ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The Drake University volleyball team was slotted third in the 2024 MVC Preseason Poll, the league announced this morning. The back-to-back MVC runner-up Bulldogs received 110 points in the survey to earn a top-three placing.
 
Drake returns a good portion of their productivity from the last two MVC and NIVC runs including 2024 Preseason All-MVC Selection Jada Wills and 2022 MVC Freshman of the Year Addison Beagle. Other key returners include outside hitters Zeynep Gur and Macy Daufeldt, and middle blocker Ashlynn Kuhn.
 
The Bulldogs' 2024 non-conference slate features matches against opponents from the SEC, Big 12, Big East, ACC, and Big Ten. The challenging schedule includes a meeting with former Valley rival and No. 12-ranked Creighton on opening weekend.
 
Defending league champion UNI has been tabbed as the preseason favorite in the Missouri Valley Conference with 10 of 12 possible first-place votes and 141 overall points. The Flames of UIC got one first-place vote and 129 points to slot in at second while Illinois State's 98 points, plus the final first-place nod, rounded out the top four.
 
Southern Illinois (85 points), Missouri State (74 points), and Valparaiso (74 points) rounded out the top six. The final five teams, in order, were Murray State (68 points), Evansville (56 points), Belmont (53 points), Bradley (27 points), and Indiana State (21 points).