NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State volleyball team will hit the road for Missouri Valley Conference matches against in-state foes Loyola and Bradley this weekend, looking to continue its climb up the conference standings.
The Redbirds will play at Loyola Friday at 7 p.m., and at Bradley Saturday at 5 p.m. Both matches will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
Illinois State (12-5, 2-2 MVC) is fresh off a pair of league wins last weekend, as the Redbirds topped Drake and Northern Iowa in their first home conference matches of the season, Oct. 2-3. Illinois State was keyed by the play of sophomore middle hitter Jaelyn Keene, who was named the MVC Offensive Player of the Week on Monday.
The Redbirds will face a tough test Friday, as they take on Loyola (14-3, 3-1), which currently possesses a share of first place in the MVC standings. Bradley (5-11, 0-4) is winless in Valley play, but the Braves have already more than doubled their win total from one year ago.
Illinois State has history on its side entering this weekend's matches, as the Redbirds own a 16-2 advantage in the all-time series against Loyola, and a 51-8 edge against Bradley. Illinois State won both of last year's meetings with Loyola and has won eight-straight matches against Bradley.
Links for live video, audio and stats for this weekend's matches are available at GoRedbirds.com. Fans can also receive live updates via Twitter, by following @RedbirdVB.
GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
