HONORS & AWARDS
Bradley COUNTRY Financial Scholar-Athlete of the Week: (12-27-17 & 01-25-17)
MVC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award: 2018 & 2019
MVC Honor Roll: 2016, 2017, 2018 & 2019
Bradley Athletic Director's Honor Roll (8): Fall '15, Spring '16, Fall '16, Spring '17, Fall '17, Spring '18, Fall '18, Spring '19
2018-19 (SENIOR)
Scored her 800th career point at Missouri State, scoring six points off the bench ... Finished her career 31st in scoring at Bradley with 823 career points ... Averaged 4.6 points and 2.8 rebounds per game in 10.3 minutes per contest ... Had appeared in 97 consecutive games dating back to early in her freshman year before missing the home game against Southern Illinois with an injury ... Did not play in three consecutive contests, before returning to the lineup for the win at Loyola ... Ranks seventh in Bradley history with 100 career blocked shots ... Matched her season-high with 10 points all in the fourth quarter at UNI to help Bradley rally from 10 down in the fourth to take the lead with 93 second to play ... Scored a season-high 10 points in the championship game of the FAU Thanksgiving Tournament ... Came away with nine points and eight rebounds in the home win against Oakland ... Tossed in eight points and seven rebounds in 13 minutes in the win over Eastern Illinois.
2017-18 (JUNIOR)
Had a streak of five consecutive games with 15 or more points snapped in the regular-season finale with six points for the longest streak by a Brave since her former neighbor and fellow Mt. Sterling, Ill., native Leah Kassing did so in seven consecutive games as a senior in 2011-12 ... Second on the team in scoring at 9.5 points per game and averaged 10.4 points per game over the last 21 contests after scoring in double figures in seven of the last 11 (12.6 ppg) ... Seventh in the MVC in field goal percentage (48.0 percent) and tied for seventh in blocks ... Blocked 10 shots in the first five games and finished the season with a team-best 36 rejections ... Averaged 15.0 ppg over the last eight games on 52.9 percent shooting to go with 6.4 rpg and 1.4 bpg ... Had 15 double-digit scoring efforts on the year and has had 10+ points in 18 of the last 35 regular-season games dating back to last season ... Scored 11.4 points per game on 51.6 percent shooting to go with 4.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game in her 20 starts compared to 6.2 points per game on 38 percent shooting in addition to 4.1 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per contest when she came off the bench … Was a rebound short of a double-double with 16 points and nine boards in the home game against Indiana State ... Followed up 21-point game at SIU with 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting against Evansville for just the third back-to-back 20 points games by a Brave in the last five years ... Collected her first double-double of the year at Southern Illinois with 21 points and a season-high 11 rebounds ... Came off the bench against Northern Iowa to tally 12 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four blocks for the first outing by a Brave with those numbers since Dena Williams at Evansville on Jan. 13, 2005 ... Scored 15 points at Loyola, also tallying two assists, three blocks, one steal and four rebounds in the road win ... Followed it up with 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting in the win at Valparaiso ... Hit 10-of-14 from the field and scored a season-high 24 points against Cleveland State, scoring 18 points in the second half ... Came off the bench to collect 17 points, eight rebounds and a career-best three steals at Southeast Missouri State, helping fuel Bradley’s second-half rally attempt with 13 points, five rebounds and two steals in the second half ... Scored 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting to go with seven rebounds and three blocks in the season-opening win against Omaha, after tallying just four points and three boards in seven first-half minutes due to foul trouble.
2016-17 (SOPHOMORE)
Started the first 11 games, before coming off the bench in the MVC opener at Illinois State and started a total of 22 times ... First Bradley underclassman to score 300 points since Shronda Butts (2012-13) and is just the fifth Bradley underclassmen to score 300 points in the last 11 years ... Scored in double figures in nine of the last 15 games ... Averaged 11.3 points per game over the last 15 ... Third on the team in scoring at 10.3 points per outing ... Scored in double figures in each of the last seven road games and 10 of 15 road tilts overall ... Turned in her second double-double of the year with 24 points, 12 rebounds and a career-best five assists at Evansville ... Scored game-high 16 points off the bench at Northern Iowa ... Came up with career-high five blocks at Drake ... Netted a career-best 26 points on 10-for-14 shooting and also had three blocks and two steals in the home win against Loyola ... First Brave since Kelsey Budd vs. Illinois (Nov. 8, 2013) to make 10 or more field goals and shoot 70 percent or better in a game ... The 26 points were most by a Bradley player against a Valley opponent since Michelle Young’s 32-point effort in a double overtime contest at SIU (Jan. 2, 2014) and is first Brave to score 26 or more in a 40-minute game against a conference foe since Shronda Butts (29 points) at Drake on Jan. 25, 2013 ... Had 17 points and four blocks off the bench in the overtime victory at Missouri State ... Was 5-for-6 from the field and had 13 points at Wichita State ... Came off the bench to tally 10 points on 5-for-8 shooting to go with four boards, two blocks and a steal in the win at Loyola ... Hauled down a career-best 12 rebounds in the win at Valparaiso ... Notched first career double-double with 14 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and two blocks in career-high 35 minutes against Northern Illinois ... Tallied 14 points in the home-opening victory against Detroit on 6-of-12 shooting ... Opened the season with a then career-best 12 points on 5-for-10 shooting at Kent State and also added four boards and one assist.
2015-16 (FRESHMAN)
Missed most of the preseason with an injury … Started three of the 25 games she played in and saw an increased role as the season progressed … Made her first career appearance vs. #17 Oklahoma, playing five minutes off the bench ... Had a team-high 10 points and also had four rebounds at Illinois State, scoring all 10 of her points in the second half on 5-for-6 shooting ... Had first career start at home against Northern Iowa, finishing with eight points, three boards, one assist and two blocks ... Played most of the fourth quarter in the win against Eureka, notching nine points, three rebounds, three assists and three blocks in 15 minutes of action ... Came off the bench to collect seven points, three rebounds and one block at Southern Illinois ... Followed it up with four points, one board, one assist, one block and one steal at Evansville ... Had four points and season-best five rebounds in addition to tallying two blocks and one steal in 28 minutes off the bench against Missouri State .... Scored a season-best 11 points in just 13 minutes against Drake, adding four rebounds, one assist, one block and three steals.
HIGH SCHOOL
All-time leading scorer in Brown County High School history, completing her career with 2,072 points … Earned all-state honors as a sophomore, junior and senior … Quincy Herald Whig Player of the Year as a senior … First-Team all-conference pick all four seasons … Three-time first-team all-area selection … Averaged 20 points or more each of her final three prep seasons … Collected 20.3 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game as a senior … As a junior, she averaged 20 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game … Posted averages of 22.4 points, 8.7 boards and 3.2 blocks as a sophomore … Also lettered in volleyball and softball, earning first-team all-conference honors in both sports.
PERSONAL
The daughter of Chad and Melissa Markert, Vanessa was born in Quincy, Ill. … Has four younger siblings: Mariah, Claire, Ashlee and Bradley … Majored in business management & leadership … Came from the same high school as 2011-12 Second-Team All-MVC performer Leah Kassing.
