NAPERVILLE, Ill. -- The University of Chicago was predicted to win its second-straight College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) women's lacrosse title based upon the results of the CCIW's annual preseason coaches' poll announced Wednesday.

The Maroons placed first with 36 points and six first place votes and are coming off a share of the conference title last season. Chicago shared last year's regular season title with Illinois Wesleyan and Carroll and both the Titans (29 points and one first place vote) and Carroll (27 points) placed second and third, respectively, in the preseason voting. 

For the first time in conference history, three CCIW teams qualified for the NCAA postseason last year. Chicago earned the conference's automatic bid with its first conference tournament title. The Maroons advanced all the way to the national quarterfinal round in their first-ever NCAA appearance. Carroll also made its first-ever NCAA appearance last season, while Illinois Wesleyan qualified for the fourth year in a row (2017-19, 2021).

Carthage placed fourth in the preseason voting with 22 points, followed by North Central (16 points), Augustana (11 points) and Elmhurst (six points).  

Voting for the CCIW Preseason Women's Lacrosse Poll is done by the head women's lacrosse coaches. Each coach votes for the six other programs in the conference in order of predicted finish. Points are assigned in reverse order of voting (six points for first, five for second, etc.). Coaches do not vote for their own teams.

The CCIW welcomes two new head women's lacrosse coaches this season in Carthage's John Sung and Elmhurst's Ally Howard. Sung was hired as the program's head women's lacrosse coach and Carthage's assistant athletics director last August following a five-year stint as head coach at Virginia Tech. Howard joins the Bluejays after a two-year stint as the assistant coach for the New Zealand Senior National Team. Her college coaching stops include Bridgeport, Central Connecticut State, Worchester State, Post, San Diego State and Grand Valley State. 

2022 CCIW Preseason Women's Lacrosse Poll
 

Rank	Institution	Points (1st Pl. Votes)
1	Chicago	36 (6)
2	Illinois Wesleyan	29 (1)
3	Carroll	27
4	Carthage	22
5	North Central	16
6	Augustana	11
7	Elmhurst	6

 
The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) was founded in 1946 and currently services nine member institutions including Augustana College (Rock Island, IL), Carroll University (Waukesha, WI), Carthage College (Kenosha, WI), Elmhurst University (Elmhurst, IL), Illinois Wesleyan University (Bloomington, IL), Millikin University (Decatur, IL), North Central College (Naperville, IL), North Park University (Chicago, IL) and Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL). University of Chicago is an associate member in women's lacrosse.