ST. LOUIS – The UNI volleyball team has been selected as the league’s favorite in the MVC preseason coaches’ poll.
The Panthers are coming off the program’s 5th straight NCAA tournament appearance and the program’s 19th MVC regular-season title. UNI received 96 points and six first-place votes in the annual poll.
The defending MVC tournament champions Illinois State received 93 points and four 1st place votes. The Ramblers of Loyola came in third with 77 points. Bradley (71), Missouri State (48), Evansville (47), Valparaiso (39), Southern Illinois (36), Drake (26), and Indiana State (17) round out the poll.
Sophomore Kaylissa Arndorfer is the lone Panther to make the Preseason All-MVC Team. Arndorfer earned First Team All-MVC honors as a freshman after finishing conference play averaging 3.13 kills per set and scoring 269 total points. Arndorfer was also a member of the 2019 All-Freshman Team.
Preseason All-MVC Team
Kaylissa Arndorfer, UNI MB So. 6-1 Waterloo, Iowa (Waterloo West)
Addie Barnes, Loyola OH So. 5-11
Sydney Holt, Illinois State MB/RS Sr. 6-1 Wildwood, Mo. (Eureka)
Stef Jankiewicz, Illinois State S Sr. 5-10 Farmington Hills, Mich. (Harrison)
Kaylee Martin, Illinois State OH Sr. 5-9 Sterling, Ill. (Northern Illinois)
Emily Plock, Drake MB Sr. 6-2 Altoona, Iowa (Southeast Polk)
Hannah Thompson, Bradley OH Jr. 5-8
Taylor Venuto, Loyola MH So. 6-1 Whitmore Lake, Mich. (Dexter)
