INDIANAPOLIS – The University of Indianapolis was selected atop the 2022 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) preseason coaches' poll, the league office announced on Wednesday. The preseason poll is voted on by the Conference's 15 head coaches., who per league policy, are not permitted to vote for their own team.
Indianapolis tallied 194 total points, earning 13 of the 15 first-place votes. The Greyhounds, ranked No. 12 in the preseason National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) poll, finished the 2021 campaign with a 46-8 record (26-2 GLVC) and won the GLVC Tournament title. UIndy went on to the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional where they won three games before being eliminated by Grand Valley State. The Greyhounds return three first-team All-GLVC selections from a season ago, including the 2021 GLVC Player of the Year Gianni Iannantone, the reigning GLVC Freshman of the Year Kenzee Smith, and first-team second baseman Haylie Foster.
Drury University came in at second in this year's preseason poll, totaling 170 points in the voting. Lindenwood University and Maryville University tied at 148 points each for third place. The Panthers finished last season with a 26-16 record (19-9 GLVC) after going .500 the season prior; the Saints finished just short of making an appearance in the GLVC Softball Championship Game game back in 2021; and Lindenwood compiled a 23-15-1 record last season, achieving a 16-12 mark in its first full season as GLVC members after the 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19.
Rounding out the top five was University of Illinois Springfield with 133 points, and one first-place vote. McKendree University (130), University of Southern Indiana (119) - which received the other first-place vote - Lewis University (108), University of Missouri-St. Louis (106), and Rockhurst University (101) made up places six through 10, respectively. William Jewell College (63), Quincy University (59), Truman State University (48), Missouri S&T (34), and Southwest Baptist University (14) completed the poll.
The 2022 regular season begins this Friday, Feb. 4, with two teams in action. Following the conclusion of the regular season, the top-eight teams – based off Conference winning percentage – will advance to the 2022 GLVC Softball Championship Tournament, held May 5-8, in East Peoria, Illinois.
The complete 2022 GLVC Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll follows below.
2022 GLVC SOFTBALL PRESEASON POLL
| Place |
School |
Points (1st-place votes) |
| 1 |
Indianapolis |
194 (13) |
| 2 |
Drury |
170 |
| 3 |
Lindenwood |
148 |
| 3 |
Maryville |
148 |
| 5 |
Illinois Springfield |
133 (1) |
| 6 |
McKendree |
130 |
| 7 |
Southern Indiana |
119 (1) |
| 8 |
Lewis |
108 |
| 9 |
Missouri-St. Louis |
106 |
| 10 |
Rockhurst |
101 |
| 11 |
William Jewell |
63 |
| 12 |
Quincy |
59 |
| 13 |
Truman State |
48 |
| 14 |
Missouri S&T |
34 |
| 15 |
Southwest Baptist |
14 |
