Bradley Volleyball Unveils 2021 Schedule

2021 Bradley Volleyball Schedule

Volleyball 8/11/2021 11:00:00 AM

PEORIA, Ill. -- A pair of home tournaments highlight the 2021 Bradley Volleyball schedule, with sixth-year head coach Carol Price-Torok unveiling the full 2021 schedule Wednesday.

Before officially kicking off the 2021 regular season, the Braves will have a pair of exhibition events. Fans are welcome to attend a free Red-White Scrimmage which is scheduled for this Friday night (6 p.m.) at Renaissance Coliseum. Bradley will also hit the road for an exhibition match at UIC on Saturday, Aug. 21.

After not playing a non-conference match during the abbreviated 2020-21 schedule, Bradley will host a pair of tournaments during the non-conference portion of the schedule for the fourth time in the last five years. The Braves kick off the season at home for the first time since 2013, welcoming Central Michigan, in-state foe DePaul and Southeast Missouri State to Renaissance Coliseum for the CEFCU Invitational August 27 & 28.

Bradley will face Central Michigan Friday, Aug. 27 to open the season in the first meeting between the two squads dating back to 1988. Saturday's action includes an afternoon contest against a Southeast Missouri State squad that is coming off a 14-3 spring campaign. The Redhawks are marking their third appearance at Renaissance Coliseum and the Braves will face SEMO for the 10th time overall. The season-opening CEFCU Invitational wraps up Saturday night with a matchup against DePaul. Bradley and DePaul will meet for the fourth time in the last eight years and 27th time overall.

The team's first trip to the state of Michigan since 1988 follows up the season-opening home tournament. Bradley heads to Rochester, Mich., for the Golden Grizzlies Invitational Sept. 3 & 4, where the Braves face tournament-host Oakland (Sept. 3) along with Eastern Michigan (Sept. 4). Bradley has won each of the two previous meetings with Oakland, with both matches played in Peoria. The Braves hold a 3-2 edge in the series with Eastern Michigan, sweeping the last outing in the series in Peoria during the 2008 campaign in the only matchup between the two programs since 1986.

Bradley makes its first trip to the state of South Dakota since playing a match at South Dakota State in 2016 when the Braves play in Vermillion, S.D., Sept. 9 & 10 at the South Dakota Classic. Tournament play begins Thursday, Sept. 9 with Bradley facing host South Dakota, which posted a 15-7 overall record and reached the NCAA Tournament. The Braves also face Milwaukee and first-time opponent Central Arkansas during the trip. Bradley and South Dakota have split two previous meetings with the Coyotes winning the last matchup in 2019 in Peoria. The Braves swept Milwaukee in 2018 to take a slim 9-8 lead in the series against the Panthers.

A return to Renaissance Coliseum for the CEFCU Classic wraps up the non-conference schedule Sept. 17 & 18. Bradley kicks off the event against first-time opponent North Dakota. Saturday's action includes the first match against Northern Colorado dating back to 1983 and the day concludes with a contest against Saint Louis. Northern Colorado posted a 15-4 record this spring with the Bears reaching the Big Sky Tournament Championship match. The Braves will face Saint Louis for the first time since 2013 and 24th overall, with Bradley trying to even the overall series at 12-12.

Bradley opens up the Missouri Valley Conference portion of the schedule in the state of Iowa, taking on Northern Iowa Sept. 24 and Drake Sept. 25.

The Braves will play seven home matches in the month of October, kicking off the stretch Oct. 1 against Southern Illinois at Renaissance Coliseum. An Oct. 2 matchup with Missouri State wraps up a two-game home stand.

After contests at Evansville (Oct. 8) and at Indiana State (Oct. 9), Bradley opens a five-game MVC home stand Oct. 15 against Valparaiso. The only other time the Braves have played five consecutive MVC matches at home came in 1985. The home stand continues Oct. 16 against Loyola and the lone Monday match on the schedule will be Oct. 18 against I-74 rival Illinois State at Renaissance Coliseum.

Bradley hosts Drake Oct. 22 to start the second half of the MVC schedule and an Oct. 23 match against Northern Iowa wraps up the five-match home stand, which is the longest for the Braves since a 10-match home stand in 2017.

The Braves play five of the last seven matches on the road, starting the stretch Oct. 29 at Missouri State and following it up Oct. 30 at Southern Illinois.

The final home stand of the year begins Nov. 5 against Indiana State with Senior Day scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 6 against Evansville to mark the earliest BU has concluded the home schedule dating back to 2012.

Wrapping up the regular season with three straight road matches for the first time since that same 2012 campaign, Bradley kicks off the stretch Nov. 12 at Loyola. A Nov. 13 match at Valparaiso falls before a Nov. 19 outing at Illinois State to close out the schedule.

The 2021 MVC Tournament is scheduled for Nov. 25-27 at Illinois State.

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