ST. LOUIS – The Illinois State women's basketball team was pegged for a fifth-place finish in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll, the conference announced Thursday. Drake was picked to win the league in the annual survey of the league's coaches, sports information directors and media.
Kristen Gillespie enters her second year at the helm after guiding the Redbirds to a 14-16 overall finish and 8-10 record in the Valley in 2017-18. The Redbirds return four players that started a majority of the team's games a year ago in seniors Katrina Beck and Viria Livingston, junior Megan Talbot and sophomore Paige Saylor. Senior Simone Goods also returns after earning Newcomer of the Year and a MVC honorable mention selection last season.
Drake, with 363 voter points and 35 first-place votes, edged out UNI (325 points, four first-place votes) for the top spot in the preseason poll. Missouri State (287 points) was the only other school to garner a first-place vote, and was slotted in for a third-place finish.
Southern Illinois was picked to finish ahead of Illinois State at No. 4, while Bradley, Indiana State, Valparaiso, Loyola Chicago and Evansville rounded out the poll.
Drake's Becca Hittner was named the MVC Preseason Player of the Year. She was joined on the league's preseason all-conference team by UNI's Megan Maahs, Southern Illinois' Nicole Martin, Drake's Sara Rhine and Missouri State's Alexa Willard.
Illinois State will take on Quincy in an exhibition game at Redbird Arena at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 4. The Redbirds' first regular-season contest will be played in Edwardsville, Illinois on Nov. 11, when Illinois State travels to take on SIUE.
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