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Milwaukee MKE 1-12
3
Winner Bradley BRAD 10-2
Milwaukee MKE
1-12
0
Final
3
Bradley BRAD
10-2
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Milwaukee MKE 16 20 14 (0)
Bradley BRAD 25 25 25 (3)
Julie Kestas

Braves Sweep Milwaukee To Win CEFCU Classic

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Game Recap: Volleyball |
PEORIA, Ill. -- CEFCU Classic Tournament MVP Erica Haslag pounded home a match-high 13 kills, including six in the third set, and fellow senior Alissa Schovanec added 10 kills of her own while hitting .526 to help power Bradley Volleyball to a 25-16, 25-20, 25-14 victory over Milwaukee Saturday afternoon at Renaissance Coliseum.
 
Playing before the third largest home crowd (1,348) in program history, the Braves (10-2 overall) didn't disappoint as Bradley improved to 6-0 at home on the year with the win to claim the CEFCU Classic title with a perfect 3-0 mark.  In fact, the Braves matched the best start to a season through 12 matches (10-2) in school history originally done in 1999 during a 20-6 campaign.  BU closed out the non-conference portion of the schedule with 10 wins to mark the team's most non-conference wins since 1988 (18) when the Missouri Valley Conference schedule consisted of just nine matches.
 
Schovanec, who joined Haslag and teammates Rachel Pranger and Maggie Revell on the CEFCU Classic All-Tournament team, highlighted the opening set for Bradley with five kills on just nine swings.  With BU leading 14-10 in the first set, Schovanec and freshman Hannah Thompson followed a Milwaukee error with back-to-back blocks to help key a 4-0 Braves' spurt to help Bradley build an 18-10 advantage. 
 
Bradley's first-set lead would balloon to 10 (22-12) on a Revell and Hannah Angeli block.  Senior Abby Ihrke later closed out a 25-16 opening set win for the Braves with one of Bradley's seven aces on the day.  Schovanec had five kills with no errors on nine attacks in the opening stanza. 
 
In the second set, Haslag, Revell, Thompson and Pranger each had three kills, but Bradley's blocking helped the Braves get some separation midway through the frame.  Bradley led by as many as four early on, taking a 13-9 lead on another Ihrke ace, only to have Milwaukee stay within striking distance and trail by two at 16-14.  Back-to-back blocks by Schovanec after a Milwaukee error led to a 4-0 Bradley run which gave the Braves a 20-14 edge.  Haslag added a pair of kills down the stretch to help Bradley take the second set 25-20. 
 
The Braves had to battle from behind early in the third set after the Panthers jumped out to a 6-3 lead.  Bradley eventually pulled even at 8-8 on a Haslag kill.  A 5-1 Bradley spurt, which included kills by Hasalg, Thompson and Pranger along with a Revell block, later put the Braves in front 15-11. 
 
Milwaukee pulled within three at 16-13 on a Kylie Wilks kill only to have Bradley answer with a 9-1 run to close the contest.  Schovanec got the final rally started with a kill and teamed with Haslag for a block.  Haslag had three consecutive kills to push the lead to 21-13 before Milwaukee got a point on a Carmen Heilemann kill. 
 
Freshman Lilly Johnson found the back corner with a kill and sophomore Emma Raleigh served up an ace to give Bradley a 23-14 lead.  The Braves had match point at 24-14 after a Milwaukee error and BU's 12th block of the match closed out a 25-14 win for Bradley to complete the sweep as junior Kathryn Graf and senior Sarah Shaw teamed for the block on the final point.
 
Haslag had six kills on 11 attacks in the final set, helping Bradley hit .389 in the third.  Schovanec finished with 10 kills on just 19 attacks with no errors for a .526 hitting percentage in the match. 
 
Thompson helped lead Bradley's defensive efforts with a team-high 17 digs, while Revell was part of six of Bradley's 12 blocks on the day to go with her four kills.   
 
Haslag was named CEFCU Classic MVP after hitting .306 and averaging 4.18 kills per set in the three contests.  Also earning all-tournament honors for the Braves were Pranger (3.55 kills per set), Schovanec (2.55 kills per set) and Revell (1.36 kills & 1.09 blocks per set).
 
Earlier in the day, Eastern Illinois swept Omaha 25-18, 25-23, 25-20.  EIU's Anne Hughes was named to the CEFCU Classic All-Tournament team along with Anna Blaschko of Omaha and Milwaukee's Abby Koenen. 
 
Bradley opens Missouri Valley Conference play next weekend, taking on Southern Illinois Friday in a 7 p.m. match in Carbondale, Ill. 
 
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Players Mentioned

Hannah Angeli

#9 Hannah Angeli

S
6' 0"
Junior
Kathryn Graf

#12 Kathryn Graf

MB
6' 2"
Junior
Erica Haslag

#3 Erica Haslag

OH
5' 11"
Senior
Abby Ihrke

#7 Abby Ihrke

DS/L
5' 7"
Senior
Emma Raleigh

#34 Emma Raleigh

DS/L
5' 8"
Sophomore
Maggie Revell

#5 Maggie Revell

MB
6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
Alissa Schovanec

#2 Alissa Schovanec

MB
6' 0"
Senior
Sarah Shaw

#22 Sarah Shaw

MB/Opp.
5' 11"
Senior
Lilly Johnson

#4 Lilly Johnson

OH
6' 2"
Freshman
Hannah Thompson

#6 Hannah Thompson

OH
5' 8"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Hannah Angeli

#9 Hannah Angeli

6' 0"
Junior
S
Kathryn Graf

#12 Kathryn Graf

6' 2"
Junior
MB
Erica Haslag

#3 Erica Haslag

5' 11"
Senior
OH
Abby Ihrke

#7 Abby Ihrke

5' 7"
Senior
DS/L
Emma Raleigh

#34 Emma Raleigh

5' 8"
Sophomore
DS/L
Maggie Revell

#5 Maggie Revell

6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
MB
Alissa Schovanec

#2 Alissa Schovanec

6' 0"
Senior
MB
Sarah Shaw

#22 Sarah Shaw

5' 11"
Senior
MB/Opp.
Lilly Johnson

#4 Lilly Johnson

6' 2"
Freshman
OH
Hannah Thompson

#6 Hannah Thompson

5' 8"
Freshman
OH