INDIANAPOLIS – The University of Missouri-St. Louis has been tabbed by the league coaches to win the Great Lakes Valley Conference Softball Championship this spring, it was announced by the conference office Tuesday.  The Tritons earned top billing in the poll, which this year ranked teams 1-16 since schools will not play divisional schedules in 2015.
UMSL earned 12 of the 16 first-place votes and totaled 222 points in the poll.  The two-time defending GLVC Champion was ranked 13^th nationally in the NFCA Division II Preseason Poll last week and is coming off a program-best 49-8 record, which ended at the NCAA Midwest Super Regional.  Fifth-year head coach Brian Levin returns 15 players from that squad, including All-Americans Hannah Perryman, the two-time reigning GLVC Pitcher of the Year and national strikeout leader, and Brianna Butler, a senior first baseman with a single-season school record 14 homeruns last year.  Also returning to the Tritons is sophomore infielder Alex Stupek, who was named GLVC Freshman of the Year, first-team All-Conference, and second-team All-Region last season.

The University of Indianapolis tallied three first-place votes and 209 overall points to garner the second spot in the poll.  The Greyhounds, who were ranked 21^st in the NFCA Division II Preseason Poll last week, are coming off a 44-13 season that ended in the team's seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.  UIndy returns seven position starters and two pitchers from last year's club, including the 2014 NCAA Division II Pitcher of the Year in junior Morgan Foley.  Two-time GLVC Player of the Year Casey Williamson returns to the outfield for her senior campaign.

Just two points separated third place, with Bellarmine University earning the advantage over Truman State University.  Bellarmine totaled 189 points in the poll, a year after advancing to the GLVC Championship title game for just the second time in school history and the first since 1995.  The Knights fell 3-0 to UMSL in the conference final and then bowed out of the NCAA Tournament after losses to the Tritons and Truman State to finish 37-18 overall.  Reigning GLVC Player of the Year and first-team All-American Ally Foster is back for her junior season as a utility player.

Truman State, which earned 187 points in the poll and grabbed the final first-place vote, will be led in 2015 by junior Kindra Henze, who shared GLVC co-Pitcher of the Year honors with UMSL's Perryman en route to helping the Bulldogs to a 43-13 record last season.

William Jewell College placed fifth with 165 points, followed by Lewis University (125) in sixth and Rockhurst University (117) and the University of Southern Indiana (117) tied for seventh.  The University of Illinois Springfield (115) and Saint Joseph's College (103) are ninth and 10^th, respectively, while Quincy University (100), Drury University (80), Maryville University (77), Missouri S&T (50), McKendree University (48) and University of Wisconsin-Parkside (16) round out the 16-team field.   

The top eight teams based off conference winning percentage will advance to the 2015 GLVC Championship Tournament, held May 1-3, in East Peoria, Illinois.
The 2015 season officially gets underway on Friday, Feb. 6, with five schools in action at the UAH Charger Chillout in Huntsville, Alabama, including Bellarmine, Indianapolis, Maryville, Saint Joseph's and Southern Indiana.  UMSL will also begin the season on Friday at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Tucson, Arizona.  Drury, Illinois Springfield, Quincy, Rockhurst, Truman State and William Jewell open on Friday, Feb. 13, while McKendree and UW-Parkside take to the field on Feb. 17, followed by Lewis and Missouri S&T in their season openers on Feb. 20. 
 
The complete 2015 GLVC Softball Preseason Poll follows:


2015 GLVC Softball Preseason Poll

RANK	SCHOOL (1ST)	POINTS
1.	Missouri-St. Louis (12)	222
2.	Indianapolis (3)	209
3.	Bellarmine	189
4.	Truman State (1)	187
5.	William Jewell	165
6.	Lewis	125
7.	Rockhurst	117
	Southern Indiana	117
9.	Illinois Springfield	115
10.	Saint Joseph's	103
11.	Quincy	100
12.	Drury	80
13.	Maryville	77
14.	Missouri S&T	50
15.	McKendree	48
16.	UW-Parkside	16