The 2018 MVC Softball season will be highly contested as two points separate the preseason favorite from the school picked third. Illinois State has been picked as this year’s preseason favorite in Missouri Valley Conference softball as voted by the league’s coaches. The Redbirds earned two first-place votes and 88 points. Southern Illinois was picked in second-place with three first-place votes and 87 points while UNI claimed third (three first-place votes and 86 points).

The University of Evansville was picked to finish in sixth place (56 points) while junior Morgan Florey was named to the Preseason All-Conference Team.  The Purple Aces graduated 9 seniors from a season ago and will be under the experience of the lone senior, Brittany Hay and junior Morgan Florey.

“This is going to be an exciting season of MVC softball action,” UE head coach Mat Mundell said.  “As you can tell from the coaches voting, the league is going to be wide open.  I understand being picked to finish sixth because we have a lot of question marks coming into the season our goal of course is to finish higher.”

Hay was named 2017 MVC Newcomer of the Year while Florey earned 2017 MVC All-Conference Second-Team laurels and 2018 MVC Preseason All-MVC honors. Against league foes, Florey held a 1.81 ERA and struck out 95 batters, the best in the Conference.

Nine of the Missouri Valley Conference softball teams begin action the second weekend of February, with tournament play and non-conference games. Indiana State will start the season the following weekend. League competition will begin Friday, March 16 for two teams with the remainder of the Conference starting Saturday, March 17.

Evansville is ready to start its season in Lafayette, La. at the Louisiana Classic.  The Aces face Samford, Louisiana, UIC, Iowa and Eastern Illinois in the tournament.

2018 Preseason Poll

Rank Team (1st-place votes) Points

1. Illinois State (2)……………………….. 88
2. Southern Illinois (3)………………….. 87
3. Northern Iowa (3)…………………….. 86
4. Drake (2)………………………………..  74
5. Missouri State…………………………. 57
6. Evansville……………………………….. 56
7. Loyola……………………………………. 35
8. Bradley………………………………….. 30
9. Valparaiso……………………………….19
10. Indiana State………………………….18

The 2017-18 season is a landmark one for the Missouri Valley Conference and for women’s sports.  To help celebrate the 45th anniversary of Title IX and the 25th anniversary of women’s sports, the Valley is naming 25-Year Anniversary Teams for each of the Valley’s sponsored women’s sports.

Team composition for each sport has been determined by a 25-person committee (two representatives from each MVC institution and a panel of five voters from the Conference office).  The team composition includes years in which league teams competed under the MVC umbrella during the past 25 years (1992-2017) and does not include competition from the current season.

The representative for Evansville was 1999-2001 swimmer Kim Dodson. Arguably Evansville’s most successful women’s swimmer in the history of the program, Dodson’s legacy lives on in the still standing 50 freestyle record of 22.89, set in 2002. That same performance qualified her for the NCAA meet that season. Over her career with the Aces, she was named All-MVC on 3 occasions, 2-time Swimmer of the Year, and 7-time MVC champion. She was also named to the MVC All-Centennial team in 2007.

The Missouri Valley Conference was founded in 1907 and is the nation’s second oldest Division I athletics conference.   Women’s sports were incorporated into the MVC in 1992, having previously competed under the Gateway Conference banner from 1982-92.   In August 2017, the Conference announced its 2018 Hall of Fame Class, which featured three women (in the six person class).  A total of 22 women’s athletes, coaches and pioneers have been honored by the MVC as part of the Hall.

The voting panel determined a ‘Top 10’ from a list of 25 finalists.   Those top 10 honorees are listed below, and the top votegetter is denoted.

Swimming & Diving (sponsorship from 1992-present): Eight different programs (including affiliate members) have sponsored swimming and diving in the Missouri Valley Conference during the past 25 years, including; Bradley (1994-2002); Evansville (1994-present); Illinois State (1992-present); Indiana State (2016-present); Missouri State (1998-present); Northern Iowa (1992-present); Southern Illinois (1992-present); and affiliate Arkansas-Little Rock (2013-present). Valparaiso also competes in swimming & diving. Valpo joined the Conference for the 2017-18 season.

MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE SWIMMING & DIVING 25-YEAR TEAM

Kim Dodson; Evansville; 1999-01; 3-time all-MVC, 2-time Swimmer of the Year, 7-time MVC champ, qualified for NCAA

Krystal Featherston; Illinois State; 2002-05; 4-time all-MVC, 6-time MVC Champ, 3-time Diver of the Year

Wenting Zhang; Illinois State; 2012-15; 4-time all-MVC, 3-time MVC Champ, 2-time Diver of the Year, 2-time All-American

Dora Kiss; Missouri State; 2013-16; 4-time all MVC; 2-time Swimmer of the Year; 500-yrd freestyle & 200-yrd butterfly record; 10-time MVC Champ

Renata Sander; Missouri State; 2011-14; 4-time all-MVC; 8-time MVC Champ; 3-time Swimmer of the Year

Lauren Pavel; Missouri State; 2014-17; 4-time all-MVC, 100-yrd breaststroke, 200-yrd breaststroke, & 200-yrd indiv. Medley records, 6-time MVC Champ, 2-time Swimmer of Year

Emily Gable; Southern Illinois; 2007-10; 4-time all-MVC, 2-time MVC Champ, 2-time Diver of the Year

Kirsten Groome; Southern Illinois; 2009-13; 3-time all-MVC, 1,000 yard & 1,650 yard freestyle records, 6-time MVC Champ, Swimmer of Year

Julie Ju; Southern Illinois; 2006-08; 3-time all-MVC, 8-time MVC Champ, 3-time Swimmer of Year

*Sherry Zhang; Southern Illinois; 2013-15; 4-time all-MVC, 3-time Diver of the Year, 3-meter dive record, 1-meter dive record, 7-time MVC C