No one knows, but it is silly to think there wasn't anything to begin with.
I think it is silly to postulate something simply "must" have been there prior to the universe when there isn't any reason to believe that.
The universe encompasses everything we know exists. Yes, there COULD have been something prior to its existence, but that's like saying the whole universe COULD all be contained on the head of a giant needle being used to sew some grandiose creature's clothing. There are way too many COULD scenarios to suggest any of them simply "must" be true.
The bottom line is the universe began at a finite point in space and time, meaning something caused it to begin in that fashion and expand into what we think it is today. The universe having a beginning point supports most models used by creationists, but this fact is often lost amid the discussion of creation versus evolution.
Also, people often confuse speciation with macroevolution. The former is merely the formation of a species, while the latter is the fundamental mechanism by which the "theory of evolution" is said to function, which is through changes above the species level. Most creationists contend macroevolution does not occur.