The UNI volleyball team has been picked as the favorite to capture its third consecutive Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) regular season title, as announced in the release of the league’s annual preseason coaches poll.
Northern Iowa received ten out of 12 first-place votes and 141 total points to top the preseason poll for the second straight year, with the UIC Flames picked second with 129 points and one first-place vote. Drake followed in third with 110 points, while Illinois State came in fourth with 98 points and one first-place vote.
The Panthers return five starters among 11 total returns from their NCAA Tournament team in 2023 that went 26-7 overall and a perfect 18-0 in league play. The Panthers will open the regular season on the road at the Dayton Flyer Classic in Ohio on Aug. 30, facing off against Florida International, Dayton and Ohio State.