OT- Big win for BU Volleyball team in opening games at new arena

[Da Coach]

The Bradley volleyball team won 3-0 over Western Illinois in their first match of the Hotels at Grand Prairie Invitational.
Attendance was 1,752.

http://www.bradleybraves.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=19324&SPID=1497&DB_OEM_ID=3400&ATCLID=204984131

[DUBrave5]

I wonder if that number includes the student totals. I talked to the person running the student entrance and there were 730 students in attendance. It helps though that they closed the school cafeterias and the students ate at the game instead.

As for the game itself, it was pretty exciting. The first game was back and forth with a 33-31 finish and so was the second for the most part which was a lot of fun. I didn't really get to see the third because I was working but it looks like Bradley handled Western pretty well.

[Big Mike]

http://www.pjstar.com/sports/x2077301854/BU-arena-Its-done-and-its-awesome

Make sure to click...related gallery in the laft hand margin for 10 good pics from tonights match!

[basketball nut]

Took 3 of my grandchildren for their 1st volleyball game and they had a great time and they want to go back. Have been taking them to BB games for a couple of years but know we will go back to see more VB games and even the ladies BB team play. The reason for this is this is a fantastic building to watch any event in & getting in & out is so easy w/ the new parking deck. Congratulations to BU on a fantastic venue. Not a bad seat in the building and the sound was great.
Also want to call out the "RED SEA" as you guys were loud and only added to the excitement and I hope you get great turnouts for the Men's BB games at the CC. Congratulations!
For anyone not there last night take the oppurtunity to go watch the VB team and see the new building. You will have a great time.

[tornado]

and, since I know Doug Elgin does read our message board -- just want to say thanks...
he offered some really nice comments to the media about BU's new facilities...
"Among the visitors impressed by the 4,200-seat arena, as well as the rest of
the facility that is the new home to BU athletics, was Missouri Valley
Conference commissioner Doug Elgin.

???Spectacular,??? Elgin said. ???This is going to do wonders for Bradley athletics,
and it will change the culture of the educational experience here. It??™s a
magnificent structure; truly exceptional.???

[Da Coach]

BU Volleyball team rallies for 5-set win over USC Upstate-

http://www.bradleybraves.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=3400&ATCLID=204984329

Congratulations to the BU Braves Volleyball team and Coach Sean Burdette! They are now 2-0 and will play one more match tonight against SEMO-

http://www.bradleybraves.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=3400&KEY=&SPID=1497&SPSID=19324

[RedSeaElite1]

Also want to call out the "RED SEA" as you guys were loud and only added to the excitement and I hope you get great turnouts for the Men's BB games at the CC. Congratulations!

Thank you! Hopefully we can replicate and even duplicate our attendance and performance when Men's BB season comes around. A lot of it is making sure students know when the games are, and that is our main focus this year. Once we get them to the games, I'm fairly certain we can get them to be loud and create some atmosphere.

[Dub]

One good surprise for me was the bottled beer sold in the braves club room. Food was great the other night as well.

[Out of Balance]

One good surprise for me was the bottled beer sold in the braves club room. Food was great the other night as well.

Yes, the beer was a surprise Got to talk with JL for a while Also some of the players (I think we are going to like the Davis kid,BIG), other friends and fans, including KW from the PJS. It's a very, very nice gym and great facility A great improvement But to me it's not where I want to see our Div 1 mens basketball team play or step down in size to. Will be great for the womens BB, other BU sports and events Also for some of the big local High School BB games. BU did a GREAT Job with the meet and greet, congratulations to Joann Glasser and all the other who put it all together

[theBUer]

I was at the first game, and then one of the other matches the next day. The arena is pretty neat, seats were fairly comfortable with ample leg room for myself, and oh yeah the cup holders affixed to the back.

Let me give my first impressions, in really no particular order.

First, they really did a nice job with the concourse layout. It pretty much encircles the upper bowl, and if one wanted to stand and watch for a moment, you would have a nice view of the court from up above. In the seats I were in, there was nothing obstructing the view. Concession stands were in close proximity to wherever you were on the concourse.

I was impressed by the student turnout for the first match, the student section with the folding chairs was nearly filled to the brim and they were LOUD! It was a nice touch for them to turn their backs during the WIU intros, although maybe they could have had some old Scouts to "read."

I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to the video boards, but up close they are massive and the picture was clear whenever I caught them air a replay of a play from BU. The overall acoustics definitely filled the room.

The students really got jazzed up when the pep squad threw shirts and some plastic toys into the stands, and of course screamed to their hearts content as BU and WIU were battling for winners of the first set!

I thought attendance would have been bigger, but with HS football and Chiefs baseball (and it being a nice Friday night) there was definitely some competition. Concessions are pricey, so if you want some soda expect to pay two dollars a bottle.

I give it a 9/10, mainly because the concessions left something to be desired. But this is going to be an arena that will be a gem for years and generations to come for Bradley. I saw the Braves Club from the concourse, and it looks like a kitchen.

[houstontxbrave]

I was at the first game, and then one of the other matches the next day. The arena is pretty neat, seats were fairly comfortable with ample leg room for myself, and oh yeah the cup holders affixed to the back.

Let me give my first impressions, in really no particular order.

First, they really did a nice job with the concourse layout. It pretty much encircles the upper bowl, and if one wanted to stand and watch for a moment, you would have a nice view of the court from up above. In the seats I were in, there was nothing obstructing the view. Concession stands were in close proximity to wherever you were on the concourse.

I was impressed by the student turnout for the first match, the student section with the folding chairs was nearly filled to the brim and they were LOUD! It was a nice touch for them to turn their backs during the WIU intros, although maybe they could have had some old Scouts to "read."

I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to the video boards, but up close they are massive and the picture was clear whenever I caught them air a replay of a play from BU. The overall acoustics definitely filled the room.

The students really got jazzed up when the pep squad threw shirts and some plastic toys into the stands, and of course screamed to their hearts content as BU and WIU were battling for winners of the first set!

I thought attendance would have been bigger, but with HS football and Chiefs baseball (and it being a nice Friday night) there was definitely some competition. Concessions are pricey, so if you want some soda expect to pay two dollars a bottle.

I give it a 9/10, mainly because the concessions left something to be desired. But this is going to be an arena that will be a gem for years and generations to come for Bradley. I saw the Braves Club from the concourse, and it looks like a kitchen.

Great observations. $2 for a bottle of soda at an athletics event is not pricey.

[RaiderOfBradley]

Was there at the game on Friday night myself and was very impressed with the new athletic center. It will be an excellent venue for any event that is put on there.

The women's volleyball team played very well. I also agree with the above posters that I thought the students were vocal, supportive and, to some extent, threw WIU off their game (IMO). I'd love to see that level of support from the student body at all events.

I did hear one comment, though, and this isn't meant to start up the same old subject again. Someone around me said, "With a couple more thousand seats, this would take care of everything." I had to agree but, even with that said, it is still a jewel in Bradley's cap.

[amckillip]

I did hear one comment, though, and this isn't meant to start up the same old subject again. Someone around me said, "With a couple more thousand seats, this would take care of everything." I had to agree but, even with that said, it is still a jewel in Bradley's cap.

A couple more thousands seats and it would have expanded far past the current foot print, would had parking to support, the cost would have gone far higher, it would have been vastly underutilized, and would not have produced any where near the required ROI.

And by a couple thousand I think you mean 7,000... hardly a couple.

[DUBrave5]

A couple more thousands seats and it would have expanded far past the current foot print, would had parking to support, the cost would have gone far higher, it would have been vastly underutilized, and would not have produced any where near the required ROI.

And by a couple thousand I think you mean 7,000... hardly a couple.

I was told that in order to add about another 4000 seats, it probably would've cost around another $30 million. After seeing how small the crowd was on Saturday, I think they made a good decision in making the Arena roughly 4200.

[amckillip]

I was told that in order to add about another 4000 seats, it probably would've cost around another $30 million. After seeing how small the crowd was on Saturday, I think they made a good decision in making the Arena roughly 4200.

Exactly, to even get to 8000 seats versus 4500 is a DRASTIC change. I don't think people understand that they're asking BU to TRIPLE the size of the arena in size, which does far more than that to the cost, not to mention other factors, acquiring more land, parking, getting the city to allow it, etc.