Led by the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year and Coach of the Year, the Drake University volleyball team begins postseason play Thursday afternoon against UNI at 5 p.m. in Normal, Ill. The Bulldogs enter the MVC Tournament as the No. 2 seed following the team's best regular-season finish since 1996.
 
The contest against No. 7 UNI will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
Earlier this season, the Bulldogs swept their in-state foe for the first time since 1982 en route to their 11-5 league record and a 13-6 overall record with the lone non-conference loss coming to a top-25 Marquette team.
 
Haley Bush, who is 24^th in the nation in kills, leads the Bulldogs after becoming the first Bulldog since 1984 and just the second ever to be named MVC Player of the Year. In league play she led The Valley in kills and scoring. She was joined on the All-MVC first team by Emily Plock while Kylee Macke, who is 15^th nationally in digs, was named to the second team.
 
The Bulldogs are hitting .200 this season, their highest average in four seasons while the defense, led by Macke, has held opponents to .170 hitting, the best percentage by a Drake defense since 1996.
 
The winner of Thursday's match faces the winner of No. 6 Indiana State vs. No. Loyola Friday evening at 5 p.m.