UTEP UTEP 1-4

Bradley BRAD 2-3

UTEP UTEP

1-4

Final

Sep. 03, 2016

Bradley BRAD

2-3

Set Scores
Team	1	2	3	4	F
UTEP UTEP	23	25	28	25	(3)
Bradley BRAD	25	19	26	19	(1)

Box Score

Ricky Bassman

Bradley Volleyball Falls In Four To UTEP

Game Recap: Volleyball | 9/3/2016 1:47:00 PM

FARGO, N.D. – Senior Kelsey Cave (Solon, Iowa/Solon) had a team-best 13 kills and sophomore Abby Ihrke (Fulton, Mo./Fulton) tallied a career-best 23 digs, but Bradley Volleyball suffered a 25-23, 19-25, 26-28, 19-25 loss to UTEP to open the second day of the North Dakota State Classic Saturday.

The Braves (2-3 overall) grinded out a 25-23 victory in the first set, holding the Miners to a .135 hitting percentage in a frame which featured 18 ties and nine lead changes. Cave and sophomore Afton Sobaky (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./St. Croix Lutheran) each had three kills in the opener.

UTEP (1-4 overall) took a 23-22 lead on a block, but Bradley pulled even on a service error and held match point after forcing an attack error. Sophomore Erica Haslag (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias Catholic) served up her team-leading seventh ace of the year to put the finishing touches on a 25-23 win for the Braves.

In the second set, Bradley stayed within striking distance and trailed 22-19 following a Jamie Livaudais (Fenton, Mo./Rockwood Summit) kill. UTEP answered with a pair of kills and a service ace to pull even in the match with a 25-19 second-set win.

The third set was another tightly contested stanza with 13 ties and seven lead changes. UTEP never led by more than four points (16-12) and the Braves fought back to tie the score at 20-20 on one of Cave's five third-set kills. Bradley later held set point at 24-23 and again at 25-24 on another Cave kill. With the score knotted at 26-26, UTEP's Niki Cebak had an ace and a Bradley error closed a 28-26 Miners' victory.

Bradley built a 15-12 lead in the fourth set on a 5-0 run capped by back-to-back kills by Cave and Haslag. UTEP scored the next three points, however, to open a 6-1 spurt which put the Miners in front 18-16. Sobasky and freshman Kathryn Graf (Edina, Minn./Edina) pulled the Braves even at 18-18 with a block. Four consecutive Bradley errors proved to be costly as UTEP built a 22-18 advantage and went on to close the match with a 25-19 win in the fourth.

Cave was the only Brave to reach double figures in kills with her team-best 13. Ihrke added a career-high 23 digs and Haslag helped Bradley notch a season-best 90 digs with a career-best 21 of her own. Freshman Erin Olson (Cary, Ill./Cary Grove) turned in her first career double-double, collecting 19 assists and 10 digs.

Bradley closes out play at the North Dakota State Classic later tonight with a 6:30 p.m. match against North Dakota State.

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