INDIANAPOLIS – Maryville University was voted as the preseason coaches’ poll favorite to win the 2024 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) women’s soccer crown, the league office announced on Thursday.
The preseason poll is selected by the league’s head coaches, who, per GLVC Bylaws, are not permitted to vote for their own team.
No. 1 Maryville
- Received 13 first-place votes and 195 total points.
- The Saints finished with a 14-3-4 overall and 10-1-2 Conference record last season, securing their second GLVC regular season championship and earning the No.1 seed in the conference tournament.
- Maryville obtained its second NCAA Tournament win in program history, besting Northern Michigan in the first round.
- 2023 GLVC Coach of the Year Lori Lawson enters her seventh season at the program's helm, holding a 57-31-19 career record.
- Maryville’s returners are led by GLVC Offensive Player of the Year and First Team United Soccer Coaches All-American forward Lexi Gentry, First Team All-GLVC forward Ashlyne Hunt, and First Team All-GLVC defender Halle Ezell.
- Gentry followed up her first All-American season with another impressive year, leading the GLVC in assists (9), and finishing third in points (21).
- Hunt improved in her second season finishing third in goals (8) and game-winning goals (4), as well as tied for eighth in points (18).
- Ezell played all 21 games and contributed five goals for the Saints in 2023.
No. 2 McKendree
- Received one first-place vote and 178 total points.
- McKendree, the reigning conference tournament champion, posted a 16-2-3 overall record and a 9-1-3 mark in GLVC action last season.
- The Bearcats qualified for their seventh-straight NCAA Tournament, falling in the first round to third-seeded Grand Valley State.
- Tim Strange heads into his 26th year as McKendree’s head coach, recording a 138-52-29 clip since the Bearcats joined the GLVC in 2013.
- McKendree returns the GLVC Freshman of the Year forward Maggie Gleckler, along with All-GLVC First Team forward Anna Stiffler.
- Stiffler followed up her 2022 Offensive Player of the Year campaign with another impressive season leading the conference in goals (12), game-winning goals (8), and shots on goal (39). The graduate student finished second in shots (86) and points (27).
- Gleckler became the second Bearcat to win the GLVC Freshman of the Year (Stiffler 2020-21), posting totals of two goals, six assists, and ten points.
No. 3 Drury
- Received 166 total points.
- Notched a 12-4-3 overall mark and 9-2-2 Conference record earning the Panthers the No.3 seed in the conference tournament.
- Justin Olson returns to the sideline for his 5th season with Drury, carrying a 39-18-15 career mark.
- GLVC Defensive Player of the Year Andrea Camargo returns, as well as All-GLVC First Team midfielders Kourtney Tucker and Tara Simon.
- Camargo and the Drury defense gave up just nine goals in 2023, the least in the league.
- Tucker led the Panthers in goals (5) and points (13)and was tied for the team lead in assists (3).
- Simon added three goals and two assists to her total in 2023.
No. 4 Lewis
- Received one first-place vote and 152 total points.
- The Flyers, the conference tournament runners-up, registered a 9-6-6 overall record while going 7-2-4 in GLVC play.
- Chris Koenig enters his 18th season with Lewis, carrying a 125-133-37 career mark into the season.
- Return Second Team All-GLVC senior midfielder Elisa Aguilar.
- Aguilar scored five goals and added two assists last season.
Rounding out the poll respectively in fifth through 15th was Rockhurst (139), Missouri-St. Louis (135), Illinois Springfield (123), Indianapolis (92), Truman State (91), Missouri S&T (84), Quincy (79), Southwest Baptist (45), Upper Iowa (42), William Jewell (30), and Lincoln (24).
The complete poll and voting results can be found below.
2024 GLVC WOMEN’S SOCCER PRESEASON POLL
| Place |
School |
Points (1st-Place Votes) |
| 1 |
Maryville |
195 (13) |
| 2 |
McKendree |
178 (1) |
| 3 |
Drury |
166 |
| 4 |
Lewis |
152 (1) |
| 5 |
Rockhurst |
139 |
| 6 |
Missouri-St. Louis |
135 |
| 7 |
Illinois Springfield |
123 |
| 8 |
Indianapolis |
92 |
| 9 |
Truman State |
91 |
10
11 |
Missouri S&T
Quincy |
84
79 |
| 12 |
Southwest Baptist |
45 |
| 13 |
Upper Iowa |
42 |
| 14 |
William Jewell |
30 |
| 15 |
Lincoln |
24 |