Bradley University Athletics

Thompson Selected To MVC Preseason Team; Braves Picked Fourth

Volleyball 8/18/2021 10:02:00 AM

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- For the third consecutive year senior outside hitter Hannah Thompson has been named a preseason all-conference selection and Bradley Volleyball was picked to finish fourth in the annual Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll of the league coaches announced Wednesday morning.

An honorable mention AVCA All-Region pick and Third-Team CoSIDA Academic All-American after the 2020-21 season, Thompson is already the eighth two-time First-Team All-MVC pick in Bradley Volleyball history after garnering the honor as a junior. She is looking to join Lindsay Stalzer as the only three-time first-team all-conference selections in program history.

Bradley (12-7 overall in 2020-21, 12-6 MVC) has finished fourth in the final MVC standings each of the past two seasons and joins preseason MVC favorite Illinois State as the only teams to finish in the top four in the league standings each of the last three seasons.

The Braves return all 11 letterwinners from last year's squad which finished fourth in the MVC, despite winning a league-best 12 conference contests. A total of eight points separated the top five teams in the MVC preseason poll, with Bradley's 71 points tied with Missouri State for fourth in the vote of the conference coaches. Illinois State earned the top spot in the poll with three first-place votes and 79 points to edge second-place Drake, which also garnered three first-place selections and a total of 77 points. Loyola was third in the poll with 75 points, followed by Missouri State and Bradley in fourth at 71 points. With only 11 points between first and sixth, Northern Iowa rounded out the top six in the field with 68 points.

Thompson enters her senior year 13th in Bradley history with 1,007 career kills and her 1,418 career digs puts her just 20 digs from breaking the school career mark. She is the only active player in the nation with 1,000 career kills and 1,400 or more digs, after averaging team highs of 3.51 kills and 4.91 digs per set last year. Thompson, who was the only player nationally in 2020-21 to average at least 3.5 kills and 4.9 digs per set, is the fourth Brave to reach 1,000 career kills prior to their senior year and needs just 12 double-doubles to break the Bradley career mark of 69.

As a team, Bradley returns a pair of First-Team All-MVC selections for the first time in 20 years and just the second time in program history with senior setter Kora Kauling joining Thompson on the 2020-21 MVC First-Team. Kauling was BU's first setter since 2000 to average 1.5 kills per set and was the first setter for the Braves to take home all-conference honors dating back to 2002.

Bradley also returns Second-Team All-MVC pick Karagan Coggin, who collected a conference-best 17 block solos in 2020-21 which ranks as the most by a Brave since 2008. Coggin also led the team in hitting percentage as a sophomore.

The Braves will face Illinois-Chicago on the road Saturday afternoon in an exhibition match before opening the season at home with the CEFCU Invitational Aug. 27 & 28. The regular-season opener is slated for Friday, Aug. 27 (6:30 p.m.) against Central Michigan at Renaissance Coliseum.

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Players Mentioned

#3 Karagan Coggin: RS/MB; 6' 2"; Junior

#4 Kora Kauling: S; 6' 2"; Senior

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

Players Mentioned

#3 Karagan Coggin
: 6' 2"; Junior
: RS/MB

#4 Kora Kauling
: 6' 2"; Senior
: S

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

Thompson Selected To MVC Preseason Team; Braves Picked Fourth

Players Mentioned

#3 Karagan Coggin

#4 Kora Kauling

#6 Hannah Thompson

Players Mentioned

#3 Karagan Coggin

#4 Kora Kauling

#6 Hannah Thompson