After the Bradley volleyball team won only 3 of 31 matches last year, first–year coach Sean Burdette has his work cut out for him.

IWhat we’re trying to do is take things day by day," said Burdette, who came to Bradley after 5 years on the staff at Ohio State. " That’s one of the biggest things we’ve instilled here is working hard and competing at practice on a day by day basis. Things on the weekend, our tournaments and our matches, will take care of themselves. We’re trying to build on that foundation for the future."

Burdette's job will be even tougher when you consider the Braves really won't have a home court advantage this season. Beginning Friday, their first 10 so–called home matches will be played at ICC. Only after the new Markin Recreation Center is completed on campus will the Braves be able to make themselves at home.

"Its going to be tough at first," said BU player Kaitlyn Comiskey. "We haven’t been to ICC yet this year. Tomorrow will be our first time. We’re trying our best to tell our friends to come out and support us."

Without a home floor the Braves are finding other ways to bond as a team. They recently celebrated Sean Burdette's birthday with dinner during, what else, a road trip. And two of the Braves, Kaitlyn Comiskey and Lyndi Senkpiel, are blogging about the team at Bradley's athletic website.

"We’re writing about some things that we witness on the weekend," said Sekpiel, "like how our practices are going, how our games are going. Things like that, so that anyone whose reading it can see what its like to be a division-one athlete."

The Braves hope this season makes for interesting reading.