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NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State volleyball team will open the second half of Missouri Valley Conference play when it travels to Bradley and Loyola Chicago this Friday and Saturday.
Illinois State (12-9, 5-4 MVC) returns to action after dropping a pair of league contests last weekend at Redbird Arena, falling to Missouri State Friday and Wichita State Sunday. The matches marked the end of the first half of the Redbirds' conference schedule, as Illinois State has now faced every Valley opponent once this season.
The Redbirds will now begin the second half against two conference foes it defeated earlier this season. Illinois State earned a 3-1 win over Loyola and a sweep of Bradley in matches played at Redbird Arena Sept. 23-24.
Bradley (6-14, 1-8) and Loyola (10-12, 5-4) enter this weekend's matches after facing off against each other on Tuesday night. Loyola secured a 3-1 win on its home floor at Gentile Arena, site of Illinois State's match Saturday with the Ramblers. Friday's match at Bradley will take place at Renaissance Coliseum in Peoria, Illinois.
Illinois State will look to return to its winning ways when the squad heads to Bradley. The Redbirds are currently tied with Loyola for fifth place in the league standings, two matches clear of seventh-place Drake. Only the top six teams in the league will qualify for the MVC Tournament, Nov. 24-26 in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Friday's match at Bradley will be broadcast live on ESPN3, as part of The Valley on ESPN3. Links for live video, audio and stats can be found at GoRedbirds.com, and fans can follow @RedbirdVB on Twitter for live updates.
GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
