LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The seniors on the Bellarmine University women's soccer team began their careers by winning a Great Lakes Valley Conference regular-season title.

At this point, how they'll conclude their final regular season is a mystery — and a dense one at that.

With three games left, Bellarmine (7-4-3, 5-2-3 GLVC) is in a five-way tie for fourth place in the GLVC with Truman State, Maryville, Quincy and Southern Indiana — all of which are 6-3-1 — while league leader McKendree (7-2-1) and then Lewis and Rockhurst, which are tied for second at 7-3, are all within reach.

The GLVC Tournament consists of eight teams, so there's plenty of intrigue leading into this week's action for the entire league. For its part, Bellarmine will host William Jewell (7-7-1, 4-6) at 3:55 p.m. (ET) Friday before welcoming in Drury (0-13-1, 0-10) for a noon clash Sunday, which will also mark the Knights' Senior Day. Bellarmine closes out the regular season the following Wednesday by hosting Indianapolis.

"Everything is so tight in those top eight spots," Bellarmine Coach Chris Tinius said. "Your head could explode looking at all of the different possibilities over the final six days of the season. I've thought since preseason this would be the most compact the league has ever been and nobody was going to really separate themselves, but I certainly didn't imagine anything quite like this. 

"Most realistically, we are in a spot that if we take care of our end of things we are in a fight for a first-round home game, but winning the league still isn't completely out of the picture nor is missing the tournament. That's what makes Friday in particular so important. A result clinches us a spot in the conference tournament, and that is the first step before anything else can fall into place."

Bellarmine will honor seven seniors on Sunday. They include midfielder Jordan Chlebowy, forward Spencer Grim, midfielder Erika Laws, defender Caroline Lee, defender/midfielder Polly Marino, midfielder/defender Madison Stephens and midfielder Audrey Van Der Elst.

In 2015, the then-collection of rookies helped the Knights advance to their first-ever Sweet 16 of the DII NCAA Tournament following the capturing of their first-ever GLVC regular-season championship. Last season, the Knights secured another berth in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Midwest Region semifinals after dominating No. 20 Ohio Valley 3-0 in the quarterfinals. The seniors enter play this week with a 43-14-16 record over the last four years. As students, every single one is an Academic All-GLVC mainstay.

"We are very thankful for this group of seniors and their contributions to our program," Tinius said. "They have been a part of some big moments on the field, which is what most people want to focus on because it's Senior Day. More than that, we want our program to be about well-rounded individuals, and this group really leaves their mark off the field and in the classroom."

Chlebowy has appeared in nearly 70 matches and accumulated nearly 30 starts in her career. During that 2015 regular-season title run, she scored the game-winning goal in a crucial victory over reigning GLVC champion Wisconsin-Parkside. Grim overcame an injury her freshman season to appear in over 30 games in her career. In 2016, she scored the game-winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Indianapolis.

"Jordan is a talented player that is good in holding the ball and helping our team keep possession in the middle and attacking thirds. She is a bright individual that will leave her mark in dental school," Tinius said. "Spencer is crafty on the ball and has scored a couple of timely goals throughout her career. She is another wonderful young lady and a great role model for aspiring female student-athletes to emulate on and off the field."

Laws has appeared in over 70 matches during her tenure with the Knights. As a freshman, she scored 54 seconds into her career. Lee has logged time in over 70 games and made over 30 starts in her career. The dependable defender has twice amassed over 1,100 minutes in her tenure.

"Erika is a solid central player with a good understanding of the holding midfield role. She has been a team leader with her example and in organizing our team bible studies," Tinius said. "Caroline is a sturdy defender that you count on to sure up your team shape. She's a wonderful young lady who is another stalwart in the classroom with a great future in accounting and the business world."

Marino has played in over 70 matches and made over 40 starts in her career while playing a variety of positions. Last season, she was an All-GLVC selection as a defender. As a freshman, Marino sank the "golden goal" in a 1-0 overtime victory over 22nd-ranked Truman State that was critical to Bellarmine's run to a regular-season championship. Stephens is a three-year starter who has amassed nearly 50 starts and over 60 games played in her tenure. She's on the cusp of logging 1,000 minutes of game action for the third straight season and has two goals this year.

"Polly is a well-rounded soccer player and jack of all trades that has helped at multiple positions throughout her career. I've been able to watch her development from her time as a youth player and will miss her smile and personality," Tinius said. "Madison is a good soccer player and, more than that, has added a sense of leadership that is hard to quantify but has been instrumental in helping us through some difficult moments over the last two years. Her commitment to soccer and the ROTC program is something I have immense respect for."

Van Der Elst has played in over 70 matches and made over 30 starts in her career. Last season, she was an All-Midwest Region selection by the United Soccer Coaches. The midfielder has tallied 11 goals and five assists in her tenure, and this year she is tied for the team lead in goals with three.

"Audrey is a very talented attacking player that can score goals herself and create for others," Tinius said.  "She is a great student, has a love for animals and is going to be a great vet."

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