Peoria, IL—Bradley hosted Southeast Missouri State to open the 2018 season Friday night at the Clubs at River City. Despite a hard-fought match, the Braves dropped the team's opener 4-3.

Bradley got off to a rough start, getting swept in the doubles point. The young teams of sophomore Natalia Barbery and freshman Sandra Maletin as well as freshmen Victoria Gonzalez and Kinga Kovacs lost in the Nos. 1 and 3 positions 6-3 and 6-2 respectively to start the match. The Braves' team of veterans in senior Alexa Brandt and junior Malini Wijesinghe attempted to thwart the sweep but ultimately fell in a tight 7-6 match.

Despite beginning singles play winless at 3-0 with losses in the Nos. 5 and 6 positions, the Braves looked to be staging a comeback. Brandt got things started with a victory in the No. 4 spot, defeating SEMO's Maja Lundell handedly with 6-2, 6-1 scores. The win was Brandt's 50th singles victory and 100th combined win of her career. Maletin earned a victory in her debut, fighting for a 7-5, 6-3 victory in No. 1 singles to bring the Braves within one. Barbery followed with a 7-5, 6-1 win to knot the match at three-all. Coming down to the wire, Wijesinghe pushed her No. 3 singles match to three sets but was unable to pull out a win to push the Braves over the edge.

Bradley will seek redemption when it hosts Northern Illinois Saturday at 2:00 p.m. at the Clubs at River City.