UIS Women's Basketball was picked ninth in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) women's basketball preseason coaches' poll, released by the conference office Friday morning. The Prairie Stars received 98 points after narrowly missing the GLVC Tournament last season.

Entering her third season as head coach, Olivia Birt looks to build on the momentum from a promising 2025-26 campaign. UIS returns most of last year's roster, including standout senior Kayla Rice, while adding three transfers and a strong freshman class to strengthen the lineup.

With a returning core and new talent joining the program, the Prairie Stars will look to turn last season's progress into a postseason breakthrough. UIS aims to earn a spot in the GLVC Tournament as the team continues to build under Birt's leadership.

Maryville was selected as the preseason favorite with 186 points and six first-place votes, narrowly edging Missouri-St. Louis, which received 183 points and six first-place votes. Drury placed third with 171 points and two first-place votes, while McKendree rounded out the top four with 141 points.

The complete preseason poll is available on glvcsports.com

UIS will first take the court for an exhibition matchup at Illinois on Oct. 30, and will officially open the 2026-27 season at home against Purdue Northwest on Nov. 9.