INDIANAPOLIS – Indianapolis and Rockhurst were unanimously voted in the preseason coaches' poll as the choice to win the 2026 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) women's tennis East and West divisions, respectively, the league office announced on Friday.
The preseason poll is selected by the league’s head coaches, who, per GLVC Bylaws, are not permitted to vote for their own team.
EAST
No. 1 Indianapolis
- Received all four possible first-place votes and 16 total points.
- Won GLVC East Division title and advanced to GLVC Championship last season.
- Appeared in NCAA Tournament as No. 7 seed.
- Coached by Malik Tabet, who enters his 14th season after a 13-7 overall and 5-0 GLVC record in 2025.
- Return First Team All-GLVC selections Sofia Cardenas and Jimena De Pablos Hernando.
No. 2 Missouri-St. Louis
- Received one first-place vote and 12 total points.
- Earned No. 3 East seed in GLVC Championship last season.
- Coached by Megan Holdridge, who enters her fifth season after a 10-7 overall and 3-2 GLVC record in 2025.
- Return First Team All-GLVC honoree and Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Midwest Region Player to Watch, Hannah Tse.
WEST
No. 1 Rockhurst
- Received all five possible first-place votes and 19 total points.
- Won GLVC West Division title and first GLVC Championship in program history last season.
- Appeared in NCAA Tournament as No. 6 seed, advancing to second round.
- Coached by Jamie McDonald, who enters his sixth season after a 18-6 overall and 5-0 GLVC record in 2025.
- Return trio of First Team All-GLVC selections: Ella Coleman, Zuzanna Szmyd, and Sofia Valdespino.
- Coleman was also named to ITA All-America team and earned her second-straight GLVC Player of the Year award.
No. 2 Drury
- Received two first-place votes and 22 total points.
- Earned No. 2 West seed in GLVC Championship last year, advancing to semifinals.
- Coached by Tim Garner, who enters his third season after a 13-6 overall and 4-1 GLVC record in 2025.
- Return First Team All-GLVC selection Leana Chanove.
Rounding out the East poll respectively in third through fifth was McKendree (10 points), Maryville (8), and Illinois Springfield (4). The West poll was respectively completed by Southwest Baptist (16), Quincy (14), Truman State (9), and William Jewell (5) in third through sixth.
The complete poll and voting results can be found below.
EAST
Place |
School |
Points (1st-Place Votes) |
| 1. |
Indianapolis |
16 (4) |
| 2. |
Missouri-St. Louis |
12 (1) |
| 3. |
McKendree |
10 |
| 4. |
Maryville |
8 |
| 5. |
Illinois Springfield |
4 |
| |
|
|
WEST
Place |
School |
Points (1st-Place Votes) |
| 1. |
Rockhurst |
25 (5) |
| 2. |
Drury |
21 (1) |
| 3. |
Southwest Baptist |
16 |
| 4. |
Quincy |
14 |
| 5. |
Truman State |
9 |
| 6. |
William Jewell |
5 |