Fresh off a MVC regular season and tournament crown, UNI has been tabbed as the league favorite in the annual coaches’ preseason poll, receiving 135 points and seven first-place votes. The Panthers edged second-place pick Drake (133 points, three 1st place votes) and UIC (122 points, one 1st place vote).
Southern Illinois (103 points) finished fourth in the poll, while Evansville (99 points), Valparaiso (73 points), Illinois State (71 points, one first place vote), Bradley (56 points), Missouri State (52 points), Murray State (47 points), Belmont (31 points) and Indiana State (14 points) round out the poll.
UNI represented the MVC in the NCAA Tournament field after claiming the program's 18th MVC tourney title. The Panthers made the NCAA tournament for the 24th time in program history. The Panthers beat Florida State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, earning the MVC’s first NCAA win since 2017.
#1 UNI
- The Panthers return four starters from last year's MVC regular season and tournament championship team with back-to-back league titles on their minds. Despite the departure of five key middle blockers and defenders, UNI signed seven new faces during the offseason, including three Division I transfers.
- UNI's offense operated at full speed in 2022, ranking second in the MVC and third in the nation with 1,834 total kills. The Panthers also posted the fourth most assists in the nation with 1,675, thanks in large part to reigning MVC Setter of the Year and First Team All-MVC honoree Tayler Alden.
- Head coach Bobbi Petersen added to her resume last fall with her record-tying seventh MVC Coach of the Year honor. With 557 career wins to her name, Petersen looks to guide UNI to its 25th NCAA Tournament appearance in school history in 2023.
#2 DRAKE
- The Bulldogs are coming off their best season in program history with a 30-9 record, the most wins in program history, and runner-up finishes in both the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament and the NIVC.
- Drake brings back the majority of its production from last season’s record-setting team including defending MVC Player of the Year Haley Bush, and MVC Freshman of the Year Addison Beagle.
- Bush earned her second MVC Player of the Year award after posting a staggering 523 kills, the most in a single season in Drake history. Her front-row running mate, Mariana Rodrigues, another 500+ kill performer and First-Team All-MVC honoree, was one of just two roster losses in the offseason for the Bulldogs.
#3 UIC
- UIC's core remains intact after it's introductory season in the Missouri Valley Conference back in 2022. All-MVC First Team senior setter Sohila Wafeek, alongside second team honorees Martina Delucchi and Zahria Woodard are set to lead this senior-heavy program into the 2023 season.
- Entering his seventh season at the helm, UIC head coach Justin Ingram posted another winning season for the Flames, going 22-10 in the 2022 season with a MVC Volleyball Championship Semifinal appearance. Since taking over the program in 2017, the Flames have a 111-62 record with a 2021 NCAA Tournament appearance.
- Delucchi ranked fourth in the MVC with kills last season, averaging 4.17 a game. The senior tandem of Becca Oldendorf (36.8%) and Woodard (35.5%) were second and third in the MVC in hitting percentage.
#4 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
- Southern Illinois concluded the 2022 season with an 18-13 (11-7 MVC) record, finishing the regular season in fourth place of the Valley. It was the most wins the Salukis had in a single-season since 2019 (14). After receiving a bye in the first-round of the MVC Tournament, SIU fell in five-sets to Evansville in the Quarterfinals of the Valley Tournament.
- The Salukis return 12 members from last years’ team including All-MVC recipients Nataly Garcia, Tatum Tornatta, and Anna Jaworski, as well as Imani Hartfield who was named to the MVC All-Tournament team.
- Led by Nataly Garcia (449) and Tatum Tornatta (410), five different Salukis tallied at least 100 kills during the 2022 season as SIU averaged 14.11 kills per set, the program’s best mark since 2007.
#5 EVANSVILLE
- Evansville looks to build on a strong 2022 campaign that included 11 Missouri Valley Conference victories, the most for the Purple Aces since joining the league in 1994. For the first time, UE was the host of the MVC Championship. The Aces opened with a victory over Southern Illinois, marking just their second-ever MVC Championship win.
- Five starters plus the libero return for the 2023 campaign. The one loss for UE was a big one with the graduation of Alondra Vazquez. She reset the Evansville career kills mark with 1,911 on the way to her third berth on the All-MVC First Team.
- Highlighting the returners for UE is the trio of Giulia Cardona, Melanie Feliciano and Kora Ruff. As a sophomore in 2022, Cardona reset the UE single-season kills record with 574. Ruff accumulated 1,354 assists in her inaugural collegiate season. Her tally was second-most in program history and was 5th in the NCAA for 2022. Feliciano was limited to just 29 sets last season due to injury. Looking to return to top form, Feliciano was an All-MVC First Team honoree in the fall of 2021 and ranked 6th in the MVC with 3.28 kills per set.
#6 VALPARAISO
- Valpo enters the 2023 season coming off yet another successful campaign in 2022, winning 22 matches and advancing to the NIVC. The Beacons have won 20 or more matches in 17 of the last 21 years and have made three postseason appearances in the last five years.
- The Beacons return 12 of 17 letterwinners from last year's squad, including four starters plus the libero. In all, 98% of the assists, 89.3% of the digs, 62.7% of the blocks and 60.9% of the kills from last season are back in 2023.
- Following a stellar rookie season, sophomore libero Emma Hickey looks to continue to lead the Valpo back line in 2023. Hickey set Valpo and MVC records for digs by a freshman, racking up 735 digs to lead all D-I freshmen. A Second Team All-MVC and All-Freshman Team honoree, Hickey ranked fourth nationally with 5.70 digs/set while moving into fourth place in Valpo history and sixth in MVC history for digs in a season.
#7 ILLINOIS STATE
- 2022 All-MVC Freshman Team honorees Aida Shadewald and Regan Haith highlight Illinois State's returnees in a revamped roster featuring 10 newcomers, including key graduate transfers Mari Hinkle (Iowa), Kara Cooper (Valparaiso), and Bella Zeman (Wofford).
- The Redbirds are looking to avenge a 12-17 season after an injury-riddled roster plagued head coach Allie Matters' first season in Normal. ISU has never had back-to-back losing seasons.
- Illinois State's schedule features regular-season, true road matches against three Power Five opponents for the first time since 1999 as ISU opens the season at Missouri before heading to Northwestern for the teams' first meeting since 1993 and playing at Illinois for the first time since 2009.
#8 BRADLEY
- Bradley enters its second season under the leadership of Alicia Williams after going 10-21 (6-12) in her first season. Bradley added William Tatge to their staff this offseason after he previously worked as an assistant coach at Georgia State University.
- The Braves will have 11 returners to help pave the way this season, headlined by senior Middle Blocker Karagan Coggin. Coggin lead BU in points (320), and was second on the team in blocks (83) and kills (251).
- BU's 11 returners will be accompanied by senior transfer Dru Kuck (Alabama) and junior transfer Beste Ayhan from Turkey. Outside of the transfer portal, Bradley signed freshmen Corrie Brown and Tendia Titley.
#9 MISSOURI STATE
- The Bears return all but one player from last season’s squad and have five seniors and four juniors on the 2023 roster. MoState brings back in excess of 76 percent of its production in every statistical category.
- Fifth-year senior Azyah Green has recorded at least 100 blocks in each of her first four seasons and is the first player since the 1980s to lead the Bears in that category in four consecutive years. Green already has 464 total blocks as a Bear – eighth on the school’s career list – and could end her time at MSU as one of five players with at least 500 stuffs.
- Missouri State will play half of its scheduled 30 matches at Hammons Student Center this season and host the MVC Tournament for the first time since 2018. The Bears have hosted the conference meet 10 times previously, three as the Gateway Tournament and seven under the MVC heading.
#10 Murray State
- Murray returns their key players from the 2022 season, including MVC All-Freshman honoree Federica Nuccio, libero Dahlia Miller and setter Bailey DeMier.
- Nuccio tallied 352 kills and 326 digs last season. She posted 19 double-doubles during the 2022 season.
- DeMier was one of only two MVC players to post a triple-double last season (10 kills, 51 assists, 13 digs).
#11 Belmont
- Belmont prepares to enter their second season as a part of the Missouri Valley Conference. The team finished the 2022 season with an 8-23 overall and 4-14 MVC record.
- Belmont returns the core group of its 2022 roster, with the addition of three freshmen and two transfers. The newcomers will add depth and competitive play as Belmont looks to improve upon their first season with the MVC.
- The Bruins return senior, starting libero, Rachel McBride. McBride finished the 2022 season with 451 digs placing her ninth in the MVC for total digs and digs per set (3.82). She also surpassed the 1,000-career dig mark in conference matchup versus Valparaiso. The team captain brings experience and consistency to Belmont’s defense.
#12 INDIANA STATE
- Indiana State returns the core of its lineup from the 2022 team, with six returning starters in the fold for this year. The Sycamores’ top five kills leaders and top five blocks leaders are back, along with two of the top three digs leaders and the team leader in assists from last season.
- Outside hitter Kaitlyn Hamilton put up career-best numbers of 2.82 kills per set (248 in 88 sets) and 1.19 digs per set (105 in 88 sets), while adding a career-best 52 blocks on the front row.
- Karinna Gall will look to build off a season that saw her average 3.20 digs per set (278 in 87 sets), which ranked in the top 15 in the MVC. She also had the first 20-kill, 20-dig match by a Sycamore since 2017 with 23 kills and 21 digs against Missouri State.
The 2023 regular season campaign begins the weekend of August 25-27, with all 12 teams in non-conference tournament action.