PEORIA, Ill. -- The Bradley volleyball team closes out a three-match home stand Tuesday, welcoming in-state foe Loyola-Chicago to Renaissance Coliseum for a 7 p.m. match in the final non-conference match of the year.
The Braves (8-12 overall) are coming off a four-set victory against Indiana State Friday and look to end the non-conference portion of the schedule on a high note, before playing four of the final seven matches of the year away from home. Loyola (4-16 overall) is coming off a three-set loss to cross-town Horizon League foe Illinois-Chicago Saturday.
Tuesday's match is the second and final non-conference matchup against a team from the state of Illinois in 2011. The two non-conference matches against in-state opponents are the fewest on the slate since 1998.
Bradley has won the final non-conference match of the year each of the last two years and looks to continue its traditionally strong play in home matches against non-conference squads from Illinois. Since the start of the 1995 season, BU boasts a 23-11 (.676) home match against non-conference teams from the Land of Lincoln.
A subscription video stream and free audio stream will be available at BradleyBraves.com. An interactive chat will also be available on the live stats link. Tickets are $6 for adults and $3 for children.
Freshman Courtney Keefe (Lemont, Ill./Lemont) turned in her first career double-double Friday against Indiana State to help highlight the victory, collecting season highs of 11 kills, 19 digs and four aces. Fellow freshman Madison Kamp (Orland Park, Ill./Chicago Christian) notched her team-leading sixth double-double of the year in the win as the duo helped Bradley to season highs of nine aces and 89 digs.
BU's nine aces were the most by the Braves in a Missouri Valley Conference match since Sept. 21, 2007 and Bradley had four individuals with 15 or digs in the same match for the first time since Oct. 12, 2007.
Senior Rachelle Dejean (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) recorded her 1,300th career dig against the Sycamores and enters Tuesday's contest needing 13 digs to pass Sam Hardwick for third in school history. Dejean is closing in on BU's career digs record, needing 45 digs to surpass Janny Pavlas' school record of 1,361 digs.
Bradley hits the road after Tuesday's contest with the Ramblers, facing Wichita State Friday and Missouri State Saturday on the road. Both matches are scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
