St. LOUIS -- The Missouri State Lady Bears are predicted to finish third in the Missouri Valley Conference this season and junior guard Alexa Willard is one of five preseason all-MVC selections according to a vote of the league's head coaches, media representatives and sports information directors, it was announced Thursday, Oct. 18.

The Lady Bears, who have finished third or better in the league standings each of the last four seasons, collected one first-place vote and 287 total points for the No. 3 spot, while Drake is the choice to repeat as champion with 363 points and 35 first-place votes. UNI picked up the remaining four No. 1 votes and 325 points for second, and Southern Illinois (279) came in fourth.

Illinois State finished fifth in the polling with 223 points, followed by Bradley (193), Indiana State (192), Valparaiso (135) Loyola (127) and Evansville (76).

Willard was a first-team all-MVC pick last season after starting all 33 games for the Lady Bears and averaging 10.8 points per game. The Lebanon, Mo., native ranked sixth in the MVC with a .481 field goal percentage and shot 39 percent from 3-point land while averaging 2.2 rebounds per contest. She scored in double figures 18 times as a sophomore and earned MVC Player of the Week honors in December during a stretch in which she connected on eight consecutive 3-pointers.

Willard is joined on the all-conference squad by Drake's Becca Hittner (Preseason Player of the Year) and Sara Rhine, Nicole Martin of Southern Illinois and UNI's Megan Maahs.

The Lady Bears host two exhibition contests at JQH Arena this season, playing Central Missouri at 7 p.m. on Oct. 29 and Lincoln at 2 p.m. on Nov. 4. MSU tips off the regular season Nov. 10 at Wichita State, and the home opener is Nov. 17 against Ball State.

MSU will also host an open scrimmage on Homecoming, which begins at 10 a.m. on Oct. 20 at Hammons Student Center.

The Lady Bears return nine players from last season's team that went 21-12 overall, finished second in the MVC at 15-3, and advanced to the second round of the WNIT for the program's fourth consecutive postseason appearance.

For season ticket information, please contact Duane Miller at (417) 836-8899. Single-game tickets will be on sale Oct. 19 at MissouriStateBears.com/tickets, by phone at (417) 836-7678 or in person at the Old Missouri Bank Ticket Office at JQH Arena.