The Drake women’s basketball team will have its work cut out for itself to become one of the top teams in the Missouri Valley Conference during the 2025-26 season.
The Bulldogs were picked to finish fourth in the MVC preseason poll released on Oct. 22. The poll was voted on by league head coaches, communications directors and various media personnel.
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Drake received 371 total points, including four first-place votes.
Drake women’s head coach Allison Pohlman high-fives fans during the Drake Hoops Fest on Oct. 2, 2025, at Brenton Skating Plaza in Des Moines.
League favorite Belmont received 25 of 44 possible votes for the top spot for a total of 446 points. Murray State, the defending regular-season and tournament champions, was selected to finish second.
Illinois State completed the top four with two first-place votes. The MVC released just the top four spots of the poll. Northern Iowa was not included.
Drake opens the season with an exhibition game on Oct. 28 against Dakota Wesleyan at the Knapp Center. The first official game for the Bulldogs is on Nov. 3 at Eastern Illinois.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: See where Drake women’s basketball ranks in MVC preseason poll
