Upper Iowa has been picked to finish 12th in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. The poll was voted on by all 15 head coaches who are ineligible of voting for their own team.
 
Indianapolis headlines the poll as they accumulated 192 points and 11 first-place votes. The reigning GLVC Regular Season Champions posted a 60-7 overall record last year while going 25-1 against conference opponents. The Greyhounds finished as the runners-up in the GLVC Championship Tournament, before closing out the season as NCAA Division II Championship Semifinalists.
 
Lewis finished second in the poll with 183 points and three first-place votes. The Flyers are coming off a 40-17 season, where they ranked second in the GLVC regular season standings with a 21-5 record. They advanced to the semifinals of the GLVC Championship Tournament, before qualifying to the NCAA Midwest Regional Tournament.
 
McKendree accumulated 166 points and the final first place vote as they posted a 36-22 overall record 16-10 GLVC mark in 2024. The Panthers finished fourth overall in the GLVC standings, and concluded the year with a third-place finish at the GLVC Championship Tournament.
 
Upper Iowa garnered 45 points, ranking 12th in the poll. They trailed 11th ranked Southwest Baptist at 56 points and rank one-point ahead of William Jewell at 13th with 44 points.
 
Head Coach Aubrey Honeycutt returns for her second season with the Peacocks, where she led UIU to a 17-35 overall record while going 7-19 in the GLVC. She brings back six starters from last season, including go-to pitcher Delaney Vetter. Vetter returns as a fifth-year senior where she recorded an 8-16 mark on the mound. She recorded a 4.68 ERA and a team-best .267 batting average against. Vetter led the Peacocks with 147 strikeouts, which included four games of ten or more strikeouts, highlighted by a 14-strikeout performance against Glenville State.
 
In the field, junior Serah Shafer leads all returners with 51 hits, 25 runs and 18 stolen bases in 21 attempts. She recorded a .295 batting average at the plate while adding two doubles and 14 RBIs. Fifth year Rae VanMilligan and junior Taylor Sedam each started in all 52 games last year. VanMilligan hit for a .239 average with 39 hits and 21 runs. She recorded a team-high nine doubles and she leads all returners with two triples and 22 RBIs. VanMilligan added two homers on the season, which came against Concordia-St. Paul and Truman State. Sedam added a .234 average at the plate with 36 hits and 15 runs. She put up six doubles, hit 15 RBIs and added one home run.
 
The Peacocks have already opened the season at the Branson Lead-Off Classic, and they have two more upcoming tournaments in the Alvy Early Memorial Classic and Lewis Flyer Dome Invitational.
 
Upper Iowa will open GLVC action on Friday, Mar. 7 as they face GLVC favorites, UIndy, in a double header on the road. The Peacocks first home games will be in a double header against Lewis, Sunday, Mar. 9 and they will also host reigning GLVC Tournament Champions, Missouri S&T in a double header on Sunday, Apr. 6. The Peacocks will close out the year with three consecutive double headers at home, with the regular season ending on Sunday, Apr. 27 against McKendree.

2025 GLVC Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll

	School	Points (First-Place Votes)
1.	Indianapolis	192 (11)
2.	Lewis	183 (3)
3.	McKendree	166 (1)
4.	Drury	160
5.	Missouri-St. Louis	141
6.	Maryville	120
7.	Illinois Springfield	115
8.	Truman State	106
9.	Missouri S&T	104
10.	Rockhurst	92
11.	Southwest Baptist	56
12.	Upper Iowa	45
13.	William Jewell	44
14.	Quincy	30
15.	Lincoln	21