The following "Starting Five" points offer a quick look inside GLVC women's basketball action this week:
STARTING FIVE
[1 | prepped for tipoff] The 2016-17 GLVC Women's Basketball season officially
kicks off this Friday, Nov. 11, as nine of the 16 teams face non-conference opponents. There are 11 other games scheduled for Saturday, and the opening week concludes with eight contests on Sunday. Highlighted during this opening weekend will be the GLVC/GLIAC Crossover that includes two GLVC teams visiting GLIAC schools, including McKendree and Illinois Springfield's trip to Hillsdale, Quincy and Truman's visit to Grand Valley State and Northern Michigan, and Saint Joseph's and UW-Parkside's travels to Saginaw Valley and Northwood Indianapolis is also hosting two GLIAC schools in Walsh and Findlay, while Lewis will also be in Indy to face the two non-conference foes.
[2 | bellarmine, lewis, drury ranked nationally in preseason] Bellarmine University and Lewis University were ranked in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) NCAA Division II
Preseason Top 25 Coaches' Poll at Nos. 9 and 20, respectively. In addition, Drury University received votes outside the top 25. Click here to view the full poll. The three teams also earned recognition by
Division II Bulletin. The GLVC is represented by No. 13 Bellarmine, No. 15 Lewis and No. 19 Drury.
[3 | bellarmine, drury projected to win glvc divisions] Bellarmine and Drury were selected to win the East and West Divisions, respectively, as announced on Oct 26 after a
vote by the league's head coaches. The top-eight teams in each of the Conference's two divisions were ranked. Lewis followed the Knights in the East with six first-place votes to Bellarmine's 10, and Quincy trailed Drury in second in the West as the Panthers were the unanimous choice with 15 first-place nods.
[4 | top returnees led by galvin, kelliher, johnson, myers] There are 18
All-GLVC players coming back to their respective lineups this season, including Bellarmine's three highlighted by senior forward Sarah Galvin, who enters as a DIIB Super 16 Selection. Lewis sophomore Jessica Kelliher - last year's Freshman of the Year and first-team selection - and fifth-year senior Jamie Johnson (2014-15 Player of the Year), along with Rockhurst senior Mary Dineen (2015-16 First Team All-GLVC), were also recognized as honorable mentions by DIIB. Drury also welcomes back from the First Team sharpshooter Alice Heinzler and Saint Joseph's Kalea Parks will lead the Pumas after twice being named Player of the Week in 2015-16 and the only other first-team honoree returning in the league. Jillian Myers of Rockhurst will also be back after earning Defensive Player of the Year recognition a season ago.
[5 | evansville welcomes glvc back to ford center in postseason] Great Lakes Valley Conference
postseason basketball is returning to Evansville, Indiana, as the Ford Center has been selected to host the 2017 GLVC Basketball Men's and Women's Championship Tournaments. The announcement was made jointly by the Conference office and the Evansville Sports Corporation on August 4.