Bradley University Athletics

Bradley Volleyball Announces 2020-21 Schedule

2020-21 Bradley Volleyball Schedule

Volleyball 1/14/2021 10:07:00 AM

PEORIA, Ill. -- After having its fall season postponed, Bradley Volleyball held its first official practices early last week, leading into an abbreviated season this spring; which kicks off Jan. 25 as the Braves unveiled their full 18-match Missouri Valley Conference schedule Thursday.

The 2020-21 MVC Volleyball schedule will feature a new format that significantly reduces travel and places an emphasis on the health and safety of student-athletes, coaches and staff. This year, Valley teams will face one another in a two-game series on back-to-back days at the same site. Each institution will play four road series and four home series and will also face their designated 'travel partner' in a single-game, home-and-home series. In addition, series will move from the traditional Friday/Saturday matchups to mainly Sunday/Monday series.

"I'm excited to get on the court with this group," said Bradley Volleyball Head Coach Carol Price-Torok. "It was great to be able to train in the Fall, and we are ready to compete this Spring. We are used to playing back to back matches, so the schedule is something we're familiar with. Overall, we're ready to get back out there and compete for an MVC Championship."

Bradley reported back to campus early last week and will have a full three weeks of practice before opening the full 18-game Valley schedule Monday, Jan. 25 with a road match at I-74 rival Illinois State after sweeping the regular-season series last year. A rematch with the Redbirds is one week later (Monday, Feb. 1) at Renaissance Coliseum.

The Braves follow up the home-and-home series with Illinois State with a road series at Drake (Feb. 7 & 8). Bradley returns to Renaissance Coliseum the next weekend, hosting Indiana State Feb. 14 & 15.

A road series at Evansville (Feb. 21 & 22) wraps up a stretch in which the Braves play five of the first eight Valley road matches on the road. Bradley has won five consecutive matches in the series with the Purple Aces.

Southern Illinois visits Renaissance Coliseum for a series Feb. 28 & March 1 to mark the halfway point of the league schedule.

The Braves will look to avenge a five-set setback in the 2019 MVC Tournament when Bradley visits Valparaiso for matches March 7 & 8.

Four of the final six matches of the season will be played at home with Bradley hosting Loyola March 14 & 15 to kick off the stretch.

The final road series of the year has the Braves traveling to Springfield, Mo., March 21 & 22 for a pair of matches against Missouri State.

The regular-season concludes with the lone Saturday/Sunday series on the schedule, with Bradley hosting Northern Iowa March 27 & 28.

Bradley returns five starters from last year's team that finished fourth in the MVC standings in 2019 (11-7). The Braves, which have won 11 or more Valley matches in back-to-back seasons for just the second time in program history, have won 24 league matches over the last two campaigns.

The MVC Championship is slated to be held April 1-3 in Normal, Ill.

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