Bradley University Athletics

Volleyball Set For Bobcat Invitational

BradleyBraves.com

Volleyball 9/7/2022 1:30:00 PM

PEORIA, Ill. -- Bradley Volleyball continues a season-long, six-match road swing this weekend with a trip to Athens, Ohio, for the Bobcat Invitational Friday and Saturday.

The Braves (1-5 overall) kick off the weekend Friday morning with a 9:30 a.m. (CT) match against first-time opponent Loyola (Md.), which will be available on YouTube. Later that day, Bradley faces tournament-host Ohio in a 6 p.m. contest on ESPN3. The Braves are 2-1 all-time against the Bobcats, with Friday's match marking the first meeting since an Ohio victory at Marquette in 2003.

Bradley wraps up the weekend Saturday morning with a 9:30 a.m. (CT) outing against Tennessee Tech, which will also be available on YouTube. Tennessee Tech won the only previous matchup with the Braves back in 1996 in a contest played in DeKalb, Ill.

Bradley will venture to the state of Ohio for the first time since 2015 when the Braves went 3-0 to open the season in Toledo, Ohio, at the Rocket Invitational. In fact, Bradley has won its last four matches played in the Buckeye State, which includes a four-set win against St. Francis (Pa.) at the 2011 Akron Invitational. The Braves are 5-1 in their last six matches played in the state of Ohio (since 2011).

Freshman Kendall Minta earned all-tournament honors at last weekend's Reamer Club Xtra Special after hitting .419 and collecting 1.60 kills per set along with 1.10 blocks per set. Minta did not play in the season opener, but made her collegiate debut against Miami (Ohio) on Aug. 27 and has hit .300 or better in four of her five outings as a Brave. In fact, she ranks third in the MVC in hitting percentage at .373 and also paces Bradley in blocking at 0.94 per set. Since 1982, only five freshmen have paced the Braves in hitting percentage. Only two Bradley freshmen have led the team in hitting percentage since 2001 with senior Raeann Bergman (2019) and Rachel Jones (2013) doing so during that span.No Bradley freshman has ever paced the team in both hitting percentage and blocks. Bradley's three newcomers that have seen action on the young season have combined for 41 percent of the team's kills and nearly 40 percent of the squad's points while attacking at a .259 clip.

Through six matches, Bradley has played two nationally ranked opponents and three contests against teams that reached at least the 2021 NCAA Tournament Second Round. With the Braves having played half of their non-conference schedule, the first six foes own a combined 22-15 (.595) record through Sept. 5 while the final six non-conference opponents were 14-19 (.424) through that same date.

The Braves follow up the six-match road swing with six of the next eight matches at Renaissance Coliseum, starting with next week's CEFCU Invitational (Sept. 16 & 17) which will feature Western Michigan, St. Thomas and IUPUI as Bradley wraps up the non-conference portion of the schedule at home.

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Players Mentioned

#21 Kendall Minta: MB; 6' 3"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#21 Kendall Minta
: 6' 3"; Freshman
: MB

Volleyball Set For Bobcat Invitational

Players Mentioned

#21 Kendall Minta

Players Mentioned

#21 Kendall Minta