Carbondale Reporter

Southern Illinois University’s women’s basketball team has been ranked 10th in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) preseason poll, which was released on Wednesday. The Salukis received a total of 116 vote points from conference coaches, sports information directors, and media members.

The ranking comes after SIU finished last season at the bottom of the MVC standings, with a conference record of 2-18 and an overall record of 4-26. The MVC will feature 11 teams this season instead of 12, following Missouri State’s move to Conference USA.

Belmont leads this year’s preseason poll with 446 points and 25 first-place votes. Murray State, last year’s champions, is ranked second with 436 points and 13 first-place votes. Illinois State holds third place (387 points, two first-place votes), while Drake is fourth (371 points, four first-place votes).

Southern Illinois will begin its regular season on November 4 when they host Lewis in Carbondale at 11 a.m.

"Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by following the team on Twitter at @SIU_WBasketball, on Instagram at @SIU_WBasketball, and on Facebook at Facebook.com/SalukiAthletics. Fans can also download the 'Salukis' Mobile App on the App Store or Google Play Store," according to university officials.