For the first time since joining the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) in 2013, the Loyola women’s soccer team was named the 2018 preseason favorite.
The Ramblers were picked to finish atop the eight-team conference, earning five first-place votes out of eight. Senior forward Jenna Szczesny and junior midfielder Sienna Cruz were named preseason All-MVC.
The announcement comes two months after Loyola was selected to host the 2018 MVC tournament, which is scheduled for Nov. 2-4 at Loyola Soccer Park.
Missouri State University, University of Northern Iowa, Drake University and Illinois State University rounded out the top five of the MVC preseason poll.