Braves end losing streak, win two of three on the road

Entering the weekend on a six-game losing streak, Bradley volleyball was desperate to get back on track heading into their next three matches against Murray State, Belmont and Illinois State. To make things more difficult, none of these matches were at home. 

Luckily, the Braves were able to regain momentum.

The first match against Murray State got off to an intense start. The teams traded the first two sets, and neither looked ready to back down. However, the Braves were able to push through and win sets three and four, even as Murray State kept things close.

Junior Mairen Mannon won MVC player of the week for her performance in the match, notching 20 kills. 

“I just came back from a concussion,” Mannon said. “That was my first full game back. It felt super good to come back and win.”

After snapping their losing streak, the Braves were determined to make it two wins in a row against Belmont. It wasn’t the best start for Bradley as Belmont took the first set dominantly and narrowly won the second. 

Needing to win three sets in a row to avoid defeat, pressure on the Braves was mounting. The third set was close, but Bradley was able to take it in the final stretch. They used the momentum from set three to win comfortably in set four. The team had the upper hand throughout set five, winning a tense but exciting match.

“We knew that we were better than them,” Mannon said about the Braves’ intense mentality. “When you pull off the reverse sweep, fans can’t really say much about that. It’s really fun going in and showing them that we’re better.”

The match against Illinois State saw the Braves lose the first set by a devastating 10-25 margin. The second and third sets were slightly closer, but Illinois State still won them easily. Even after two straight road victories, Bradley still has plenty of room for improvement.

The Braves only have one match lined up this weekend: Murray State at home, where they will look to repeat their victory from a week prior. With so few games left on the schedule, the Braves need every win they can get.