Southern Illinois SIU 9-6, 1-0 MVC

Bradley BRAD 4-7, 0-1 MVC

Southern Illinois SIU

9-6, 1-0 MVC

Final

Sep. 27, 2019

Bradley BRAD

4-7, 0-1 MVC

Set Scores
Team	1	2	3	4	5	F
Southern Illinois SIU	25	23	26	22	15	(3)
Bradley BRAD	22	25	24	25	11	(2)

Box Score

Duane Zehr

Volleyball Falls In Five To SIU In Valley Opener

Box Score

Game Recap: Volleyball | 9/27/2019 10:09:00 PM

PEORIA, Ill. -- Bradley Volleyball had three individuals collect double-doubles, but Southern Illinois managed to pull out a five-set victory over the Braves 25-22, 23-25, 26-24, 22-25, 15-11 in the Missouri Valley Conference opener for both teams Friday night at Renaissance Coliseum.

In addition to battling a tough SIU (9-6 overall, 1-0 MVC) team that had won four of its last five entering the night, Bradley (4-8 overall, 0-1 MVC) fought through injuries and a struggle with Mother Nature to complete the match. Delays in the third and fourth sets totaling approximately 45 minutes due to tornado warnings in the area pushed the total match time to nearly three-and-a-half hours.

Sophomore Hannah Thompson paced the Braves with a season-best 18 kills and also added 24 digs for her 10th consecutive double-double. Fellow sophomore Rachel Pranger celebrated her birthday with 16 kills and 22 digs as she posted her fourth double-double of the year. Sophomore Kat Poore chipped in with a career-best 17 kills, while hitting at a .366 clip. In addition, junior Emma Raleigh paced the Bradley defensive efforts with career highs of 10 assists and 28 digs for her first career double-double.

Southern Illinois never trailed in the opening set, scoring the first eight points of the night to build an 8-0 lead. Bradley stormed back, however, eventually pulling even at 17-17 on back-to-back Pranger kills. A 4-0 Saluki spurt put SIU back in front. The Saluki advantage was 23-21 following a Pranger ace, which capped a 3-0 BU run, but Southern Illinois would go on take the first set 25-22.

Bradley had the best offensive set for either team in the second, hitting .306 in the frame. The trio of Thompson, Pranger and Poore each had five kills in the second, while junior Sara Maddox added four kills of her own. Despite the solid offensive effort in the second, the Braves needed a late rally. With SIU leading 23-22, Thompson found the floor with a kill to tie things up at 23-23 and Poore's ninth kill of the contest gave Bradley a 24-23 edge. Thompson capped a 25-23 BU win with another kill as Bradley pulled even in the match.

Southern Illinois was the one to pull out a late rally in the third set. Bradley used an 8-1 run, which featured four kills and a block from Thompson to build a 21-16 edge. The Salukis answered with four straight points to pull within one (21-20) and would eventually tie things up at 23-23 on an Emma Baalman kill. A Pranger kill put Bradley back in front 24-23, but SIU's Hannah Becker came up with back-to-back kills of her own to put the Salukis in front 25-24 and a BU error closed out a 26-24 Southern Illinois victory. Thompson tallied seven of her match-high 18 kills in the fourth to lead Bradley.

In the fourth set, Bradley senior setter Hannah Angeli left the contest with an injury with BU hanging on to an 8-5 lead. The Braves were able to extend the advantage to as many as four points, only to have SIU tie it up at 15-15. BU broke a 15-15 tie with a 4-0 push that included a kill and ace from Thompson in addition to kills by Maddox and freshman Karagan Coggin to go in front 19-15. Southern Illinois would rally and eventually led 21-20. Bergman came up big on the next three points, sandwiching kills around a block to put Bradley ahead 23-21.

The second weather-related delay of the night during a SIU timeout with the Braves leading 23-21 forced the teams off the court. When the squads returned, the Salukis came up with a point to pull within one at 23-22. Poore, who had four kills in the fourth, gave Bradley set point at 24-22 with a kill and a Pranger ace closed a 25-22 win as the Braves forced a deciding fifth set.

Bradley trailed 8-7 in the fifth set after a Serena Sparks ace, but Southern Illinois answered with three consecutive points to build an 11-7 advantage and eventually held match point at 14-10. Poore kept Bradley's hopes alive with a kill, before a BU error sealed the match as SIU claimed the fifth set 15-11.

Rachel Maguire turned in a triple-double to lead Southern Illinois, finishing with 17 kills, 24 assists and 17 digs.

Bradley closes out a four-match homestand Saturday with a 5 p.m. match against Missouri State at Renaissance Coliseum.

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