PEORIA, Ill. -- With a large group of returning letterwinners including two-time first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference selection Lindsay Stalzer (Kewanee, Ill./Kewanee), eighth-year Bradley Volleyball coach Scott Luster will once again challenge his squad with a difficult non-conference slate in 2005. The Braves will play a grueling 32-match regular-season schedule that includes a total of six matches and five teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2004.

The 32-match slate is the most regular-season matches since Bradley played 36 matches in the regular season in 1990. The 14 non-conference foes posted four 20-win seasons with five teams finishing second or higher in their respective conference races.

"This will be a very challenging non-conference schedule, but I feel that we have a team that is capable of competing against some of the top quality opponents we will face this season," head coach Scott Luster said. "We have a solid group returning from last season and had a strong showing during the spring season."

Bradley will open the 2005 season with five matches on the road, beginning August 27th at the Pepsi Challenge in Charleston, Ill. The Braves face defending Atlantic-10 regular-season co-champion Dayton at 10 a.m. in Charleston and follow that with a 7 p.m. match against Ohio Valley regular-season co-champion Eastern Illinois. The Flyers finished 23-9 in 2004 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament, while Eastern Illinois went 25-6 last year and 15-1 in the OVC. Bradley will be facing Dayton for the first time since Sept. 7, 1990.

The Braves return to the West Coast for the third time in the last five years to take part in the Nike Invitational (Sept. 2 & 3) in Stockton, Calif. Bradley plays NCAA-Tournament participant Pacific to open tournament action. The Tigers went 19-10 overall and finished second in the Big West with a 13-5 conference mark. The Braves conclude tournament play on Saturday against Purdue and Saint Louis. The Boilermakers are coming off a 17-15 overall record and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Bradley's home opener will be part of the Radisson Hotel Invitational, September 9 & 10 at Robertson Memorial Field House. The five-team round-robin tournament includes Oakland, Southeast Missouri State, Belmont and instate foe Northern Illinois. Belmont posted a 21-8 overall record last fall and finished second in the Atlantic Sun Conference. The tournament will open Friday, September 9 with a 9 a.m. featuring Oakland and Northern Illinois and will feature a total of 10 matches during the two days.

A midweek home match against Butler on September 12 comes before the Braves Missouri Valley Conference opener Sept. 16 at Creighton. Butler finished second in the Horizon League in 2004 and earned an 18-10 overall record.

The non-conference schedule concludes with four midweek matches against instate foes. Bradley will make two trips to Chicago to face DePaul (September 27) and Loyola (October 11). The Ramblers were 22-9 overall last year and advanced to the NCAA Tournament after finishing third in the final Horizon League regular-season standings.

Illinois-Chicago will visit Robertson field House on October 25 and the Braves will conclude the non-conference slate at Western Illinois on Nov. 1. Including the conference matches against Southern Illinois and Illinois State, Bradley will play a total of 10 matches against instate opponents.

The conference schedule includes home dates against perennial Valley power Northern Iowa on Sept. 30. The Braves will host defending regular-season Valley champion Wichita State on Oct. 14 and Missouri State on Oct. 15. Bradley will face I-74 rival Illinois State on Nov. 4 and Indiana State on Nov. 5 at Robertson Memorial Field House and will conclude the regular season at home for the third time in four years with home matches against Drake (Nov. 18) and Creighton (Nov. 19).

Northern Iowa will serve as host for the 2005 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, Nov. 25 & 26 at the West Gym in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Bradley returns 11 of 14 letterwinners from last year's squad and welcomes three newcomers in freshmen Katrina Goncher (Batavia, Ill./Rosary) and Sam Black (Atalissa, Iowa/West Liberty) along with junior Jennifer Bohan (Jacksonville, Ill./Jacksonville/Parkland C.C.).

Single-game ticket prices for regular-season games are $5 for adults and $2 for children (K-12) and senior citizens. Bradley University faculty, staff and students with valid IDs are admitted free to regular-season games. Season tickets for the 14-game regular-season schedule are $40 for adults and $15 for children and seniors. Single-game and season family passes also are available.