GADSDEN, Ala. -- For just the third time in program history Bradley Volleyball is off to a 6-1 start to a season following a 25-23, 25-19, 25-11 sweep of Western Carolina Friday morning in the first match of the Gamecock Classic.  The Braves now own a five-match win streak for the team's longest win streak since starting the 2012 season 5-0.
 
The 2018 Braves (6-1 overall) joined the 2013 and 2000 squads as the only teams in program history to open a season with a 6-1 mark.  Freshman Hannah Thompson led Bradley offensively with a match-high 10 kills to go with six digs and one ace.  The Braves collected eight aces in the sweep with senior Yavianliz Rosado matching a career-best with four aces in addition to tallying a team-best 14 digs as she helped BU limit the Catamounts (5-3 overall) to an .074 hitting percentage in the contest. 
 
Freshman Rachel Pranger and senior Erica Haslag each had three kills in the first set to help Bradley pull out a tightly contested 25-23 win.  The opener featured nine ties and seven lead changes before the Braves were able to take control.  Senior Alissa Schovanec found the floor with back-to-back kills to help highlight a 6-1 Bradley run which put BU in front 22-18.  Thompson and Haslag each added a kill during the run. 
 
Bradley eventually held set point at 24-21 only to have Western Carolina keep the frame going with a kill and ace.  A Catamount error was the final point, however, as the Braves took the first set 25-23.
 
Thompson took over in the second set, registering six of her match-high 10 kills in the stanza.  She broke a 16-16 tie with a kill to spark a 5-0 Bradley run, which also included kills by Schovanec and senior Abby Ihrke.  Thompson chased a Western Carolina point with a kill and kills by Angeli and Thompson later gave the Braves set point at 24-17.  Thompson put the finishing touches on a 25-19 BU win with her sixth kill of the set. 
 
The Braves raced out to a 6-1 lead in the third set, thanks in part to three aces by Rosado.  Bradley served up six of its eight aces in the contest in the third frame and held Western Carolina to just two kills in the final set.  In fact, the Catamounts hit -.208 in the third as the Braves forced seven WCU attack errors. 
 
Western Carolina briefly clawed back into the contest at 9-8 only to have Thompson open a 5-0 Bradley spurt with a kill.  Sophomore Emma Raleigh added a pair of aces during the run which pushed the BU lead to six at 14-8.   Leading 15-10,, the Braves rattled off nine consecutive points to put things out of reach.  Six consecutive WCU errors sparked the run with Schovanec and Haslag teaming for a block to give Bradley a 22-10 edge.  A Thompson ace made it 23-10 and Schovanec and Haslag added another block to give the Braves match point at 24-10.  Bradley eventually closed the match with a 25-11 victory to earn the teams third three-set victory of the year.    
 
The Braves continue play at the Gamecock Classic later today with a 7:30 p.m. match against tournament host Jacksonville State.