Chicago, Ill. - They call it crunch time. Riding on the lack of breath taken on each moment down a critical stretch of play. That's where Bradley Volleyball (9-20, 5-12 MVC) was entering the weekend. The Braves were one match out of eighth place in the Missouri Valley Conference standings, with the league's top eight teams making it to the conference tournament. Unfortunately for the Braves, they would fall in both weekend matches, setting up the regular season finale at Illinois State as a must-win, with some assistance.

ABOUT THE VALPARAISO MATCH
The Braves powered their way to an early 10-3 lead in the first set on a Silan Demirkol kill. The Beacons fought back, slowly but surely chipping away at the deficit. It took until later in that first set, but Valparaiso turned Bradley's 24-21 set point lead into at 25-24 Beacon lead, and now their set point. Bradley would go on a 3-0 run to close out the set, keyed by back-to-back kills from Demirkol and Abby Johnson. 

With Bradley up 1-0, they continued their quality run of play, going up 5-0 in the second set via a Doga Topcicek kill. That lead would get as big as 8-1 on a Beacons attack error. Alas, the Beacons kept fighting back, and after multiple scenarios of either tying the set or being within one point, they took their first lead in the set on set point (24-23). A kill put the match at a 1-1 set tie.

The third set was a different story. Instead of a early start from the Braves, the set just cut straight to the back-and-forth. It took until Bradley made a key 12-3 run that took a 10-8 Valpo lead and turned it into a 20-13 Bradley lead. Ah, yes. The Beacon comeback. It returned once again, with the Beacons going on a 4-0 run with the Braves already on their 22nd point. This time, the Braves were able to shake off the Beacons and use a kill from Johnson to end the set and go up 2-1.

Bradley took a 1-0 lead in the fourth set, but Valparaiso had perhaps their best set of the match in that set. Now, it did get closer in point spread - around the three to four-point mark, but the Braves could not get closer, minus tallying the set's first point. The Beacons were the first team to each increment of five, forcing a fifth set with a 25-21 win. 

The Braves got off to a 5-3 start on a Karina Simatos ace in the fifth, but an 8-2 run by the Beacons wiped that away and put Valparaiso in the driver's seat. From there, the two teams would actually play even volleyball (4-4). The simple math says, however, that gives the Beacons their 15 points and the match. 

ABOUT THE UIC MATCH
Flames was more than just a mascot name for UIC on Saturday afternoon. The Flames expanded quickly to a 6-3 lead. Among multiple runs made by UIC in the opening set, perhaps the most critical was one that was to the tune of 4-0, putting the Flames ahead by a 16-9 score. Bradley's last 'true' point of the set came on a kill from Raeann Bergman to get within 20-13. Another run, this one at 5-1, gave the Flames the set, using four kills and a Bradley attack error to get there. 

The second set was certainly a competitive one. The first lead north of three points came on a kill from UIC to go up 9-5. Bradley had consecutive points come on a Bergman kill and Flames attack error to cut the lead to 12-10. UIC got up for a double block and a 23-16 lead, but the Braves countered with a 3-0 run, featuring a Carlee Camlin ace. The Flames front row ran off consecutive kills to end the set and go up 2-0.

Bradley seemed like they had some control come time for the third set. Runs of 2-0 and 3-0 gave the Braves a 5-3 lead. Then there was a 3-0 run by the Flames, followed by a 2-0 run by the Braves. So yes, a lot of lead changes early. The last lead change of the match, however, came when the Braves comitted a service error followed up by a UIC ace for a 9-8 Flames lead. Although early in the set at the time, the Braves never would get the lead again. A interesting run later in the set saw UIC ahead 18-13. After that point, the Flames and Braves alternated points all the way until Bradley got a UIC attack error and a Karagan Coggin kill to put the score at 23-19. UIC would out-score the Braves 2-0 to wrap the match with a 3-0 sweep.

A LITTLE HELP, HERE?
Bradley not only needs a win over Illinois State, but they need Southern Illinois to defeat Missouri State as well. Those two things happening secure the eighth and final seed for the tournament. Any other result in either the Bradley-ISU or SIU-Missouri State matches eliminates the Braves.