Asbury (Ky.) predicted as favorite in RSC Women's Tennis Coaches' Preseason Pol
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio -- Asbury (Ky.) University begins the season where it has ended the season each of the last four years, on top of the RSC. The Eagles are the predicted league favorite in the 2021 River States Conference Women's Tennis Coaches' Preseason Poll. The Eagles, who are "receiving votes" in the NAIA Top 25, have won four conference titles in a row.
Asbury earned 63 points in the voting of RSC head coaches to lead the other eight teams. The Eagles received seven of the eight possible first-place votes. Asbury pushed its streak to four straight RSC titles when it won the last conference championship contested, which was in 2019.
Although COVID-19 prevented the tournament from being held last year, the Asbury will try for five in a row at April 23-24 at the Top Seed Tennis Club for this year's conference postseason. The team winner will advance to the NAIA Women's Tennis National Championship May 18-22 at Mobile, Ala.
IU East received a first-place vote and earned 54 points in the poll. The Red Wolves are on a streak of reaching at least the conference semifinals and were the runners up in 2019. IU Southeast was close behind with 51 votes in the poll and the remaining first-place nod. The Grenadiers are also usually among the last teams left in the RSC, including their runner-up finish in 2018.
IU Kokomo remained ranked fourth this preseason with 43 points. The Cougars were RSC semifinalists in 2019. Midway (Ky.) University was picked fifth with 36 points followed by Brescia (Ky.) University in sixth at 23 points.
RSC newcomer Oakland City (Ind.) University comes over from the NCAA Division II ranks and was predicted seventh with 23 points followed by Carlow (Pa.) University in eighth with 15 and Ohio Christian University in ninth with 10.
2021 RIVER STATES CONFERENCE WOMEN'S TENNIS COACHES' PRESEASON POLL
(First-Place Votes in Parenthesis)
| School | Points |
| 1. Asbury (Ky.) (7) | 63 |
| 2. IU East (1) | 54 |
| 3. IU Southeast (1) | 51 |
| 4. IU Kokomo | 43 |
| 5. Midway (Ky.) | 36 |
| 6. Brescia (Ky.) | 29 |
| 7. Oakland City (Ind.) | 23 |
| 8. Carlow (Pa.) | 15 |
| 9. Ohio Christian | 10 |