Bradley University Athletics

Volleyball Set For 2016 Home Debut

Duane Zehr, Bradley University ITPS

Volleyball 9/28/2016 10:38:00 AM

PEORIA, Ill. -- First-year Bradley Volleyball head coach Carol Price-Torok and her squad will finally make their 2016 debut at Renaissance Coliseum, opening the home schedule Friday against Southern Illinois and closing out a two-match home stand Saturday night against Evansville.

The Braves (5-8 overall, 0-1 MVC) opened the season with 13 consecutive road or neutral site matches for the longest road swing in over 30 years. Friday's 7 p.m. home opener against Southern Illinois marks the latest home opener for Bradley since the 2004 campaign and the Braves are the last team in the Missouri Valley Conference to play a home contest.

Friday's tilt with Southern Illinois (12-5 overall, 3-0 MVC) will be $1 hot dog night and Bradley students can win a free pizza party with Kaboom! for the Bradley dorm floor with the highest attendance at the home opener for the Braves. Prior to Saturday's 7 p.m. contest against Evansville (4-12 overall, 0-3 MVC), Price-Torok will deliver a pre-game "Chalk Talk" at 6:15 p.m. in the Zobrist Room open to all fans. A "Chalk Talk" will be held prior to all Saturday home matches throughout the year.

BradleyBraves.com will provide links to live stats for both contests, which will be available on ESPN3 as part of The Valley On ESPN3 and can be viewed through WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app.

The two-match home stand opens a stretch in which Bradley (5-8 overall, 0-3 MVC) will play six of the next nine matches at Renaissance Coliseum.

Freshman Erin Olson (Cary, Ill./Cary-Grove) turned in a season-best 22 digs Saturday at Illinois State to tie the Bradley record for digs in a three-set match. Olson also had 25 assists to help lead the Braves against the Redbirds as she turned in the first 20-assist, 20-dig performance at Bradley since 2001. Bradley Hall of Fame member Sam Hardwick was the last Brave with at least 20 assists and 20 digs in a match, collecting a triple-double with 44 assists, 27 digs and 10 blocks at Indiana State on Nov. 24, 2001.

Sophomore outside hitter Erica Haslag (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias Catholic) has tallied double-doubles in each of Bradley's first two Missouri Valley Conference matches of 2016 and is second in the Valley in kills at 3.96 per set. She is averaging a league-best 4.71 kills per set in MVC matches to go along with 3.71 digs per set and is joined by Andrea Estrada of Southern Illinois as the only players in the MVC with at least 150 kills, 10 aces, 125 digs and 20 or more blocks this fall.

Haslag enters the weekend with 473 career kills and needs 27 kills in her next three matches to become the fastest player in program history to reach 500 career kills. One of four active Braves with 400 or more career kills, Haslag would be the first Bradley player with 500 or more kills since 2013.

Following the home stand, Bradley travels to Springfield, Mo., for a 7 p.m. match at Missouri State on Friday, Oct. 7.

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Players Mentioned

#3 Erica Haslag: OH; 5' 11"; Sophomore

#2 Erin Olson: S; 5' 9"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#3 Erica Haslag
: 5' 11"; Sophomore
: OH

#2 Erin Olson
: 5' 9"; Freshman
: S

Volleyball Set For 2016 Home Debut

Players Mentioned

#3 Erica Haslag

#2 Erin Olson

Players Mentioned

#3 Erica Haslag

#2 Erin Olson