INDIANAPOLIS – The head women’s basketball coaches in the Great Lakes Valley Conference have cast their ballots for the annual GLVC Preseason Poll and identified Drury, Wisconsin-Parkside and UIndy as the favorites to claim divisional titles in 2010-11.

The upcoming basketball season marks the second year the GLVC will be divided into three divisions. Drury was selected as the favorite to win the GLVC West Division, UW-Parkside has been tabbed as the GLVC North Division favorite and UIndy was voted as the top team in the GLVC East Division. All three teams claimed the top spot in their respective divisions last season.

Drury, who posted a 15-3 conference record in 2009-10, received 66 total points and 14 first-place votes in the GLVC West Division. The Panthers claimed the 2010 GLVC Women’s Basketball Championship after winning the league tournament and advanced to the final game of the NCAA Midwest Regional last season. Drury finished the year with a 28-7 overall record.

Missouri S&T finished second in the divisional voting with 52 total points and the final first-place vote. The Miners were followed by Missouri-St. Louis (39 points), Rockhurst (23) and Maryville (20).

UW-Parkside received 65 total points in the poll and collected 13 first-place votes to top the GLVC North Division. The Rangers are coming off a 23-8 season in which they advanced to the NCAA Midwest Regional. UW-Parkside advanced to the championship game of the 2010 GLVC Women’s Basketball Tournament and finished the conference season with a 13-5 league mark.

Lewis collected the two remaining first-place votes in the North Division and finished with 52 total points to place second in the divisional rankings. The Flyers were followed by Quincy (42), Saint Joseph’s (27) and Illinois-Springfield (14).

UIndy was selected to repeat atop the GLVC East Division by receiving 62 total points and 10 first-place votes. The Greyhounds posted a 26-4 overall record a year ago and recorded the top conference record, finishing 16-2 against league opponents.

Southern Indiana finished second in the GLVC East Division voting with 52 total points and four first-place votes. Northern Kentucky collected 45 total points and the final first-place vote to finish third in the poll. The Norse were followed by Bellarmine (27) and Kentucky Wesleyan (14).

The 2010-11 GLVC schedule will begin on Dec. 2 and will culminate with the 2011 GLVC Women’s Basketball Championship Tournament that will conclude at Maryville’s Moloney Arena on Mar. 4-6. Each team will play the teams in its division twice and each team in the other two divisions once for an 18-game slate. The top three teams from each division and three wild card teams will advance to the tournament which will be held over two weekends.

The top six teams will host first-round games on Feb. 27. The teams will be re-seeded following first round action with the four lower seeded teams competing in the second round on Mar. 4. The top two remaining seeds following the first round will earn a bye into the semifinal round on Mar. 5.

The complete 2010-11 GLVC Women’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll follows…