Peoria, Ill. - In front of an enthusiastic home crowd, Bradley Volleyball (5-12, 1-4 MVC) fought off a third-set scare to take down I-74 rival Illinois State (8-8, 1-4 MVC) on Tuesday night, 3-1.
HOT START
Up until the first set's media timeout, the Redbirds only had a lead at 8-7. Other than that, the Braves either led or were tied. A kill from
Abby Johnson forced the aforementioned break at 15-14 Bradley. From there, it was a close run of 6-4 Braves, but Bradley was just too close to the set win, and Illinois State would take their final timeout of the set on an attack error with Bradley ahead 21-18. Nip and tuck, just as the set had been, it would be another Johnson kill, this one ending the set, 25-21 Bradley. The Braves had their match-best hitting percentage in the opener, hitting .464 on the strength of 15 total kills.
Illinois State was ready for set two, and Bradley had to jump on their first timeout, calling it on an attack error that put them behind 6-1. It would turn into a well-used timeout for coach
Alicia Williams, as her Braves went on a 9-4 run after the regrouping to get a 10-10 tie. It wasn't until the Redbirds forced Bradley to call another timeout on a kill that ISU took another lead in the set, with the visitors ahead 23-22. Bradley ran the table, shutting out the rest of the set (3-0), getting kills from
Kendall Minta and
Silan Demirkol, concluding with a service ace from Demirkol and a 25-23 set win.
BACK COME THE BIRDS
Meanwhile, the Redbirds weren't about the let this one go easily. A pair of five-point leads at 9-4 and 17-12 held Illinois State in front, despite multiple pushes from Bradley. The Braves would get to 20 on an ISU service error, but at that point, the Redbirds were on their 24th point, and closed out the set (25-20) on a service error by the Braves, taking the match to a fourth set, and preventing the home sweep for Bradley.
CLOSING THE DOOR
Illinois State was off to another quality start in the fourth set, taking an early 4-1 lead on a Bradley attack error. Bradley would take the lead back on a returned attack error by the Redbirds, 6-5. Bradley never surrendered their lead the rest of the match, minus a tie at 7-7.
Abby Johnson drew the media timeout on a kill at 15-13. A service error by the Redbirds made the Braves the first team to 20. It was the Braves front row that would come up big in the end, with kills from
Silan Demirkol at 24-19, and
Karagan Coggin's match-ending kill at 25-20.
SHE SAID IT - POST MATCH THOUGHTS FROM COACH ALICIA WILLIAMS
"I think that we played really well on Saturday, and even though we didn't win, I feel like we made a turning point in our confidence, and being able to dig the ball and turn that into some kills. So I think, for me, I just wanted to give that to them. We are turning a corner here, and the wins will come, and I think they just bought into that."
WHAT'S UP NEXT
@ Northern Iowa Panthers (11-6, 4-0 MVC)
Friday, October 7th - 6:00 p.m. First Serve
Watch Live (ESPN3)
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