Missouri State has been picked to win the Missouri Valley Conference crown in 2024 by a vote of head coaches. The Bears earned seven of 11 first-place votes, finishing with 116 points, to edge defending regular-season champion Drake, which received three first-place votes and 109 total points.
UIC (3rd, 87 points), UNI (4th, 85 points), Valparaiso (5th, 83 points), and Murray State (6th, 73 points) fill out the remaining top six spots. Belmont (7th, 54 points), Indiana State (8th, 42 points) Evansville (9th, 32 points), Illinois State (10th, 23 points), and Southern Illinois (11th, 22 points) round out the poll.
The Bears claimed four of the 11 first-team spots on preseason all-conference squad while UNI and UIC both had two student-athletes make the team.
Missouri State head coach Kirk Nelson is returning eight starters including three who earned all-conference honors last year. Camielle Day, who recorded the most shutouts in the MVC last season (10), and Grace O’Keefe, who had the most assists (7), top this group. In 2023, Missouri State led the nation in goals against average (.416) and shutout percentage (.684).
The 2024 regular-season campaign begins Thursday, Aug. 15, with 10 of 11 MVC teams in non-conference action.
Belmont BRUINS
- Belmont welcomes eight talented freshmen and three transfers, including goalkeeper Sydney Jones and defenders Sami Bird and Kennedy Bernsen.
- 2023 MVC All-Freshman Team midfielder/defender Kate Virtel played in all 19 matches last season while leading Belmont freshmen in starts, minutes and points.
- Kelsey Cameron enters her second season as Belmont’s head coach. Cameron led the Bruins to the opening round of the 2023 MVC Women’s Soccer Championship.
DRAKE BULLDOGS
- Drake returns multiple key contributors from last year’s regular season MVC championship squad. The Bulldogs went 13-4-3 a year ago, matching their program record for wins in a single season.
- Drake’s regular season title was seventh in program history.
- Among the Bulldogs’ veterans is Angela Gutierrez, the second-highest point scorer, five-time MVC Freshman of the Week, and MVC Freshman of the Year award winner. Gutierrez notched 17 points on six goals and five assists last season.
EVANSVILLE PURPLE ACES
- The Purple Aces come into the 2024 season with a strong mix of returners and newcomers. Evansville welcomes back 20 players from 2023 including All-MVC Second Team member defender Rachel Rosborough and nationally ranked goalkeeper Miya Danek. Along with its returners, UE also welcomes 11 new players to the program with one transfer and 10 freshmen.
- The Aces will look to build upon a strong defensive season in 2023. UE set a new single-season record for ties with nine draws in 17 games in 2023. Of those nine ties, four were clean sheets from goalkeeper Miya Danek. Danek returns in goal for Evansville in 2024 for her final collegiate season.
- UE returns its top four offensive performers this year. Sophomore forward Chrysta Vasquez leads the way for the Aces, having scored two goals in her 2023 campaign. Junior midfielder Kaylee Woosley helped lead the team in points with one goal and two assists, while senior forward Hailey Autenrieb and sophomore forward Taylor Johnson followed with three points from a goal and an assist apiece.
UIC FLAMES
- UIC returns numerous key players this fall, including its top two returning scorers, a pair of rising juniors in first-team All-MVC midfielder Makenna Maloy and second-team all-conference forward/midfielder Sophia Jaime. Both finished last year with team highs of four goals and 12 points. The Flames also bring back critical contributors to last year’s defensive unit that posted seven shutouts, anchored by a trio of seniors who have each earned second team All-MVC honors — midfielder Yulexi Diaz, defender Shelsea Rigby and goalkeeper Lauren Keiser.
- The Flames aim to build on their success from last season as they tackle a competitive nonconference slate before starting Missouri Valley Conference play, hoping to capitalize on last year's trip to the MVC Tournament semifinals. Key matches for the Flames' 2024 season include clashes with Big Ten program Purdue, BIG EAST competitor Marquette, crosstown rival DePaul and Gonzaga, which won its first West Coast Conference title and NCAA Tournament game last season.
- The 2024-25 season marks a significant milestone for the UIC women’s soccer program, as it celebrates its 10th anniversary. Over the past decade, the Flames have compiled an all-time record of 55-99-21 and have competed in two conferences: the Horizon League (2014-2022) and the Missouri Valley Conference (2022-present).
ILLINOIS STATE REDBIRDS
- Head Coach Raleigh DeRose kicks off her first season at the helm of Illinois State. She comes to Normal after eight seasons as an assistant coach at Brown, where she helped the Bears to three Ivy League championships, four NCAA Tournaments, four undefeated regular seasons, and four finishes inside the top 50 of the national RPI rankings.
- Illinois State standout Ava Watson returns after she was named to the All-MVC Freshman team during her rookie campaign last year. Watson started and played in all 16 Redbird matches in the 2023 season, while racking up 1,213 minutes on the pitch. The freshman earned three points on the year and turned in a team-high three assists.
- The Redbirds welcome 17 new players to the 2024 squad, which includes a freshman class of 13 players. Transfers Abby Hall (Seton Hall), Bella Hanisch (DePaul) and Ellie Arnold (USC Upstate) are expected to be strong contributors this fall
INDIANA STATE SYCAMORES
- Head coach, Paul Lawrence enters his second season at the helm for the Sycamores as he looks to build off of a promising end to the 2023 season that features a 1-0-2 mark over the final three games against Illinois State, Evansville, and Murray State. Indiana State returns 20 players to their 2024 veteran roster, while welcoming 16 new players.
- Maddie Helling enters her senior season with Indiana State. The Union, Mo. native was named to the 2023 Missouri Valley Women's Soccer All-Conference team as she led the Sycamores in goals scored, while sitting among the conference's top defenders on the 2023 season.
- Goalkeeper Maddie Alexander returns to the Sycamores roster as a graduate student for the 2024 season. Alexander wrapped up her fourth season with Indiana State in 2023 with 246 career saves to put her fourth all-time in ISU history in career saves.
MISSOURI STATE BEARS
- Head coach Kirk Nelson enters his third season leading the Bears with an overall record of 24-9-7 and a conference record of 14-2-4. Last season, Mo State ended the year with a 12-2-5 record and went 7-0-3 in the conference season.
- The Bears retained 18 letterwinners including GK of the Year Camielle Day, Defender of the Year Carly Raunig and All-MVC First Team selection Grace O’Keefe. Eight newcomers join the squad including two transfers and six freshmen.
- In addition to Day and Raunig, the Bears return a defense that set a school record with 13 shutouts in a season with eight consecutive. Mo State ended the season with the best shutout percentage in the NCAA (.684).
Murray State RACERS
- Murray State's 2024 roster consists of 17 returners, including five of its six 2023 All-Missouri Valley Conference selections in Mary Hardy, Tori Schrimpf, Hailey Cole, Kate Stordy and Griselda Revolorio.
- The Racers are set to start the new year coming off a quarterfinal appearance in just their second season as MVC members in 2023; Murray State reached the conference championship in their inaugural season in 2022.
- MSU seeks its first conference tournament championship since head coach Matt Lodge's arrival in 2018 and first regular season conference title since the 2017 season.
UNI PANTHERS
- The Panthers will kick off their 25th anniversary season after a record-breaking 2023 campaign that saw the second-most wins in school history (25). UNI set new single-season program records for goals scored (45), assists (36), shots on goal (189) and points (126) to finish third in the MVC standings.
- Northern Iowa enters the 2024 season having won ten consecutive regular season home matches after posting the program's first undefeated home schedule in team history last year. UNI also went 7-0-1 for the team's first unbeaten non-conference slate since the program's inception in 2000.
- The Panthers return a strong core from 2023, including their leading scorer from a year ago in Olivia Knoepfle (9 goals) and Lauren Heinsch (7 goals). Heinsch, the only player in program history to earn two First Team All-MVC Team nods (2022-23), is just four goals shy of breaking Chelsie Hochstedler's career scoring record of 23 goals. UNI also returns starting goalkeeper Caitlin Richards, who's 1.15 career goals allowed average is second-best in team history and is one shutout from tying UNI's all-time record.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS SALUKIS
- The Salukis add 10 freshman to the team.
- The Salukis leading goal scorer, McKensey Bunch returns for a fifth year. Last season she tied for 15th in the MVC in goals scored.
- McKinley Stiff and Kylie McDermott return for final season while Graeme Orr begins his second season as the head coach of the Salukis.
VALPARAISO BEACONS
- Valpo enters the 2024 campaign coming off of back-to-back championship seasons, winning the MVC regular season title in 2022 and the conference tournament championship in 2023. The Beacons return 20 players from last year's title team, but will have to replace six starters from the distinguished group of nine graduates.
- Highlighting Valpo's returnees is senior forward Addy Joiner. A two-time All-MVC selection, Joiner netted eight goals last season, tying her for third in the MVC and moving into a tie for ninth on the program's single-season goals chart. She enters her final campaign tied for sixth in program history with 18 career goals, tied for seventh with 40 points and tied for eighth with six match-winning goals.
- Three other returning starters have also earned conference postseason recognition in past seasons. Senior outside back Abby White was a Third Team All-MVC choice in 2022, while junior midfielder Molly O'Rear was a member of the MVC All-Freshman Team that season as well. Last year, sophomore center back Anna Cup was selected to the MVC All-Freshman Team as she immediately slotted into the Beacons' back line from day one on campus.
HONORABLE-MENTION SELECTIONS: GK Maddie Alexander, Indiana State; M Kaeli Benedict, Missouri State; M Maddie Eastus, UNI; D/M Maddie Helling, Indiana State; F/M Sophia Jaime, UIC; F Layla Kelbel, Drake; M Avery Mertz, Drake; D Shelsea Rigby, UIC; M Gabbi Schlapper, Missouri State; M/F Wimberley Wright, Indiana State
The 2024 MVC Women’s Soccer Championship will be conducted at sites of the higher seeds, and eight of 11 teams will qualify for the field. The eight-team tournament will be held over two weekends. The 1 and 2 seeds will have byes in the first two rounds. The semifinals and finals (Nov. 7 and Nov. 10, respectively) will take place at the site of the No. 1 seed. The 2023 Regular-Season Champion was Drake, while the 2023 Tournament Champion was Valparaiso. The Beacons lost to Notre Dame in the NCAA Tournament Opening Round.