INDIANAPOLIS – Drury was voted in the preseason coaches’ poll as the choice to win the 2026 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) women’s basketball championship, the league office announced on Tuesday.
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 Drury
- Received ten first-place votes and 191 total points.
- Advanced to GLVC Championship Tournament semifinals this past season as second seed.
- Coached by Kaci Bailey, who enters her third campaign after a 22-7 overall and 17-3 in GLVC in 2024-25.
- Return First Team All-GLVC selection Rhi Gibbons.
No. 2 Maryville
- Received 165 total points.
- Finished runner-up at the GLVC Championship Tournament last season as fifth seed.
- Coached by Brita Hand, who enters her fourth campaign after a 16-15 overall and 12-8 GLVC record in 2024-25.
- Return reigning GLVC Freshman of the Year and Second Team All-GLVC selection Lindsey Schadewalt.
No. 3 Lewis
- Received four first-place votes and 163 total points.
- Earned GLVC Regular Season crown and advanced to the GLVC Championship Tournament semifinals as No. 1 seed.
- Garnered berth to NCAA Midwest Regional last year.
- Coached by Dodie Dunson Jr., who enters his first season at the helm after spending the past two seasons as the associate head coach at the University of Evansville. Coaches a squad that went 26-4 overall and 19-1 GLVC record in 2024-25.
- Return Second Team All-GLVC selection Ali Cesarini and All-Freshman honoree Yahaira Bueno.
No. 4 Missouri-St. Louis
- Received 158 total points.
- Earned a spot in the GLVC Championship Tournament as the fourth seed last campaign.
- Coached by Katie Vaughn, who enters her 14th season at the helm after a 19-9 overall and 13-7 GLVC record in 2024-25.
- Return Second Team All-GLVC selection Alex Wolff.
Rounding out the poll respectively in fifth through 15th was Missouri S&T (141 points, one first-place vote), McKendree (135), Truman (108), Upper Iowa (101), Rockhurst (85), Quincy (84), Indianapolis (83), Illinois Springfield (60), Southwest Baptist (55), William Jewell (24), and Lincoln (22).
The complete poll and voting results can be found below.
| Place |
School |
Points (1st-place votes) |
| 1. |
Drury |
191 (10) |
| 2. |
Maryville |
165 |
| 3. |
Lewis |
163 (4) |
| 4. |
Missouri-St. Louis |
158 |
| 5. |
Missouri S&T |
141 (1) |
| 6. |
McKendree |
135 |
| 7. |
Truman State |
108 |
| 8. |
Upper Iowa |
101 |
| 9. |
Rockhurst |
85 |
| 10. |
Quincy |
84 |
11.
12. |
Indianapolis
Illinois Springfield |
83
60 |
| 13. |
Southwest Baptist |
55 |
| 14. |
William Jewell |
24 |
| 15. |
Lincoln |
22 |