SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – North Dakota State was tabbed to repeat as Summit League Women’s Basketball regular season champions and Bison forward Avery Koenen was selected as Preseason Player of the Year for the 2026-27 season, League officials released Tuesday. The voting panel included the League’s eight head coaches, sports information directors, and select media members. 
 
The Bison, who finished the 2025-26 League season with a 15-1 record, enters the new campaign atop the preseason poll for the first time in program history. Last season, the Bison broke a Summit League single-season record during the regular season with a run of 23 consecutive victories on their way to the conference crown and secured 456 points, including 24 of the 32 available first-place votes. 
 
South Dakota State, who finished second before winning a fourth consecutive tournament title a year ago, was the runner-up in the poll, receiving 429 points and the remaining eight first-place votes. The Jackrabbits wrapped up the 2025-26 season 27-7 overall with a 14-2 mark in league action. 
 
South Dakota, who finished in third place with a 12-4 league record, was selected to finish third, earning 359 points. In her third season at the helm, head coach Carrie Eighmey looks to continue building after making a trip to the WNIT Final Four last season.  
 
St. Thomas was tabbed to finish fourth with 283 points. Following a dominant run in DII at Minnesota Duluth, Mandy Pearson takes the reigns in her first season as head coach. The Tommies came in fifth last season with an 8-8 conference record and earned a quarterfinal victory in the Summit League Tournament.  
 
Oral Roberts was picked fifth with 253 points, which is one spot back of where the Golden Eagles finished last season. Second-year head coach Cophie Anderson looks to build off an 8-8 conference season in 2025-26 and to continue applying pressure on defense.  
 

Kansas City, who returns Candi Whitaker as head coach, was selected to finish sixth. Omaha and North Dakota, who shared eighth place a season ago, followed in the poll at seventh and eighth, respectively. The Mavericks collected 151 points, while the Fighting Hawks tallied 121. 
 
Koenen, the 2025-26 Summit League Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, enters the season as the league’s highest returning scorer following an All-America campaign. The Montevideo, Minnesota, native averaged 19.8 points and 11.9 rebounds per game in Summit play a year ago while ranking second in both field goal percentage (.638) and blocked shots (1.6 bpg). 
 
Joining Koenen, on the Preseason All-Summit League first team are her teammates, Jocelyn Schiller and Marisa Frost, Kansas City’s Elauni Bennett, St. Thomas forward Alyssa Sand and South Dakota guard Molly Joyce. 
 
Koenen and Sand return as All-League First Team honorees from last season, while Joyce earned a spot on the Preseason All-Summit League First Team after capturing Newcomer of the Year honors in her debut season with the Coyotes. Bennett, Frost and Schiller return as second team honorees.  
 
The Preseason All-Summit League Second Team is comprised of Kansas City’s Emani Bennett, North Dakota State’s Karrington Asp and the South Dakota State trio of Emilee Fox, Hadley Thul and Katie Vasecka. Fox earned a spot on the Preseason All-Summit League Second Team after landing All-Summit League Second Team honors last season while Karrington Asp returns following Freshman and Sixth Woman of the Year honors last season. 
 
Points for the preseason poll were compiled on a 8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis, while all-league teams were compiled on an 11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. The top six vote-getters earned first-team honors and the next five were selected to the second team. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own student-athletes or team. 
 
2026-27 Preseason Summit League Player of the Year 
Avery Koenen, North Dakota State* 
 
2026-27 Preseason All-Summit League First Team 
Elauni Bennett, Kansas City, Sr., G (10.0 ppg, 7.9 rpg)# 
Marisa Frost, North Dakota State, Jr. G (13.2 ppg, 2.5 apg)# 
Avery Koenen, North Dakota State, Jr., F (19.8 ppg, 11.9 rpg)# 
Molly Joyce, South Dakota, Sr., G (15.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg)# 
Alyssa Sand, St. Thomas, Jr. F (14.1 ppg, 8.5 rpg)# 
Jocelyn Schiller, North Dakota State, Jr., G (11.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.9 apg)# 
 
2026-27 Preseason All-Summit League Second Team  
Karrington Asp, North Dakota State, So., F (10.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg)# 
Emani Bennett, Kansas City, Sr., G (12.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg)# 
Emilee Fox, South Dakota State, Jr. G (9.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg )# 
Hadley Thul, South Dakota State, So., G (6.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg)# 
Katie Vasecka, South Dakota State, Jr., G (8.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg)# 
#Stats from 2025-26 Summit League games 
*Preseason player of the year automatically earns a spot on the first team 
 
2026-27 Summit League Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll 

Rank	School	Points (1st)	2024-25 Record (SL)
1.	North Dakota State	456(24)	29-5 (15-1)
2.	South Dakota State	429 (8)	27-7 (14-2)
3.	South Dakota	359	26-10 (12-4)
4.	St. Thomas	283	16-16 (8-8)
5.	Oral Roberts	253	15-15 (8-8)
6.	Kansas City	212	7-23 (4-12)
7.	Omaha	151	6-27 (3-13)
8.	North Dakota	121	7-24 (3-13)

  
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