 p.m. to open the second half of the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season schedule.

Friday will be "Cram The Coliseum" with several promotions for Bradley students, including a pre-game tailgate on the Alumni Quad at 3:30 p.m. with free pizza. A bags tournament will be held at the tailgate (teams need to email mcrusen@bradley.edu by 5 p.m. Thursday to register).

In addition the Bradley dorm floor with the highest attendance at Friday night's match will win a free pizza party and the Bradley Greek organization with the biggest turnout wins the opportunity to have the Bradley Volleyball team assist with a philanthropy event.

Along with the student promotions, Bradley faculty and staff will be recognized at the intermission of the annual home match against Illinois State as part of Appreciation Night. Bradley faculty and staff and families will receive free admission to Friday's contest.

Saturday's match is Alumni Day with Bradley Volleyball alumni recognized between sets two and three of the contest against the Sycamores. In addition head coach Carol Price-Torok will deliver a pre-game "Chalk Talk" in the Zobrist Room at 6:15 p.m.

Links to live stats for both outings will be available on BradleyBraves.com and both tilts will be available on ESPN3 as part of The Valley On ESPN3 and can be viewed through WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app.

With Tuesday's match at Loyola marking the halfway point of the MVC schedule, Bradley looks to continue what has been a common trend over the past few years. The Braves have posted a better record in the second half of league play each of the past two seasons and Bradley has improved on its first half performance in six of the last eight years. Over the last eight seasons the Braves have combined to win almost three times as many matches in the second half of Valley action compared to the first.

Junior outside hitter Jamie Livaudais (Fenton, Mo./Rockwood Summit) has collected season-high kill totals in each of the last two matches after leading the team with 15 kills Tuesday at Loyola. Livaudais has averaged 3.62 kills per set in the last two contests and is poised to climb Bradley's career kills list. She enters the weekend 37th in school history with 540 career kills and is 17 kills short of moving up two spots into 35th.

Senior Kelsey Cave (Solon, Iowa/Solon) is coming off a 14-kill effort at Loyola Tuesday in which she hit .522. The only player to appear in all 68 sets this season for the Braves, Cave has averaged 2.83 kills per set in MVC play this fall. Since returning from an injury which sidelined her for the middle portion of the 2015 season, Cave has averaged 2.48 kills per set with a .340 hitting percentage over her last 31 matches.

Following Saturday's home match against Indiana State, Bradley will open a two-match road swing Friday, Oct. 28 at Evansville.

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Players Mentioned

#6 Kelsey Cave: MB; 6' 2"; Senior

#5 Jamie Livaudais: OH; 6' 1"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#6 Kelsey Cave
: 6' 2"; Senior
: MB

#5 Jamie Livaudais
: 6' 1"; Junior
: OH

Volleyball Opens Second Half Of MVC Play At Home

Players Mentioned

#6 Kelsey Cave

#5 Jamie Livaudais

Players Mentioned

#6 Kelsey Cave

#5 Jamie Livaudais