NORMAL, Ill. – Sixteen players reported on the first day of practice as the Illinois State volleyball team's 2015 season officially opened Friday morning.
The roster includes seven returners from last year's team that won Missouri Valley Conference regular-season and tournament titles, before advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Among the returners are three-time All-MVC selection Ashley Rosch and 2014 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) North Region Freshman of the Year Jaelyn Keene.
The team also welcomes nine newcomers, including five true freshmen and four junior college transfers.
Head coach Melissa Myers returns for her eighth season at the helm, after being named the MVC Coach of the Year and the AVCA North Region Coach of the Year in 2014. Myers
Illinois State's non-conference schedule will feature matches in four tournaments, including stops in Miami, Boston and Dayton, Ohio. The Redbirds will also host the Country Financial Redbird Classic Sept. 11-12, at Redbird Arena, before MVC play begins in late September.
The team's 2015 schedule features matches against five teams that qualified for the 2014 NCAA Tournament, in Miami, Kansas State, Long Beach State, Dayton and Jacksonville. The Redbirds will play Harvard, Jacksonville and Youngstown State for the first time in program history.
After opening the season against Miami at the Hurricane Invitational Aug. 28, the Redbirds will face Kansas State and Florida A&M the following day. The Redbirds will travel to the Harvard Invitational (Sept. 4-5) before hosting the Country Financial Redbird Classic (Sept. 11-12). The team will then head to Illinois-Chicago (Sept. 15) before traveling to Dayton for the Flyer Invitational (Sept. 18-19).
The Redbirds' MVC opener will be Sept. 25 at Missouri State. The team's MVC home opener is set for Oct. 2, against Drake.
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