NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State volleyball team has been picked to finish fifth in the Missouri Valley Conference in a preseason poll of league coaches, while Redbird junior Jaelyn Keene was named to the league's preseason all-conference team, the Valley announced Wednesday.
Illinois State was selected for a top-half finish in the MVC after going 22-10 overall and 12-6 in league play a year ago.
Wichita State, with seven of 10 first-place votes and 97 voter points, was pegged to win the league. Missouri State (85 voter points), Southern Illinois (82) and Northern Iowa (72) were slated to finish second, third and fourth, as each team received one first-place vote.