May 27, 2008
Printable Schedule in PDF Format 
NORMAL, Ill. - Illinois State head volleyball coach Melissa Myers announced the Redbirds' complete 2008 schedule Tuesday, a top-notch slate that includes defending national champion Penn State, along with six other opponents that competed in the 2007 NCAA Tournament. The Redbirds will also take on in-state rival Illinois at Redbird Arena on Sept. 16, and host the Redbird Classic (Sept. 5-6) for the second-consecutive season.
The 29-match regular-season schedule features 12 non-conference foes from 10 leagues, plus a full, home-and-away Missouri Valley Conference slate. The State Farm MVC Tournament (Nov. 26-29) will be played at Charles Koch Arena, on the campus of Wichita State.
"Our pre-conference schedule is full of tough opponents that will put our team to the test both offensively and defensively," said Myers. "Playing a series of nationally-ranked teams, including the returning national champion, is a great opportunity and challenge for us. These matches will help prepare us for our competitive MVC schedule, which had four teams advance to the NCAA tournament in 2007."
The Redbirds will open the campaign at the Panther Invitational, hosted by Wisconsin-Milwaukee. ISU will face off against 2007 NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen participant Iowa State, and Ole Miss, who earned an at-large bid into the tournament, on Aug. 29. The next day (Aug. 30), the Redbirds will face the host Panthers, who won 26 matches in 2007.
ISU will host in-state rival Northern Illinois Sept. 2, marking the ninth-consecutive season the Redbirds and Huskies have met in a non-conference match. The`Birds will then host the Redbird Classic Sept. 5-6, with Western Carolina, Oakland and Western Michigan completing the tournament field.
Illinois State will travel to Chicago's Mother McCauley High School the following weekend (Sept. 12-13), where the Redbirds will take on 2007 NCAA Tournament at-large selection Louisville (Sept. 12), before facing off against the defending national champion Nittany Lions and Illinois-Chicago the following day (Sept. 13).
On Tuesday, Sept. 16, Illinois will visit Redbird Arena in a non-conference match beginning at 7:05 p.m. The Redbirds and Fighting Illini last met in the 2006 season opener, with Illinois claiming a four-game win at Huff Hall in the first-round of the State Farm Illini Classic. ISU holds a 30-27 all-time edge against Illinois.
For the fourth time in the past five years, the Redbirds will open Valley play on the road. Illinois State's first road series is the Evansville-Southern Illinois swing (Sept. 19-20), kick-starting a nine-week league slate. Marquee home matches include 2007 NCAA Tournament foes Northern Iowa (Sept. 26), Missouri State (Oct. 31) and Wichita State (Nov. 1). The Redbirds will also take on Creighton Oct. 10, who has won five-straight matches against ISU. Interstate-74 rival Bradley will visit Redbird Arena Sept. 28.
To begin the month of October, the Redbirds will face host Wichita State and Missouri State (Oct. 3-4) in historically the toughest road swing in the Valley. UNI will welcome ISU to Cedar Falls on Oct. 25, and the Redbirds will visit the Civic Center in Omaha, Neb., to take on host Creighton Nov. 8. The `Birds will travel to Peoria, Ill., to take on host Bradley Oct. 24. The Valley is coming off a historic season, sending a record four teams to the NCAA Tournament.
The Redbirds will take a break from Valley action Oct. 18, when Illinois State travels to Southern Illinois-Edwardsville for a 7 p.m. match.
