Normal, Ill. -- The season was on the line Wednesday night at Illinois State University. The Bradley Braves needed a win and help from Southern Illinois to make the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. The Braves won in four sets and the Salukis pulled out a win in five sets over the Missouri State Bears. 

About The Illinois State Match
 As if bragging rights were not enough to fire one up for this match, the season being on the line added an extra storyline to this game. The Braves have only won four total times in Normal since 1983 until last night. The last time Bradley won in Normal was in November of 2019. 
 
The first set was very much back-and-forth with neither team holding a lead larger than three points. The Braves would take the first set by a score of 25-22. 
 
Illinois State responded in the second set, jumping out to an 8-3 lead early on in the set. The Braves would battle back and shorten the lead to two points at 17-15. The Redbirds responded by winning eight of the next nine points to take the second set, 25-16. 
 
Bradley returned the favor in the third set by jumping out to an early lead of their own, 6-1. The two teams would continue to battle but the Braves were the eventual winner of the third set, 27-25. 
 
In the fourth set, the battle continued as both teams traded points. With the score tied at 9-9, the Braves would go on to control the rest of the set and win the set, 25-16, resulting in a 3-1 match victory.

Up Next: 2022 MVC Tournament
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With Bradley's must win on Wednesday evening against rival Illinois State, the Braves locked in the eighth and final seed in the 2022 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. Bradley will travel to Meeks Family Fieldhouse in Evansville, Indiana for their match against the host and fifth seeded Evansville Purple Aces on Sunday, November 20 at 3:00p.m. CST. The MVC Tournament will start on Sunday, November 20 and wrap-up with the Championship Game being played on Wednesday, November 23. All seven matches of the 2022 MVC Volleyball Championship will be available for fans on The Valley on ESPN (ESPN+).