NORMAL, Ill. – Bradley Volleyball continues Missouri Valley Conference play Tuesday night with a trip down I-74 to face rival Illinois State. First serve is set for 6 p.m. CT inside CEFCU Arena.

Match Information

Bradley at Illinois State
Date & Time: Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026 at 6 p.m. CT
Location: CEFCU Arena | Normal, Ill.
Coverage: Live Stats & ESPN+

Rivalry Matchup

Illinois State enters Tuesday at 11-4 overall and 2-2 in Missouri Valley Conference play. The Redbirds are coming off a five-set loss to Drake after opening the season 11-2. Illinois State ranks among the top 100 nationally in six statistical categories, including 16th in service aces per set at 2.02 and 29th in digs per set at 15.53.

Junior Ruth Ziegler has been one of the Redbirds' top performers, leading the MVC with 29 service aces while averaging 0.62 aces per set, a mark that ranks 14th nationally. Ziegler also ranks among the top 20 in the MVC in both hitting percentage and kills per set.

Bradley Notes

Bradley enters the rivalry matchup at 8-8 overall and 3-1 in MVC play following a split of its first conference home weekend. The Braves fell to reigning MVC champion UNI on Friday before rallying from a two-set deficit to defeat Drake in five sets on Saturday.

Gracie Furlong led the comeback against Drake with 22 kills and 14 digs for a double-double. Cherlin Antonio added 12 kills, while Chloe Parker finished with 11. Maria Drapp returned to the lineup with 52 assists and 20 digs, and Eirini Bitsaktsi recorded a team-high 30 digs.

Bradley totaled 66 kills and 90 digs in the five-set victory and closed the match by winning the final three sets, including a 16-14 decision in the fifth. The Braves' 3-1 conference start has them entering Tuesday with wins in three of their first four MVC matches.

Following Tuesday's rivalry matchup, Bradley returns to Renaissance Coliseum to host Belmont on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 2 p.m. CT.