Lebanon, IL - The Great Lakes Valley Conference released its preseason Women's Basketball poll for the 2025-2026 season on Monday morning. The McKendree Bearcats were picked to finish sixth. The Bearcats are coming off a season in which they went 15-11 overall, 11-9 in the GLVC, finishing in 9th place, just outside of the eight-team threshhold for the GLVC Tournament. An experienced group of 10 returners join 6 newcomers to make up the Bearcat roster for the 11th season of the Kari Kerkhoff Era and the 49th Season of McKendree University Women's Basketball. 

FULL 2025-2026 PRESEASON POLL
1st Place | Drury Panthers | 191 points
2nd Place | Maryville Saints | 165 points
3rd Place | Lewis Flyers | 163 points
4th Place | UMSL Tritons | 158 points
5th Place | Missouri S&T Miners | 141 points
6th Place | McKendree Bearcats | 135 points
7th Place | Truman State Bulldogs | 108 points
8th Place | Upper Iowa Peacocks | 101 points
----- GLVC Tournament "Cut-Off" -----
9th Place | Rockhurst Hawks | 85 points
10th Place | Quincy Hawks | 84 points
11th Place | UIndy Greyhounds | 83 points
12th Place | UIS Prairie Stars | 60 points
13th Place | Southwest Baptist Bearcats | 55 points
14th Place | William Jewell Cardinals | 24 points
15th Place | Lincoln (MO) Blue Tigers | 22 points

There will be more content to share next week, as the Bearcats prepare to open their preseason next Wednesday in Carbondale. 

WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE BEARCATS
Exhibition Game
@ DI Southern Illinois Salukis (4-26, 2-18 MVC*)
Wednesday, October 29th - 6:00 PM CST Tipoff
at Banterra Center - Carbondale, Illinois

*2024-2025 Record

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