The Bradley volleyball team dropped its second conference match in a row last Saturday night. The Braves lost the match in straight sets at the hands of Illinois State.
Although the Braves were unable to win a set, they showed resiliency throughout the match. After falling behind 16-10 in the first set, they rallied and cut the deficit to 17-16 but ultimately lost 25-20. The third set featured 18 ties and six lead changes along with the Braves fighting off five match points.
“The fact was that [the girls] were staying at it and really continuing to fight,” head coach Carol Price-Torok said. “We just really have to turn that corner on the execution piece. There’s one play here and one play there that could be a set turner for us. So we’re just talking a lot about staying organized … and how do we have that mentality in the middle of sets so we not getting down by four or five points.”
Despite the loss, the Braves had a standout performance from freshman Erin Olson, who had 22 digs and 25 assists. Her 22 digs were a season high, while the 25 assists were her third-highest mark on the year. Although it was a rivalry matchup between Bradley and ISU, she said didn’t let the pressure get to her.
“I was a little nervous heading into [the game],” Olson said. “But being around all of these great players that have so much experience on the court helped calm the nerves. Just being on this team means that you have other people to help pick you up when you’re down.”
With the loss on the road at ISU, the Braves will finally return home after 13 games away from the Hilltop. Olson and her teammates are excited to have the opportunity to play in front of their own fans.
“We’re really excited to get home and play in front of the crowd,” Olson said. “Just having everyone be there and not have to be on the road for a weekend will be really nice. And the atmosphere in [Renaissance Coliseum] should be really fun to play for.”
The Braves will welcome Southern Illinois (12-5) at 7 p.m. tonight at the Renaissance Coliseum.
“I think they’re another physical team, so for us it’s going to be preparation and executing on a game plan,” Price-Torok said. “The middle of the sets are where we’re really trying to make a better push so that we can be on the front end of those end of the game, last five or ten points, instead of the back end trying to close it out where it gets really stressful.”
