INDIANAPOLIS- In a vote by the Great Lakes Valley Conference softball coaches, the UIndy softball team is ranked first in the 2010 GLVC Preseason Coaches Poll.  The poll, released by league officials Tuesday, finds the Greyhounds the favorite among the league's coaches to claim their first GLVC title, being unanimously selected by garnering all 14 possible first-place votes and 196 total points.

Quincy (171) is second in the poll, 25 points behind UIndy.  Third place belonged to defending league-champion Northern Kentucky (160) with Lewis right behind with 159.  Missouri-St. Louis was fifth with 144 points and the only remaining first-place vote.

The Hounds are coming off the most successful season in school history.  UIndy claimed its first-ever Regional Championship and advanced to the NCAA World Series.  At the Championships, the Hounds finished in a tie for fifth after losing 2-0 to the eventual national champions, Lock Haven.

Back in the fold for the Indianapolis lineup is Second Team All-American (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) and GLVC Player of the Year Megan Russell.  The senior anchors the Greyhound lineup as the career homer leader and will be the ace of the pitching staff as well.  Fellow First Team All-Conference honoree junior Jamie Keltz and third team shortstop Carmen Martinez are also key returnees for head coach Melissa Frost-Fisher.  The sixth-year skipper has amassed a 159-108 (.596) record in her tenure in Indianapolis.

UIndy begins play in a month's time, playing in a pair of tournaments in Alabama in February (Huntsville and Florence) before opening its home schedule and league play on March 5th against Quincy.  View the entire 2010 schedule here.

The complete 2010 GLVC Softball Preseason Poll follows. The poll is conducted by gathering the votes of each of the 15 GLVC member institutions' head softball coaches. The coaches are prohibited from voting for their own institution in the poll.

2010 Great Lakes Valley Conference Softball Preseason Coaches Poll

Team	Total Points
1.  Indianapolis (14)	196
2.  Quincy	171
3.  Northern Kentucky	160
4.  Lewis	159
5.  Missouri-St. Louis (1)	144
6.  Missouri S&T	115
7.  Southern Indiana	114
8.  Bellarmine	105
9.  UW-Parkside	103
10. Saint Joseph's	87
11. Rockhurst	74
12. Drury	57
13. Kentucky Wesleyan	44
14. Illinois-Springfield*	26
15. Maryville*	20
(1st-place votes)

*Not eligible for GLVC Softball Championship Tournament