Volleyball Hosts CEFCU Invitational To Open 2022 Season

Illinois State Athletics

Volleyball 8/25/2022 11:00:00 AM

PEORIA, Ill. -- Bradley Volleyball will open the 2022 season at home, kicking off the Alicia Williams era by hosting the CEFCU Invitational Friday and Saturday at Renaissance Coliseum, with 21st-ranked Western Kentucky, Kansas City and Miami (Ohio) set to participate in the season-opening tournament.

Action at Renaissance Coliseum gets underway Friday with Miami (Ohio) facing #21 Western Kentucky at 10 a.m. and a 3 p.m. matchup between Miami (Ohio) and Kansas City falls before Bradley's season opener against #21 Western Kentucky at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday's action starts with Bradley facing Miami (Ohio) at 10 a.m. Kansas City and Western Kentucky square off at 1 p.m. and the opening weekend of the 2022 campaign wraps up with Bradley facing Kansas City at 6 p.m.

All three Bradley matches of the CEFCU Invitational will be available on ESPN+.

Friday's matches are First Responders Appreciation and Military Appreciation Games, while Saturday is Educators Appreciation. For details or ticket information visit - https://bubrav.es/VolleyTix

The Braves will be opening a season at home for the second consecutive year on the heels of a seven-year stretch (2013-20) of kicking off the season away from home. Bradley has claimed the season opener in eight of the last 13 seasons and owns a 25-23 overall record in season openers all-time. The Braves have won seven of the last eight season openers played at home dating back to a five-set loss to Missouri to kick off the 1990 campaign and are 10-2 when playing the season opener at home since joining the Gateway Conference in 1983.

For the fifth time in the last six years Bradley will host a pair of in-season tournaments with the Braves hosting the CEFCU Invitational (Aug. 26 & 27) in addition to the CEFCU Classic (Sept. 16 & 17). Overall, the Braves are 66-42 (.611) when hosting an in-season tournament, which includes a 16-8 (.667) mark since 2017. Bradley has hosted at least one tournament in 13 of the last 15 years and 17 of the last 20 seasons, including 2022. The Braves are 24-24 in home tournaments played at Renaissance Coliseum (since 2010).

Bradley is 40-13 (.755) at Renaissance Coliseum since the start of that 2018 season after going 9-6 at home last year and the Brave own a 29-7 (.806) home record in MVC play over that four-year stretch. The Braves won a combined 32 home matches in the first eight seasons played at Renaissance Coliseum (2010-17). Bradley's 29 home league wins since the start of 2018 match the team's combined MVC home win total from 2004 through 2017. The Braves are 14-6 (.700) in their last 20 non-conference outings at Renaissance Coliseum.

Bradley kicks off the season against 21st-ranked Western Kentucky and will play two of the first four matches of 2022 against nationally ranked team with the Braves slated to play at #13 Purdue next weekend. The Hilltoppers are Bradley's first nationally ranked opponent dating back to a home match against #25 Northern Iowa on Nov. 2, 2018. The Braves are looking for their first win against a nationally ranked squad since a four-set win over then #7 Northern Iowa on Sept. 28, 2002. Bradley's last non-conference contest against a nationally ranked team was Sept. 8, 2006 at #21 Arizona and the Braves have never hosted a non-conference opponent that was ranked in the AVCA Top 25. The 2006 season was also the last time Bradley opened a season against a nationally ranked team (#16 Purdue).

First-year Bradley Volleyball Head Coach Alicia Williams inherits a squad that has won 12 league games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history and BU's 24 combined Valley wins over the last two years are tied for the most in the conference over that stretch. Bradley's 48 MVC victories over the last four years are the most in a four-year stretch in school history and the Braves have won 11 or more league contests in four consecutive seasons. Prior to the current four-year run, Bradley had a total of five seasons with 11 or more league wins (2002, 2001, 1999, 1995 & 1994). Williams came to The Hilltop after winning back-to-back NJCAA Division I National Championships at Iowa Western during the 2021 and 2020-21 seasons.

Bradley follows up the CEFCU Invitational with a trip to West Lafayette, Ind., for Purdue's Reamer Club Xtra Special where the Braves will face #13 Purdue and Utah in addition to defending Horizon League champion Milwaukee, Sept. 2 & 3.

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