Drake DU 17-12, 5-9 MVC

Bradley BRAD 20-7, 10-5 MVC

Drake DU

17-12, 5-9 MVC

Final

Nov. 03, 2018

Bradley BRAD

20-7, 10-5 MVC

Set Scores
Team	1	2	3	4	F
Drake DU	25	22	16	24	(1)
Bradley BRAD	20	25	25	26	(3)

Box Score

Braves Grind Out Four-Set Victory Over Drake For 20th Win

Box Score

Game Recap: Volleyball | 11/3/2018 9:55:00 PM

PEORIA, Ill. -- Senior Yavianliz Rosado collected a school single-match record 42 digs to help Bradley Volleyball grind out a 20-25, 25-22, 25-16, 26-24 victory over Drake Saturday as the Braves earned their 20th victory of the season.

The victory locked up a spot for Bradley (20-7 overall, 10-5 MVC) in the upcoming Missouri Valley Conference Tournament later this month, with the Braves qualifying for the league's post-season event for the first time since 2013. In addition, BU owns its first 20-win season since closing the 2001 campaign with a 24-8 mark along with regaining sole possession of third-place in the Valley regular-season standings.

After dropping the opening set 25-20 to Drake (17-12 overall, 5-9 MVC), Bradley rallied to take the next three frames in a defensive struggle in which the teams combined for 23 blocks and nearly 250 digs (244). Rosado topped her previous career high for digs (35) with a Bradley and Renaissance Coliseum record 42 digs for the highest dig total in the MVC this season. In fact, her 42 digs tied for the ninth-best single-match total in MVC history and broke Briony Hammet's school mark of 38 digs set at Evansville on Oct. 22, 2005.

Senior Erica Haslag helped carry the load offensively for the Braves with a match-high 20 kills. Junior setter Hannah Angeli notched five kills, 45 assists, 17 digs and five blocks, while fellow junior Kathryn Graf collected eight kills and career-high nine blocks. Freshman Hannah Thompson had a string of six consecutive double-doubles snapped, but did manage to come up with 23 digs to help with Bradley's defensive efforts and broke the Bradley season record for digs by a freshman as she pushed her season total to 414 to top Rachel Dejean's previous mark of 413 digs from 2008.

Drake took the opening set 25-20 behind a balanced attack which featured four players with three or more kills.

After tallying five kills in the first set, Haslag found the floor with six kills in the second and helped power the Braves to a 25-22 win to even the match. Drake led 21-19 when a Haslag kill sparked a 4-0 Bradley spurt. The Braves forced a pair of Bulldog errors to grab a 22-21 lead and an Angeli ace gave BU a 23-21 lead. Haslag followed a Drake point with another kill and a Bulldog attack sailed long as the Braves took the second set 25-22.

Rosado carried Bradley in the third set, posting 18 of her school record 42 digs in the frame. The Braves, which started the week ranked second in the nation in digs per set, had 36 digs as a team in the third after 29 digs in each of the first two stanzas. Graf had three blocks during a 4-1 spurt midway through the set to help Bradley build an 18-11 advantage.

Drake would pull within four at 20-16 only to have Haslag end a Bulldog run with her 15th kill of the night. Senior Abby Ihrke followed with an ace and back-to-back kills by sophomore Sara Maddox handed BU set point at 24-16. A Drake error provided the final point in a 25-16 Bradley win. Maddox had five kills in the third, while Graf collected four kills on seven swings and three blocks in the set.

The fourth set was close throughout, with Bradley holding a slim 21-20 edge after Drake's Natalie Fry had a kill. A Bulldog service error gave the Braves a two-point cushion (22-20) and a Rosado ace pushed Bradley's lead to 23-20. The Braves eventually held match point at 24-21 on a Thompson kill, but Drake scored the next three points on a Cathryn Cheek kill and back-to-back kills from Emily Plock to pull even at 24-24. Plock was off the mark on her next point, however, to once again give the Braves match point at 25-24 and a block by Haslag and Graf sealed a 26-24 win as the Braves picked up their 20th victory of the season.

Bradley improved to 13-1 at Renaissance Coliseum in 2018 to mark the most home wins in a season in program history.

The Braves hit the road for the final time during the 2018 regular-season, opening a two-match road swing Friday with a 7 p.m. match at Valparaiso.

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