INDIANAPOLIS, IND. - The University of Missouri-St. Louis women's tennis team has been picked second in the West Division of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Women's Tennis Preseason Coaches Poll, as announced Friday by the league office. The annual preseason poll voted on by the league head coaches and ranks six teams in the East and seven teams in the West as 13 of the 14 member schools sponsor the sport.
Defending GLVC champion Drury was tabbed as the favorite in the West Division, garnering 11 of the possible 12 votes for 82 points, as conference policy prohibits coaches from casting a vote for their own team.
UMSL garnered the other two first-place votes for 73 points and the No. 2 spot. Veteran head coach
Rick Gyllenborg led his 2018 squad to its second consecutive NCAA Tournament bid and an historic run to the quarterfinal round with the program's first appearance in the championships and a win in the Round of 16. He returns for his 17th season leading the Tritons in 2019 and will have his top player back in three-time All-GLVC honoree
Salome Bleuler, while
Marina Prediger was also an All-GLVC selection last year and returns to the lineup this season.
Indianapolis was voted the favorite in the East Division.
The Tritons begin the spring portion of their schedule on February 16 at Purdue Northwest and will play the first of seven GLVC matches on March 23 when they travel across town to Maryville.
The 2019 GLVC Women's Tennis Championship Tournament will be held at the Center Grove High School from April 19-21 in Indianapolis, Ind.
The complete 2019 GLVC Women's Tennis Preseason Coaches Poll follows below.
2019 GLVC Women's Tennis Preseason Poll
EAST DIVISION |
| Place |
School |
Points (First-Place Votes) |
| 1 |
Indianapolis |
71 (11) |
| 2 |
Bellarmine |
59 (1) |
| 3 |
Lewis |
47 (1) |
| 4 |
Illinois Springfield |
42 |
| 5 |
Southern Indiana |
29 |
| 6 |
McKendree |
19 |
2019 GLVC Women's Tennis Preseason Poll
WEST DIVISION |
| Place |
School |
Points (First-Place Votes) |
| 1 |
Drury |
83 (11) |
| 2 |
Missouri-St. Louis |
73 (2) |
| 3 |
Maryville |
62 |
| 4 |
Rockhurst |
52 |
| 5 |
Quincy |
33 |
| 6 |
William Jewell |
31 |
| 7 |
Truman State |
23 |
