NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State volleyball team will conclude the first half of its league schedule when it hosts Bradley Friday at 7 p.m. at Redbird Arena.
Illinois State (12-9, 5-3 MVC) will have played its first match against all nine of its Missouri Valley Conference adversaries after facing Bradley Friday. The Redbirds begin the second half of their Valley schedule next weekend, with matches at Southern Illinois and Missouri State.Â
"We will continue to prepare for every opponent in the same fashion. Bradley is better every week and we will have to be at the top of our game on Friday night," said Illinois State head coach Leah Johnson. "We know there are areas for us to improve and that will continually be the driving force of our efforts all season."
Illinois State brings a three-match winning streak into Friday's tilt with Bradley, having defeated Loyola Chicago and Valparaiso at home last weekend before a sweep at Indiana State Monday night.
The Redbirds were recognized for their recent success as Jaelyn Keene and Stef Jankiewicz were named MVC players of the week on Monday. Keene was named the MVC Offensive Player of the Week, while Jankiewicz was selected as the league's freshman of the week for the fourth time this season and third week in a row. Keene was also named the MVC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Week on Wednesday.
Bradley (8-14, 1-7) enters Friday's match after splitting a pair of five-set decisions in its past two contests. The Braves topped Loyola Saturday at home before falling to Evansville on the road Monday.
Illinois State has a decided advantage in the series against Bradley. The Redbirds are 55-8 all-time against the Braves and have won 12-straight matches against Friday's opponent.
Fans can purchase tickets for Friday's match online at GoRedbirds.com/Tickets, by calling (309) 438-8000, or by visiting the ticket office, located at the north entrance to Redbird Arena.
Links for live stats and video for the match are available at GoRedbirds.com and fans can follow @RedbirdVB on Twitter for live updates and more.
GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
