Volleyball Game Preview: Bradenton Christian Panthers vs. Braden River Pirates + How To Watch

The Bradenton Christian Panthers will take on the Braden River Pirates at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Bradenton Christian didn't have quite enough to beat Venice and fell 3-2. While the Panthers didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Indians 25-18 in the first set.

Bradenton Christian actually scored more points across those five sets (96-95), but sadly they still had to settle for second. The final score came out to 18-25, 12-25, 25-17, 25-17, 15-12.

Braden River not only won on Tuesday, but they posted their biggest win since September 23rd (when they won 3-0). They blew past Lemon Bay 3-0. The win continues a trend for the Pirates in their matchups with the Manta Rays: they've now won five in a row.

While Braden River won a shutout, things came down to the wire in the second set they played. Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 25-19, 25-22, 25-19.

Bradenton Christian has been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 12-7 record this season. As for Braden River, their victory bumped their record up to 15-9.

Bradenton Christian was able to grind out a solid win over Braden River in their previous matchup back in September, winning 3-1. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was the Pirates' Rilyn Stiegler, who had 24 digs and two assists. Now that she's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Panthers still be able to contain Stiegler? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.