Evansville UE 21-11

Bradley BRAD 17-15

Evansville UE

21-11

Final

Dec. 03, 2021

Bradley BRAD

17-15

Set Scores
Team	1	2	3	4	F
Evansville UE	25	25	25	25	(3)
Bradley BRAD	18	27	15	20	(1)

Box Score

Evan Temchin

Bradley Volleyball Ends Season In NIVC Second Round

Box Score

Game Recap: Volleyball | 12/3/2021 9:23:00 PM

CHICAGO, Ill. – Bradley Volleyball had its 2021 season come to a close in the second round of the Women's National Invitational Championship with an 18-25, 27-25, 15-25, 20-25 loss to Missouri Valley Conference rival Friday night at Chicago's Jones Convocation Center.

Senior Hannah Thompson turned in another double-double (10 kills & 12 digs) to help pace the Braves (17-15 overall) as she notched the 1,900^th dig of her historic career. Junior Karagan Coggin tied Thompson for team-high honors with 10 kills, while fellow junior Serena Sparks collected a match-high 25 digs in the setback to help lead Bradley.

Evansville (21-11 overall) took control early in the first set, using a 6-0 run to build an early 8-2 edge. The Aces pushed the advantage to as many as eight points several times down the stretch and took the first set 25-18 despite five kills and three digs from Thompson.

The second set went back and forth with five lead changes and 19 ties. Neither team led by more than three during the frame, with the Braves hitting .306 in the second. Bradley fought off an Evansville set point at 24-23 thanks to a Raeann Bergman kill and Abby Johnson gave the Braves set point at 25-24 with a kill of her own. Evansville's Alondra Vazquez tied things up (25-25) for the 19^th time in the set with a kill, only to have freshman Silan Demirkol give Bradley set point again at 26-25 with a kill. Bergman capped a 27-25 BU victory, finding the back corner with one of her five kills on the night as the Braves pulled even in the match.

Coggin had two kills early in the third set, helping Bradley to a 9-7 lead. Evansville answered with eight straight points, thanks in part to three kills from Giulia Cardona, as the Aces built a 15-9 advantage. The Braves managed to get within four at 18-14 on a Coggin kill, only to have Evansville score three straight as the Aces went to take the set 25-15.

Bradley got off to a solid start in the fourth set and led 12-9 after a Johnson kill. Cardona had a pair of kills during a four-point Evansville run, however, that put the Aces in front 13-12. With the score knotted at 15-15, Evansville used a three-point push to grab the lead for good. The Braves stayed within striking distance, trailing 22-20, before the Aces scored the final three points of the contest to take the fourth 25-20.

Cardona paced Evansville with a match-high 23 kills and was one of three Aces with 15 or more kills.

The match was the first postseason meeting between two MVC volleyball programs and first postseason contest between Valley rivals in any sport dating back the 2016 WNIT (Drake vs. Northern Iowa).

With the victory, Evansville advances to the NIVC Quarterfinals to face Valley rival Valparaiso after the Beacons swept Toledo Friday night.

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