ST. LOUIS - For the second consecutive year, the Illinois State women's soccer team has been picked to finish first in the 2010 Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll, which was announced Tuesday and voted on by the seven league coaches. The Redbirds also had three players selected to the All-MVC Preseason Team, tying Creighton and Missouri State for the most selections by one team.
"I think where we were picked this season has a lot to do with how we finished last season," said head coach Drew Roff. "We appreciate the fact that the other coaches look at our program to finish that high this season."
Illinois State tallied 46 points and received four first-place votes, edging second-place Creighton, which garnered 37 points, and third-place Missouri State, which collected 36 points. Evansville was tabbed fourth with 23 points, while Drake and Indiana State tied for fifth with 19 points and Northern Iowa rounded out the poll with 16 points.
"We have a very different looking team from last season and lost a lot to graduation," said Roff. "However, we have a good core group back from last year and hopefully we will get better as the season goes on and will be playing our best soccer at the end of the season."
Senior Alyssa Schulz, junior Jessica Carlson, and sophomore Rachel Bostick were named to the All-MVC Preseason Team, which was also voted on by league coaches. The trio combined for 22 of Illinois State's 38 goals last season, as Carlson earned First-Team All-Valley and All-Valley Tournament Team honors, while Bostick and Schulz garnered Second-Team All-Valley selections last season.
"Carlson is coming off an outstanding year as a sophomore and as a team captain, we are looking for her to provide leadership on the field this year," said Roff. "Schulz is a player that has improved each year she has been with our program and I look for her to continue that development and have her best season yet. Rachel has battled injury in the past, but I look forward to her being healthy and playing her best soccer this season."
Six of the league's seven teams were represented on the preseason all-conference team and eight of the 11 selections were non-seniors. Nine selections came from the top three teams in the preseason poll and the preseason team was rounded out by one selection from both Evansville and Northern Iowa.
The Redbirds will look to capture their fourth consecutive Missouri Valley Conference regular-season championship and defend their State Farm Valley Tournament title, when they open their regular season at Akron, Aug. 20, at 6:30 p.m.
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