Cram The Coliseum Highlights Volleyball Homecoming Weekend

Volleyball 9/29/2021 3:24:00 PM

PEORIA, Ill. -- Bradley Volleyball returns to Renaissance Coliseum for Homecoming Week with the Braves hosting their annual Cram the Coliseum match Friday against Southern Illinois to open the Missouri Valley Conference home slate, before kicking off Saturday's homecoming festivities with an afternoon contest against Missouri State.

The weekend's activities start Friday night with a 6 p.m. match against Southern Illinois serving as Bradley's annual Cram the Coliseum game. All fans will receive a free t-shirt and admission is just $4 for adults with children 12 and under admitted free. Friday's match is also the third of six Free Food Fridays presented by Papa John's during the Bradley Volleyball season with all Bradley students in attendance receiving a coupon for a free Papa John's Papadia. The Lighting of the B and fireworks will be held at 8 p.m. on Olin Quad following the contest against the Salukis.

Saturday's match against Missouri State will feature a 4 p.m. first serve and fans attending any of Bradley's home events during Homecoming Weekend can purchase a Homecoming Pass for $5 that will include admission to both weekend volleyball home contests along with Saturday's 7 p.m. soccer match against nationally-ranked Missouri State at Shea Stadium.

Friday's matchup with Southern Illinois will be available on ESPN+, while the Saturday tilt against Missouri State can be streamed on ESPN3. BradleyBraves.com will provide links to live stats for both contests.

After splitting the first two MVC road matches of the season, Bradley plays seven of the next nine matches at Renaissance Coliseum starting with this weekend's home matches. The Braves will play seven MVC home matches in the same calendar for the first time in program history. Bradley has had three previous Octobers with as many as six home conference matches with the last falling in 2013 (2004 & 1998). The Braves are 10-1 in their last 11 MVC home matches dating back to late in the 2019 season and own a combined 23-5 record at Renaissance Coliseum against Valley opponents over the last three years.

For the fourth time in six years Bradley will open the home portion of the Missouri Valley Conference schedule by hosting Southern Illinois. The Braves also kicked off the home league slate against SIU in 2019, 2017 and 2016 under Head Coach Carol Price-Torok. Friday's match will mark the sixth time the Braves will open the home conference schedule against the Salukis, making SIU the most common MVC home opener opponent for Bradley. Drake and former Valley rival Wichita State are the only other foes the Braves have played at least five conference home openers against.

Senior Hannah Thompson continues to climb up Bradley's career kills list with the outside hitter passing Jenna Passman for eighth on the all-time chart with a 15-kill effort to highlight last Saturday's win at Drake. Thompson enters this weekend's action 27 kills from passing Stephanie Behrns for seventh all-time at Bradley. Currently seventh in the MVC in kills per set at 3.29, Thompson is one of four players in the nation this season with at least 160 kills and 180 or more digs through matches of Sept. 26. In addition, she heads into the homestand two digs from reaching 1,600 in her career and would be the seventh player in MVC history with 1,100 career kills and at least 1,600 career digs.

Bradley follows up the weekend homestand with a two-match Valley road swing that starts Friday, Oct. 8 at Evansville (6 p.m.).

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

#6 Hannah Thompson: OH; 5' 8"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#6 Hannah Thompson
: 5' 8"; Senior
: OH

Cram The Coliseum Highlights Volleyball Homecoming Weekend

Players Mentioned

#6 Hannah Thompson

Players Mentioned

#6 Hannah Thompson