ST. LOUIS – Illinois State has been selected by league coaches as the favorite in the 2022 preseason poll. The Redbirds received 47 total points and five first-place votes.
The Redbirds' posted a 17-8 record last season and earned the No. 1 seed in the MVC Team Championship; however, fell in the semifinals to the eventual champion, Drake. Illinois State had a strong fall campaign where they took home four titles at the MVC Individual Championship in October. Headlining the group was the No. 1 singles champion and reigning conference Player and Freshman of the Year, Tijana Zlatanovic. Joining her were fellow teammates Penelope Abreu (No. 6) and Othilia Brodin (No. 7) as they won their respective flights. On the doubles side, Alexandra Abyasova and Laura Fitzgerald earned the No. 3 crown.
Last season's MVC champions, Drake, garnered the second seed with 44 points and the final two first-place votes. The Bulldogs also had multiple champions in the fall tournament with Ines Stephan (No. 3), Mille Haagensen (No. 4), Darinka Stepan (No. 5) all winning singles titles while Haagensen and Stepan doubled up with a No. 2 flight championships. In addition to their champions, the Bulldogs also have 2021 "All-Select" team honorees Liza Petushkova and Daria Walczak back on the roster and in a role that will contribute to the team's success.
Bradley came in third with 33 total points after finishing last season with a 10-7 overall record (3-2 MVC). Despite not taking home any hardware in the fall individual championship, the Braves are returning their 2021 All-MVC first-teamer, Nikki Perlwitz. An experienced core looks to guide their team and especially its younger members to a fourth straight winning season and a deep postseason run.
Valparaiso and Missouri State fight for the fourth and fifth position with only one point separating the two as the Beacons tallied 23 points while the Bears received 22.
Valparaiso wants to build off a fall campaign that saw them win two flights at the MVC Individual Championships. Olivia Czerwonka won the No. 2 singles title and then teamed up with her sister, Claire Czerwonka, and took home the No. 1 doubles crown too. The Beacons are coming off a 6-13 season and 1-4 conference record, but the experienced squad has learned from those lessons and looks to keep the momentum from the fall season going in the upcoming season.
The Bears on the other hand are a young team with five freshmen on the roster compared to its one senior, two juniors and a sophomore. Despite going 12-10 and finishing up as runner-up in last season's championship, Missouri State have a lot to prove because of the young lineup. Additionally, the team has experienced a coaching change as they are now headed by head coach, Randall Knox. Knox will turn to Alyson Piskulic as one of the team's leaders and top players along with other returners to get back to where they were last season.
Stony Brook notched the sixth spot with a total of 15 points. The Seawolves find themselves without last season's No. 1 Jamie Wei and No. 4 Nolween Cardoso but they have brought in three newcomers to help fill the void. A semifinalist a season ago, the team has its eyes set on a similar if not better run this year.
Rounding out the list is UNI, recording 12 points in this season's coach poll. The Panthers lost four members of the Spring team and only have one lone senior on this season's roster. Despite the lack of experience, UNI has shown early glimpses of promise as many players found themselves in the top five in the fall's MVC Individual Championship.