INDIANAPOLIS – Lewis University was voted in the preseason coaches’ poll as the choice to win the 2024 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) women’s basketball championship, the league office announced on Thursday.
The preseason poll is determined by the league’s head coaches, who, per GLVC Bylaws, are not permitted to vote for their own team.
No. 1 Lewis
- Received eight first-place votes and 164 total points.
- Finished runner-up at GLVC Championship Tournament this past season as second seed.
- Garnered berth to NCAA Midwest Regional last year.
- Coached by Keisha Newell, who enters her second season after a 21-11 overall and 15-5 GLVC record in 2022-23.
- Return First Team All-GLVC selections Grace Hilber and Kathryn Schmidt, as well as Second Team selections Taylor Gugliuzza and Jenna Badali.
No. 2 Drury
- Received four first-place votes and 150 total points.
- Earned GLVC Regular Season crown and won seventh-straight and GLVC-record 10th Championship Tournament title last season as No. 1 seed.
- Advanced to NCAA Midwest Regional semifinals last year.
- Coached by Kaci Bailey, who enters her first campaign and inherits a team that went 31-2 overall and 20-0 in GLVC in 2022-23.
- Return Third Team All-GLVC selection and unanimous GLVC Freshman of the Year Reese Schaaf.
No. 3 Indianapolis
- Received 142 total points.
- Advanced to GLVC Championship Tournament semifinals this past season as fourth seed.
- Coached by Marc Mitchell, who enters his second season after a 18-12 overall and 13-7 GLVC record in 2022-23.
- Return Second Team All-GLVC selection Elana Wells.
No. 4 Truman State
- Received one first-place vote and 134 total points.
- Advanced to GLVC Championship Tournament semifinals last season as third seed.
- Coached by Theo Dean, who enters his fifth campaign after a 20-10 overall and 15-5 GLVC record in 2022-23.
- Return First Team All-GLVC selection Ellie Weltha.
Rounding out the poll respectively in fifth through 14th was Maryville University (120 points, one first-place vote), McKendree University (102), Missouri S&T (90), University of Missouri-St. Louis (87), Quincy University (77), Rockhurst University (69), Upper Iowa University (45), Southwest Baptist University (43), University of Illinois Springfield (27), and William Jewell College (24).
The complete poll and voting results can be found below.
| Place |
School |
Points (1st-Place Votes) |
| 1. |
Lewis |
164 (8) |
| 2. |
Drury |
150 (4) |
| 3. |
Indianapolis |
142 |
| 4. |
Truman State |
134 (1) |
| 5. |
Maryville |
120 (1) |
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14. |
McKendree
Missouri S&T
Missouri-St. Louis
Quincy
Rockhurst
Upper Iowa
Southwest Baptist
Illinois Springfield
William Jewell |
102
90
87
77
69
45
43
27
24 |