Bradley volleyball drops to 7-14 on the season and the team has yet to win a conference game after losing to both Belmont and Murray State 3-2 on Friday and Saturday.
Bradley has now lost 12 games in a row; however, the games last weekend displayed convincing efforts as both were taken to five sets.
On Friday against Murray State, Bradley barely lost to a Racer team that is 6-3 in Missouri Valley Conference play and swept the Braves earlier in the season on Sept. 30.
A common theme across both games, the Braves had to go for extra points in the first set as they narrowly lost 29-27 in a hard-fought frame.
Bradley continued the theme in the next two sets, winning the second 25-18 and the third 25-22. Despite their momentum, Bradley dropped the next two 25-19 and 15-12.
Redshirt senior Loren Scott led all players in aces (5) as she accounted for over half of Bradley’s aces in the game. Bradley led Murray State 9-6 in total aces throughout the match.
Senior Abby Johnson and sophomore Kendall Minta both led the Braves and tied for the lead among both teams in blocks with four a piece. Bradley led 12-9 on the stat sheet for blocks.
Against Belmont, Bradley never lost a set by more than three points. The Braves lost the first set 27-25 but shot back with two of their own sets, winning 25-19 and 25-20. Still, the Bruins roared back with a 25-23 win and then a 15-13 fifth-set win to take the match.
Minta led the attack for the Braves with 17 kills while graduate transfer Dru Kuck also chipped in three aces to help the Braves in the close match.
Minta was also a stopping force at the net as she registered five blocks, while junior McKenna Scheib added four more and senior Jasmine Green added another two. Minta and Scheib were first and second among both teams in blocks while Green was tied for third and matched Belmont’s top blocker.
Bradley was outkilled against Belmont 71 to 60 and out-digged 105 to 96. The Braves, however, out blocked the Bruins 9-4 and had seven aces to the Bruins’ five.
Next, Bradley travels to Normal on Oct. 16 to take on Illinois State, who are 8-12 but 6-2 in Missouri Valley Conference play.
