The Upper Iowa softball team has been picked to finish 12th in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. The ranking was voted on by all 14 of the conference's head coaches, who were unable to vote for their own team.

The preseason poll is highlighted by reigning GLVC Regular Season Champions, Indianapolis, who received all 13 first place votes they were eligible for, while accumulating 169 points. UIndy made it all the way to the championship game last year, where they fell to the Lewis Flyers who are ranked second in the poll. The reigning GLVC Tournament Champions accumulated 146 points and they are followed by McKendree who earned 137 points and the final first place vote.

The Peacocks finished twelfth out of 14 teams, earning 38 points. UIU trails eleventh ranked Truman State with 52 points and ranks one spot ahead of Southwest Baptist who received 29 points.

Head Coach Aubrey Honeycutt is set to begin her first season at Upper Iowa, where she has a great core of returning players from last season. Laila Pelds returns for her senior year after having a sensational season in 2023. Pelds hit for a team-high .396 average, hit five of Upper Iowa's eleven home runs and led all Peacocks with 29 RBI's. She will be joined by junior Ari Charles who is coming off a season where she recorded a .382 average, and added 58 hits and 33 runs which were both team-highs. UIU hit four triples as a team last year, with three coming from Charles. The Peacocks return all three of their go-to pitchers from 2023, in junior Rylee McGonigle and seniors Delaney Vetter and Abby Buckman. Vetter led the Peacocks with 18 starts and 108 innings pitched. She recorded 100 strikeouts and opponents averaged a .274 batting average while she was on the mound.

UIU opens the season on in Mankato, Minn. with a double-header on Friday, Feb. 2. The Peacocks will begin the season against MSU-Mankato before going up against Minnesota Duluth later that day. The Peacocks will play 27 non-conference games, which includes participation in the Lewis Flyer Dome Invitational and The Spring Games.

Conference play will begin on Sunday, Mar. 17 with a double header against Truman State. Upper Iowa will face all 13 GLVC opponents in double headers, highlighted by home matchups against top-ranked UIndy on Friday, Apr. 19 and reigning tournament champions, Lewis on Sunday, Apr. 21. The Peacocks will close out the regular season on the road against Maryville on Sunday, Apr. 28 with the conference tournament set to begin in May.
 

2024 GLVC SOFTBALL PRESEASON POLL

	School	Points (1st-Place Votes)
1	Indianapolis	169 (13)
2	Lewis	146
3	McKendree	137 (1)
4	Maryville	127
5	Missouri-St. Louis	124
6	Illinois Springfield	123
7	Drury	98
8	Rockhurst	82
9	Quincy	68
10	Missouri S&T	65
11	Truman State	52
12	Upper Iowa	38
13	Southwest Baptist	29
14	William Jewell	16