ST. LOUIS – After winning the Missouri Valley Conference championship and earning an automatic NCAA bid last season, the Missouri State women's tennis team finished fourth, picking up one first-place vote, in the 2019 MVC preseason poll, as announced by the league Thursday.
The Bears were one of three teams to garner a first-place vote, completing the poll with 34 points.
Stony Brook took the top spot with 44 points, including five first-place votes, followed by Illinois State with 39 points. The Redbirds also earned a lone first-place vote. Drake ranked third, collecting 36 points, with the Bears coming in two points shy with 34. Bradley, Northern Iowa, and Valparaiso rounded out the rest of the poll.
Missouri State had an impressive fall showing, highlighted by
Fati Khamissi and
Clara Gandara Gonzalez each winning an individual title in the MVC Women's Individual Tennis Championship. The Bears also had several players compete in the ITA Central Regionals, where
Alye Darter won against her Wichita State opponent 6-2, 6-4.
Last year, the Bears beat UNI, 4-2, to claim the program's first MVC tennis championship since 2002. The Bears earned an NCAA berth, where they faced Ole Miss. Returners Khamissi, Darter,
Ellie Burger, and
Alexia Meyer were all named to the 2018 All-MVC teams, marking the most postseason awards the Bears have collected since the program was reinstated.
Missouri State will commence its spring schedule on the road at SIU Edwardsville on Sunday, Jan. 27 starting at 11 a.m.
2019 MVC Preseason Poll Results
- Stony Brook (5 first-place votes) 44 pts.
- Illinois State (1 first-place vote) 39 pts.
- Drake 36 pts.
- Missouri State (1 first-place vote) 34 pts.
- Bradley 21 pts.
- UNI & Valparaiso 11 pts.
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