Bradley University Athletics

Volleyball Hosts Milwaukee In Wednesday Exhibition

Duane Zehr

Live Stats

Volleyball 8/19/2019 2:28:00 PM

PEORIA, Ill. -- Bradley Volleyball continues to prepare for the 2019 season and the Braves will have their only chance to face outside competition prior to the start of the regular season with Milwaukee visiting Wednesday for an exhibition match.

Admission is free to Wednesday's 4 p.m. contest between Bradley (24-9 overall, 13-5 MVC) and Milwaukee (8-22 overall, 7-9 Horizon), which will be held at Renaissance Coliseum. The Braves opened practice for the upcoming 2019 campaign back on Saturday, Aug. 10 and held a public scrimmage last Thursday.

Bradley swept Milwaukee at home last year to wrap up the 2018 CEFCU Classic and the Braves now hold a 9-8 advantage in the all-time series. In fact, Bradley is 4-1 in home matches against the Panthers, but the teams have played in Peoria just twice over the last 24 years. The Braves tallied a season-best 12 blocks in last year's sweep of Milwaukee with Maggie Revell notching four kills with no errors and six blocks (two solo). Hannah Thompson collected a team-best 17 digs in the win to go with five kills, while Rachel Pranger added eight kills of her own.

The Braves were 10-2 in non-conference regular-season matches last year and have won 10 consecutive non-conference home matches. Bradley is 11-3 in non-conference home matches under fourth-year head coach Carol Price-Torok.

Last season's big improvement continued a trend for Bradley, with the Braves posting an improved record in each of the last four years. Bradley has not had four consecutive seasons with an improved win total since a five-year stretch from 1990 through the 1994 campaign. The Braves earned their ninth 20-win season in program history, with the 24-9 record in 2018 marking the seventh 20-win campaign when playing a full NCAA Division I schedule.

Bradley had a league-high 14 home victories last fall, completing the 2018 season with a 14-1 mark at Renaissance Coliseum to break the previous record for home wins in a season set by the 2002 (12-5), 2001 (12-2) and 1985 (12-2) squads. In fact, the Braves owned the longest home win streak in school history (12) before a loss to 25th-ranked Northern Iowa (Nov. 2) to break the previous record of 11 consecutive home wins in 1985 during a 32-10 season. The Braves averaged 544 fans per home date in 2018, which broke the previous school mark for highest average attendance set in 2010 (515).

Following the preseason schedule, the Braves officially open the 2019 season by taking on tournament host SMU along Stephen F. Austin and UTSA in the SMU Doubletree Invitational Aug. 30-31 in Dallas. Bradley will open its home schedule by hosting Belmont, DePaul and Oakland in the CEFCU Invitational Sept. 6-7 at Renaissance Coliseum.

Season tickets for Bradley's 14-match regular-season home schedule currently are available for purchase for just $40 adults, $20 children in eighth grade or younger and FREE for Kaboom!'s Club members ($10 annual membership) from the Bradley Athletics Ticket Office (309-677-2625 or BradleyTicketOffice@bradley.edu) at Renaissance Coliseum.

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Players Mentioned

#21 Rachel Pranger: OH; 5' 11"; Sophomore

#5 Maggie Revell: MB; 6' 2"; Redshirt Senior

#6 Hannah Thompson: OH; 5' 8"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#21 Rachel Pranger
: 5' 11"; Sophomore
: OH

#5 Maggie Revell
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Senior
: MB

#6 Hannah Thompson
: 5' 8"; Sophomore
: OH

Volleyball Hosts Milwaukee In Wednesday Exhibition

Players Mentioned

#21 Rachel Pranger

#5 Maggie Revell

#6 Hannah Thompson

Players Mentioned

#21 Rachel Pranger

#5 Maggie Revell

#6 Hannah Thompson