After a summer of hard work and preparation, sports are back at Bradley.
Whether a team is coming off a good year or a disappointing one, each group will have something they need to answer this fall.
Cross Country: Can the team break onto the national scene?
Bradley cross country has built a dynasty in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) over the last few years. The last time one of the men’s or women’s teams didn’t finish in the top two at the MVC Championships was in 2014 when the men placed third and the women’s team still finished first. The last year both teams failed to place in the top two was in 2012.
Despite their dominance in the conference, neither side has been able to break into the national level. The only time either team qualified for the NCAA Championships in their recent stretch of dominance was in 2018, when the men finished 24th overall. While individual runners have made it during that period, the group as a whole has fallen just short.
At the 2025 conference tournaments, Bradley had the top five women runners, retaining four of them entering this year. The men’s team also retains top runners, including Jayde Rosslee, who won the conference tournament and was the program’s lone qualifier for the national tournament.
Will 2026 be the year where each side can get over the regional hump and qualify as a team for nationals?
Men’s Golf: Can they improve team form in the fall?
Bradley’s fall form in 2025 was underwhelming. The team placed in the bottom five in three of their five events. Though they closed out on a high note by finishing second at the Missouri State Intercollegiate, the team continued to struggle in the spring and finished seventh out of nine teams in the conference tournament.
Getting off to a better, more consistent start this season will help set the tone. Carter Stevenson, who has led the team the past two seasons and is coming off his third consecutive top 10 MVC placement, returns for his senior season.
Other key returners include Brody McCarthy, Brogan Smith, Quinn Cox and Joey Cerney. The team has also added four newcomers to the roster this season.
The Braves struggled with consistency across all three rounds of each event last season. If they can improve their form and maintain scores across each round, the team will take a step forward this fall.
Women’s Golf: Will newcomers keep momentum going following key departures?
Bradley women’s golf made their first postseason appearance since 2006 last year, competing in the National Golf Invitational, where they placed eighth out of 10 teams.
The two highest-placing Braves in that tournament, however, have departed due to graduation. Still, the remaining three who competed remain, including former NCAA regional qualifier Jillian Cosler.
Bradley also welcomed a new head coach to the program. In June, the Braves brought in former IU Indianapolis associate coach Kara Blair. Blair helped coach both the men’s and women’s programs for three seasons, with two of her players winning individual conference titles in that time.
Under Blair’s guidance, the team will look to build off their second-place finish in the MVC tournament last year and remain competitive atop the conference.
Soccer: Will the team take a step forward in year three of the Regan era?
The first two seasons of head coach Tim Regan’s tenure have not gone the way the team had hoped. After winning four games in his first season in charge, the team regressed to just two wins in 2025 and failed to claim a spot in the conference tournament.
This season feels like the year where Braves soccer has to take a step forward towards getting back to competing atop the Missouri Valley Conference.
The team last made the conference tournament in 2022. With just seven teams competing in the MVC this season, a good step forward for Bradley would likely mean at least an appearance in the semifinals of the conference tournament.
The Braves showed promise in their opening game against DePaul, but could only come away with a 2-2 draw despite being a goal up late into the contest. Whether they are able to find consistency and secure wins is something that will be important this season.
Volleyball: Can the team turn close losses into wins?
Over the past two seasons, Bradley volleyball has hovered just under the .500 mark, but had plenty of opportunities to swing the record in a positive direction.
Last season, the Braves lost six contests by one set. Contrast that with only the two they won by one set, and it’s clear that the team isn’t too far off from competing at the top of the Missouri Valley Conference.
Finding ways to finish off wins in the final set is key for Bradley this season. In five of their six five-set defeats, they were within just a few points of securing a victory, which could’ve meant an 18-10 record as opposed to their actual 13-15 finish.
Turning these small defeats into wins is what can elevate them from a middle-of-the-pack MVC squad to a team finishing in the top five and seriously contending for a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
