Drake has been picked in a poll of Missouri Valley Conference coaches to win the 2026 MVC Women's Soccer title. The Bulldogs, regular-season MVC champs last year, received 96 points and seven first-place votes.
Illinois State received two first-place votes and 83 total points, while UIC took third position in the poll with 77 total points. UIC defeated Illinois State in the 2025 MVC Championship title match and represented the Conference in the NCAA Tournament a year ago. Murray State finished second in the regular-season race in 2025, and the Racers under first-year head coach Ben Madsen are picked fourth. Southern Illinois (5th) and Indiana State (6th) round out the top six picks in this year's coaches poll.
The 2026 campaign starts tomorrow (Aug. 12) as six of the league's 10 programs play non-league matches on Wednesday. The first league match is scheduled for Sept. 19. The MVC Championship features the top six finishers with quarterfinal matches beginning on Sunday, Nov. 8. All rounds of the championship are played at higher-seeded sites.
Coaches also selected a preseason team (11, plus ties). Drake highlights the 13-player unit with four total selections. United Soccer Coaches have announced NCAA Division I Women’s Players to Watch lists for the 2026 intercollegiate season, and Murray State's Breece Bass (forward) and Illinois State's Madi Valenti (keeper) represent the MVC on the lists.
2026 MVC Women's Soccer Preseason Poll -- Top Six
| Pick |
Team (1st-Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1 |
Drake (7) |
96 |
| 2 |
Illinois State (2) |
83 |
| 3 |
UIC |
77 |
| 4 |
Murray State (1) |
69 |
| 5 |
Southern Illinois |
59 |
| 6 |
Indiana State |
58 |
2026 MVC Women's Soccer Preseason Team
F - Isabella Balsley, Drake
F - Breece Bass, Murray State
F – Taylor Johnson, Evansville
M/F - Laken Whittington, Belmont
M - Kiara Desiderio, Valparaiso
M - Angela Gutierrez, Drake
M - Emmy Higgins, UIC
D - Guliana Balistreri, Southern Illinois
D - Zoey Mahoney, Drake
D - Riley Mathews, Indiana State
D - Alanna Pennington, Drake
D - Grace Petrie, Illinois State
GK - Madi Valenti, Illinois State