GREENVILLE, S.C.  – Ahead of the 2026 softball season, Conference Carolinas released its preseason poll with the Converse Valkyries selected to finish 11th in the league. This follows the team's first appearance in the Conference Carolinas Softball Tournament last season.

Additionally, freshman Alexis Felker, sophomore Olivia Jones and freshman Tyler Karabach were tabbed as Preseason Players to Watch.

Felker, a freshman from Oviedo, Florida, competed in both softball and volleyball at Hagerty High School, being a four-year letter winner on the diamond. She helped lead the Huskies to two district championships and a 2025 FHSAA Class 7A runner-up finish. She was a four-time academic all-conference selection. Felker blasted 20 long bombs during her four year career.

Jones, a sophomore from Lancaster, California, posted the third-highest batting average on the team last season at a .324 mark. She also scored the third-most runs of any Valkyrie while driving in the fourth-most runs. Jones slugged .514 last season with a .390 on-base percentage.

Karabach, a freshman from Bothell, Washington, was a four-year letter winner for the Kamiak High School Knights. She also played with Fury Fastpitch and Elevate Northwest Fastpitch.

The three-time defending Conference Carolinas champions, Francis Marion, were unanimously selected to win the conference title again in 2026 with all 225 available points and 15 first-place votes.

UNC Pembroke placed second with 184 points and the first-place vote from Francis Marion.

A pair of Converse's divisional rivals sit in fourth and fifth place separated by just four points as King accumulated 178 points and North Greenville received 174. In-state rival Southern Wesleyan sits at fifth with 171 points.

After a slight drop-off, Mount Olive sits in sixth with 157 points, followed by Young Harris in seventh with 143 points. Barton sits in the middle of the poll in eighth place with 127 points.

Chowan and Emmanuel round out the top ten and teams with over 100 points with 119 and 115 points respectively.

Converse sits 11th with 96 points.

Belmont Abbey placed 12th with 67 points followed by Shorter in 13th with 58 points.

Erskine, Lees-McRae and conference-newcomer Ferrum round out the poll with 47, 35, and 24 points respectively.

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