The North Carolina Tar Heels claimed the top spot in the preseason IWLCA Division I Coaches Poll, after finishing the abbreviated 2020 season in the same position. Carolina collected all 25 first place votes in the poll. The ACC claimed the top three spots in the poll, as Notre Dame landed in second and Syracuse checked in at number three. Loyola and Northwestern were selected third and fourth to round out the top five. The ACC landed seven teams in the top-25 rankings, the most of any conference, while the Big Ten had four schools listed and the Ivy League and Pac-12 each had three.
2021 IWLCA Preseason Coaches Poll
Division I
Rank |
Team (FPV) |
Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina (25) | 625 |
| 2 | Notre Dame | 585 |
| 3 | Syracuse | 563 |
| 4 | Loyola | 533 |
| 5 | Northwestern | 529 |
| 6 | Stony Brook | 495 |
| 7 | Maryland | 471 |
| 8 | Florida | 452 |
| 9 | Michigan | 395 |
| 10 | James Madison | 360 |
| 11 | Denver | 306 |
| 12 | Boston College | 305 |
| 13 | USC | 295 |
| 14 | Richmond | 288 |
| 15 | Duke | 274 |
| 16 | Virginia | 255 |
| 17 | Penn | 236 |
| 18 | Virginia Tech | 179 |
| 19 | Dartmouth | 160 |
| 20 | UMass | 140 |
| T-21 | Navy | 139 |
| T-21 | Penn State | 139 |
| 23 | Stanford | 135 |
| 24 | Colorado | 98 |
| 25 | Princeton | 55 |
The Adelphi University Panthers, the 2019 NCAA Champions, claimed the top spot in the Division II Coaches Poll, narrowly edging out second ranked Lindenwood, despite receiving fewer first place votes. Le Moyne, who ended the shortened 2020 season ranked first, ended up in third, followed by Queens and West Chester.
2021 IWLCA Preseason Coaches Poll
Division II
Rank |
Team (FPV) |
Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adelphi (4) | 587 |
| 2 | Lindenwood (10) | 586 |
| 3 | Le Moyne (7) | 572 |
| 4 | Queens (1) | 555 |
| 5 | West Chester (1) | 522 |
| 6 | Indianapolis (1) | 502 |
| 7 | Rollins | 462 |
| 8 | Florida Southern (1) | 443 |
| 9 | Tampa | 426 |
| 10 | East Stroudsburg | 399 |
| 11 | Grand Valley State | 368 |
| 12 | Mercy | 334 |
| 13 | Limestone | 285 |
| 14 | Regis | 277 |
| 15 | New Haven | 262 |
| 16 | Assumption | 241 |
| 17 | Bentley | 218 |
| 18 | Saint Anselm | 173 |
| 19 | Saint Leo | 133 |
| 20 | Florida Tech | 126 |
| 21 | Mount Olive | 123 |
| 22 | Concordia-St. Paul | 107 |
| 23 | Mercyhurst | 99 |
| 24 | Roberts Wesleyan | 86 |
| 25 | Pace | 84 |
2019 NCAA Champion Middlebury College swept all 25 first place votes to secure the top spot in the Division III Coaches Poll. The Panthers are followed by Tufts, Franklin & Marshall, Washington and Lee, and Gettysburg, to round out the top five. The NESCAC placed a total of seven teams in the top-25, more than any other conference.
2021 IWLCA Preseason Coaches Poll
Division III
Rank |
Team (FPV) |
Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middlebury (25) | 625 |
| 2 | Tufts | 598 |
| 3 | Franklin & Marshall | 551 |
| 4 | Washington and Lee | 536 |
| 5 | Gettysburg | 513 |
| 6 | Wesleyan | 504 |
| 7 | Salisbury | 480 |
| 8 | Amherst | 448 |
| 9 | York | 444 |
| 10 | Catholic | 374 |
| 11 | TCNJ | 363 |
| T-12 | Bowdoin | 345 |
| T-12 | St. John Fisher | 345 |
| 14 | Mary Washington | 291 |
| 15 | Ithaca | 261 |
| 16 | Colby | 258 |
| 17 | Brockport | 211 |
| 18 | Colorado College | 186 |
| 19 | William Smith | 175 |
| 20 | Denison | 138 |
| 21 | SUNY Geneseo | 128 |
| 22 | Trinity | 85 |
| 23 | Pomona-Pitzer | 66 |
| 24 | SUNY Cortland | 61 |
| 25 | Messiah | 29 |