While most students headed home for fall break, the Bradley Volleyball team welcomed Missouri Valley Conference newcomer Loyola to the Hilltop. The Braves capped off their season long four game home stand with a convincing 3-0 sweep of the Ramblers (25-22, 25-18, 25-19).
Senior Amy Angelos led the way for the Braves with a team high 13 kills and three blocks. Angelos along with fellow senior Lauren Zerante, who led the team with 20 digs, helped move the Braves to 10-6 overall and 4-3 in MVC play.
Coach Jenny Maurer continues to praise her seniors for their out- standing play and said all of her seniors are outstanding at making adjustments mid-game.
“I’m proud of all three of them,” Maurer said. “Lauren did a great job at making adjustments when we had to make them on the blocking side and you could say the same for Alise [Tupuritis] on the left for how well she played.”
Coming off back-to-back games being swept by both Illinois State and Northern Iowa, the Braves had something to prove if they wanted to stay in contention mid- way through MVC play and keep
focus on getting to the Missouri Valley Conference tournament come November.
But Maurer said she knew that her team would bounce back and focus on the positives moving forward for rest of the season.
“Getting swept wasn’t really on our mind because we lost to two great teams that are at the top of the conference,” Maurer said. “I think if anything we came out with some positives from both of those matches which we are focusing on moving forward.”
With their 10th victory so far in the 2013 season, the Braves surpassed their total victories in all of last season (nine) and the Braves’ four MVC wins are the most at the halfway point since 2005 when the Braves started 6-0 in MVC play.
Looking forward to this week- end, Maurer said she sees an opportunity to take advantage of some of the miscues that Wichita State and Missouri State bring to the court.
“Both of those teams (Wichita State and Missouri State) are very tough teams that are at the top of the conference and very well coached,” Maurer said. “But at the same time the teams we are playing this weekend have shown vulnerabilities which we are looking at and want to take advantage of.”
The Braves go on the road for homecoming weekend as they play back-to-back games Friday and Saturday night against Wichita State and Missouri State, respectively.
Gametime on Friday night is at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 7 p.m.
