NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State volleyball team returns to Redbird Arena this weekend to host a pair of Missouri Valley Conference matches. The Redbirds will host Bradley on Friday and Loyola on Saturday. Both matches are set for 7 p.m. starts.
Illinois State (18-8, 8-5 MVC) is back in action after splitting a pair of road contests last weekend. The Redbirds won the first set before dropping the next three in a 3-1 loss at Northern Iowa on Oct. 30, but bounced back with a 3-1 win at Drake the following night, on Oct. 31.
The Redbirds currently sit in fifth place in the league standings, which are crowded at the top. Wichita State (19-7, 10-2) tops the pack, but the difference between first and sixth place is just three matches.
Illinois State has the opportunity to climb up the standings when it hosts Bradley (6-18, 1-11) and Loyola (19-6, 8-4) this weekend. The matches will mark Illinois State's second meeting against each opponent in the past month. The Redbirds suffered a 3-0 loss to the Ramblers, in Chicago, on Oct. 9, before securing a 3-0 win over the Braves, in Peoria, Illinois, on Oct. 10.
The Redbirds will have history on their side, as they own a 52-8 all-time record against Bradley, which includes nine-straight wins, and victories in 19 of the past 20 meetings. Illinois State is 16-3 all-time against Loyola, despite the loss to the Ramblers last month.
Tickets for both matches can be purchased through the Illinois State Athletics Ticket Office, by calling (309) 438-8000 or by going online at GoRedbirds.com.
Links for live stats and audio for both matches can be found at GoRedbirds.com, and fans can receive live updates from the match by following @RedbirdVB on Twitter.
GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.Â
