Last weekend, Bradley Volleyball secured three of 11 sets against Portland, Idaho State and UC Irvine at the UCI/Adidas Invitational in California.
The Braves started the invitational with a back-and-forth contest against Portland. The Pilots won the first set 25-18, but Bradley responded quickly, securing the second set 25-17.
The third set was the match’s most competitive. While Bradley applied pressure, Portland persevered, winning 25-22 and taking a commanding 2-1 lead.
In the fourth set, desperation set in for the Braves, and the team played with more effort and focus. Bradley rallied, winning the set 25-17 and gained momentum heading into the deciding set.
“The match against Portland put us on the spot where we have to analyze the game better and learn about our weaknesses and strengths and how to use them in a certain way in a game,” junior outside hitter Iva Popovic said. “Our mindset can only grow from this point.”
Popovic, alongside junior Anna Kiss, led the Braves with over 20 kills in the tournament.
Bradley’s next test was Idaho State. The Braves struggled in the first two sets, losing 25-16 and 25-17. In an attempt to make a comeback, the Braves secured the third set 26-24 but fell short in the fourth, falling 25-14.
Bradley’s final matchup was an underwhelming performance for the Braves versus UC Irvine. From the opening serve, the Braves made mental mistakes, leading them to fall behind early in each set and lose the match 3-0.
“This time we almost thought that we were going to take this huge step from week one, week two and forgot we had to take little steps before,” head coach Alicia Williams said. “Reality sets in that we have a lot of little things to work on, and take it one step at a time and not one enormous leap.”
Even though this weekend’s results weren’t what the Braves expected, the team still has cause for optimism.
“Everyone got some playing time this weekend and moments where players were stepping up in the absence of other players not performing well,” Williams said. “Anna Kiss was really good for us this past weekend, so we are going to try to ride that wave and see how she does this weekend.”
As a result of Kiss’s performance this past weekend, she was chosen for the UCI Adidas All-Tournament Team.
The Braves kick off their conference season at the Renaissance Coliseum against Eastern Illinois and South Dakota State University this weekend.
