Bradley volleyball struggled in non-conference play, finishing 5-7, with several close losses marked by a lack of execution in key moments; as sophomore Gracie Furlong put it, the Braves can “break down in the basic parts of the game.”
The team had a prime opportunity to bounce back from its non-conference struggles as Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) play started last weekend.
And bounce back they did.
Breaking down the Sycamores
Bradley opened conference play Friday night against Indiana State. Both teams stepped onto the court determined, resulting in a neck-and-neck score for the majority of the game. But the Braves pressured the Sycamores to take the lead and win the first set, 25-20.
Heading into the second set, the Braves were determined to control the court. Bradley found their momentum again to take an early lead and kept pressure on the Sycamores through the end of the set to win, 25-16.
In the third set, the Sycamores returned to the court fighting and took an early lead. The Braves quickly responded, prompting another deadlocked battle, before finding a way to halt the Sycamores’ momentum and break them down to win their first matchup in the MVC and first MVC sweep, 25-21.
Bradley held the Sycamores at a 0.82 hitting percentage while the team hit 0.284. Senior Mairen Mannon was a significant contributor with seven kills and a solo hitting percentage of 0.545, while sophomore Chloe Parker contributed five blocks and two service aces with a 0.417 hitting percentage. Graduate Cherlin Antonio contributed seven kills as well and a 0.462 hitting percentage.
Mannon felt her team understood the key players the Sycamores had and what it took to shut them down and secure the matchup win.
Forcing the Aces to fold
The Braves resumed play Saturday night against Evansville. With the Aces coming off a loss and Bradley coming off a win, both teams wanted a victory. The Aces pushed the Braves into a back-and-forth battle, ultimately taking the first set, 20-25.
Bradley returned to the court in the second set determined to make a comeback. The Braves quickly broke the Aces’ momentum, dominating the set to take their first set win, 25-15.
In the third set, both teams had moments when their offense flourished to string together multiple points, but many errors from the Aces allowed Bradley to take the third set, 25-20.
With the Braves looking to close out the match, their momentum carried over and pushed the team to a high lead over the Aces. Even as the Aces tried to rally and push the match into a fifth set, Bradley held their ground, pressured their opponent, and won their second match of the weekend, 25-20.
Mannon reflected on how working on internal communication and staying calm in high-pressure situations has benefitted the team.
“We had a tough schedule in preseason, and I feel like we were able to figure out our strengths and weaknesses and work through that as a team.”
“It’s always a good feeling to kick off conference [play] with a weekend sweep.”
Looking ahead
The Braves return home this weekend to face Drake University and the University of Northern Iowa before traveling to Normal to take on Illinois State University in a mid-week matchup.
Mannon emphasized how big this weekend is for the team, facing top teams in the MVC.
“Illinois State is our rival, so it’s always fun to play against them,” she said. “Everyone on our team is always ready to go in and do a job when they are needed. It just depends on what we need in that match at that moment.”
