Last season, the Bradley volleyball team played 26 games before they won their first contest of the year against the University of Evansville.
Much to the relief of head coach Jenny Mauer and the entire volleyball team, this year’s wait was reduced to a single day.
The team served up their first win of the season Aug. 28 against Toledo as part of the Toledo Rocket Invitational.
Four hours later, the team matched its win total from the 2014 season with their second win of the year against the Youngstown State Penguins.
A fast start like this can get any team excited. However, after the season Maurer and the volleyball team endured last year, this start almost makes the 2014 season seem like a faux pas that yearns to be forgotten.
Going into the first match of the season, Maurer said it was about more than just getting the first win.
Their opponent, Toledo, somehow had a worse season than the Braves did. They finished 1-28, and were out to forget their last season as well.
“I think there was a lot going into that match,” Maurer said. “Both teams had come from pretty rough records last year. [There were] a lot of injuries for both programs, and we both brought in very large freshmen classes.”
The Braves started the match with a first set win 25-15, but then dropped the next two sets to go down two sets to one, forcing Maurer’s squad to play catch up.
Seeking inspiration, the Braves found it in senior Lea Sack, who’s career-best 31 digs helped provide the spark needed to rally the team.
“She was really our stabalizing force in the back court,” Maurer said. “She’s been there for four years, so she’s one of our co-captains again this year. Her being on the court essentially for every point…she’s there and I think that she’s somebody that you can look to in key moments.”
The Braves took the final two sets 27-25 and 17-15 to grab their first win of the year in a five-set thriller.
Youngstown State was the next team on Bradley’s schedule, and for the second time that day, the Braves found themselves in a five-set showdown.
This time Bradley outlasted the Penguins with their defense, which Maurer said negated the Youngstown State offense.
“We did a very good job from the service line,” Maurer said. “We put a lot of pressure on them, and because of that we did a really good job of getting them out of system and making their offense more predictable.”
Following the win against Youngstown State, the Braves had one more challenge to face against the University of Green Bay-Wisconsin, and once again the defense domintated.
“We made some pretty key plays that, again, built the momentum,” Maurer said of the defense that allowed a .054 hitting percentage to the Phoenixes. “We were really frustrating them. You could see them starting to get a little more tentative, and you could see them losing confidence as the game went on.”
The Braves swept the Phoenixes 3-0 and were Toledo Rocket Invitational champions.
Lea Sack took home tournament MVP, while making the all-tournament list along with teammates Raegen Jackson and Kelsey Cave.
The Braves play their first games at Renaissance Coliseum this weekend as they partake in the CEFCU classic.
Even though the women just captured a tournament title, Maurer said they still have some kinks to work out in a young season.
“One of the things that we consistently talk about is bettering the ball,” Maurer said. “[We need to] make smart shots as attackers, trying to put pressure on their defense and still attack the ball rather than giving away free points.”
