Perennial powerhouse Belmont is the favorite to win the Missouri Valley Conference women’s basketball regular-season title in the 2025-26 season, according to the MVC’s annual preseason poll.
The Bruins were chosen ahead of runner-up Murray State, the conference’s defending regular-season and tournament champion. The poll of head coaches, university communications directors and some selected media was released Wednesday.
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Belmont finished 26-13 overall and 15-5 in the MVC, tied for third place in the standings last season. The Bruins received 25 first-place votes in the poll and 446 total points, well ahead of Murray State’s 13 first-place votes and 436 points. Illinois State was pegged for third, with two first-place votes and 387 points, while Drake got four first-place votes and 371 points.
Indiana State, 4-28 overall and 2-18 in the conference last season, was picked 11th, according to the ISU sports information office. The MVC now only announces the top teams in its preseason polls.
The Sycamores dropped both meetings with Belmont last season — 88-58 at Nashville and 90-69 in Hulman Center.
ISU coach Marc Mitchell begins his second season with an all new roster. The Sycamores open their schedule 6:30 p.m. Nov. 3 at IU-Indianapolis.
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Since joining the MVC in the 2022-23 season, Belmont has reached the MVC tournament title game twice. The Belmont program also is one of only six in the nation with 10 or more combined conference titles (both tournament and regular-season)
Ninth-year Bruins coach Bart Brooks’ team sports three returning starters at guard for the upcoming season — Tuti Jones, Jailyn Banks and Emily La Chapell.
