The llinois Springfield men's tennis team was picked fifth in the East Division of the 2026 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Men's Tennis Preseason Coaches' Poll, as announced by the league office Friday.
The Prairie Stars earned four points in the preseason poll, which is voted on by the league's head coaches. Per GLVC bylaws, coaches are not permitted to vote for their own team.
Indianapolis was selected as the preseason favorite in the East Division, receiving all four possible first-place votes, while Missouri–St. Louis was picked second. McKendree and Maryville rounded out the East Division poll in third and fourth, respectively, ahead of UIS.
In the West Division, Drury was voted the preseason favorite, narrowly edging Rockhurst for the top spot. Quincy, Southwest Baptist, and William Jewell completed the West Division rankings.
Indianapolis and Drury enter the 2026 season as the preseason favorites in their respective divisions after both teams earned NCAA Tournament berths last season.
The Prairie Stars will open the GLVC portion of their schedule late in the spring.
The
complete poll and voting results can be found below.
EAST
| Place |
School |
Point (1st-Place Votes) |
| 1. |
Indianapolis |
16 (4) |
| 2. |
Missouri-St. Louis |
12 (1) |
| 3. |
McKendree |
11 |
| 4. |
Maryville |
7 |
| 5. |
Illinois Springfield |
4 |
WEST
| Place |
School |
Point (1st-Place Votes) |
| 1. |
Drury |
15 (3) |
| 2. |
Rockhurst |
14 (2) |
| 3. |
Quincy |
9 |
| 4. |
Southwest Baptist |
8 |
| 5. |
William Jewell |
4 |
