AP FILE PHOTO - Drake guard Katie Dinnebier, center, gets past Colorado defender Jaylyn Sherrod, right, during the first half of a first-round college basketball game in the women’s NCAA Tournament on March 22 in Manhattan, Kan.

ST. LOUIS, Mo. — The two-time defending MVC champion Drake women’s basketball team will enter the 2024-25 season with more lofty expectation after the league announced its preseason poll and preseason all-conference teams on Tuesday morning. The Drake women were picked to repeat at league champions and landed two individuals on the player awards list including Katie Dinnebier, the Preseason Player of the Year.

The Bulldogs earned 566 total points and got 39 of 48 possible first-place votes. Both UNI (504 points) and Belmont (475 points) rounded out the top three and were the only other programs to garner first-place selections.

The remainder of the poll was made up of Murray State in fourth (391 points), Missouri State in fifth (380 points), UIC in sixth (347 points), Illinois State in seventh (341 points), Valparaiso in eighth (193 points), Indiana State in ninth (189 points), Southern Illinois in 10th (167 points), Bradley in 11th (97 points), and Evansville in 12th (96 points).

Individually, Drake’s all-world tandem of Katie Dinnebier and Anna Miller were both included on the Preseason All-MVC First Team. Dinnebier, the reigning MVC Player of the Year, received the same recognition in this preseason cycle.

The rest of the Preseason All-Missouri Valley Conference teams are listed below.

The Bulldogs will start their title defense with a pair of exhibition matchups in late October before tipping off the regular season at North Dakota State on Nov. 4.

PRESEASON POLL RESULTS

Drake — 566 (39 first-place votes)

UNI — 504 (6)

Belmont — 475 (3)

Murray State – 391

Missouri State – 380

UIC – 347

Illinois State – 341

Valparaiso – 193

Indiana State – 189

Southern Illinois – 167

Bradley – 97

Evansville — 96

PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM

Katie Dinnebier, Sr., Drake

Grace Boffeli, Sr., UNI

Maya McDermott, Sr., UNI

Anna Miller, Sr., Drake

Lacy Stokes, Sr., Missouri State

Katelyn Young, Gr., Murray State

PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM

Jailyn Banks, So. Belmont

Kendal Cheesman Sr., Belmont

Leah Earnest, 5th Valparaiso

Tuti Jones, Gr., Belmont

Keimari Rimmer, Gr., UIC

Maya Wong, Gr., Illinois State