Peoria, Ill. — Bradley Women's Tennis will make the program's first-ever visit to California this week. Having never traveled further west than Las Vegas, the team will face two California-based teams (UC Riverside and UC Irvine) in addition to Southern Utah during the three-match trip.

After postponing last week's matches due to injury and illness, Bradley is returning to action at near-full strength. With senior Aimee Manfredo out all season, sophomore Natalia Barbery and senior Alejandra de Lasa down with knee injuries, and freshmen Victoria Gonzalez and Sandra Maletin out with the flu, the Braves were forced to push back their matches at DePaul and IUPUI. After having just three players available last weekend, Barbery, de Lasa, Gonzalez and Maletin are all expected to return to the lineup this week.

Bradley is in unchartered territory with its visit to California. Having never made a visit to The Golden State, the team's 2009 victory over Cal State Bakersfield is the program's sole match versus a California-based program. The Braves start the trip facing Southern Utah, a team that does carry a four-match history with Bradley. Though the Braves are just 1-3 in matches against the Thunderbirds, Bradley took home a 5-2 win in last season's face-off with Southern Utah in Las Vegas.

The spring break trip provides an opportunity for a couple of Braves to claim significant spots in Bradley's record books. Senior Alexa Brandt needs three singles wins to tie teammate Manfredo's fourth-place mark in career singles wins, while junior Malini Wijesignhe needs three wins to take sole ownership of the sixth-place spot. Brandt, the team's active leader in career combined wins, needs two victories to take over the fourth-place spot and seven to move into third place.

Bradley begins the week with a Monday match versus Southern Utah in Irvine, Calif., at 2:30 p.m. (CST). The Braves will then travel to Riverside, Calif., to face UC Riverside on Wednesday before returning to Irvine on Thursday to take on UC Irvine.