(HORIZON LEAGUE) – On Thursday afternoon, the Horizon League unveiled the 2026-27 Under Armour #HLWBB preseason poll. Green Bay was picked to finish first place with 142 points. Youngstown State, who faced the Phoenix in last year’s Horizon League championship game, was picked to finish second with 132 points.
Green Bay also had multiple players picked on the Preseason All-League teams, highlighted by redshirt-junior Meghan Schultz, who made the First Team cut. Schultz was selected to the Horizon League All-League Third Team last season in her first season as a starter. The 6-4 center averaged 12.5 points and 4.3 rebounds last season, as well as tallying two double-doubles across her 34 starts. Schultz scored 20+ points six times a year ago, highlighted by a 26-point outing against North Dakota on Nov. 11, 2025.
Phoenix seniors occupy more than half of the Preseason All-League Second Team, featuring a returning Maddy Skorupski, Milwaukee transfer Jorey Buwalda, and Oregon transfer Elisa Mevius.
Skorupski has earned All-League Second Team honors twice, including in her first year at Green Bay last season, where she averaged 11.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.1 steals per game. She ranked second in assists and third in steals in the league, while also being named to the 2025-26 All-Tournament Team.
Jorey Buwalda was named to the HL All-League Third Team last season with Milwaukee, posting averages of 12.1 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, both leading the Panthers. A previous Horizon League Freshman of the Year in 2023-24, the Randolph, Wis. native recorded nine double-doubles last season and added 23 double-digit scoring performances in 31 games.
Elisa Mevius played in 30 games across two seasons for the Ducks. Mevius was off to a strong start in 2025-26 through two games, averaging 12.5 points on 57.9-percent from the field before a season-ending injury. Before her time at Oregon, Mevius played at Siena, averaging 11.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 3.3 steals per game across two seasons, as well as earning MAAC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2023-24. On top of her collegiate success, Mevius won the gold medal representing Germany in the Women’s 3×3 Basketball tournament at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Green Bay was picked to win the conference despite a turnover of nearly half the roster, graduating about 50-percent of its minutes played as well as 55-percent of its scoring output from the 2025-26 season. However, the Phoenix was able to bring in experienced transfers and their largest freshman pool in the Karius era to reinforce the roster heading into 2026-27. GB has seven newcomers, made up of three transfers and four true freshmen.
The Phoenix coaching staff will also look a little bit different this year, with Carley Neumann added as an Assistant Coach from Sioux Falls, and former player Cassie Schiltz joining the staff as an Assistant Coach after a DIII Final Four stint at UW-Oshkosh last season.
Green Bay will start the 2026-27 season with a home exhibition against UW-La Crosse on October 17, followed by an exhibition against UW-Stevens Point on Oct. 28, before tipping off the regular season at Duke on November 3.
Season tickets and individual tickets are on sale now. The 2026-27 promotional schedule will be announced soon. Below are the complete preseason poll results.
2026-27 Under Armour #HLWBB Preseason Poll
Pl. Team – Pts.
1. Green Bay – 142
2. Youngstown State – 132
3. RMU – 112
4. Oakland – 108
5. IU Indianapolis – 86
6. Northern Kentucky – 79
7. Cleveland State – 68
8. NIU – 54
9. Detroit Mercy – 51
10. Milwaukee – 40
11. Purdue Fort Wayne – 34
12. Wright State – 30
#HLWBB Preseason Player of the Year
Mackenzie Luehring, Oakland
Preseason All-League First Team (alphabetical order by school)
Meghan Schultz, Green Bay
Mackenzie Luehring, Oakland
Myriam Traore, RMU
Sarah Baker, Youngstown State
Jada Leonard, Youngstown State
Preseason All-League Second Team (alphabetical order by school)
Jorey Buwalda, Green Bay
Elisa Mevius, Green Bay
Maddy Skorupski, Green Bay
Olivia Smith, IU Indianapolis
Nevaeh Wingate, NIU
Comments