LATHAM, N.Y. – Defending conference champion St. Mary’s College of Maryland has been selected as the favorite in the 2026–27 United East Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll following a vote of the conference’s 13 head coaches.
The Seahawks received 11 first-place votes and 142 total points after completing an undefeated conference season and capturing their first United East championship in 2025–26. Penn College earned one first-place vote and 125 points to finish second in the poll. Penn State Abington collected the remaining first-place vote and followed closely with 124 points. Cedar Crest College was selected fourth with 107 points, while Notre Dame of Maryland University rounded out the top five with 95 points.

St. Mary’s went 13–0 in conference play last season before defeating Penn State Abington, 73–44, in the United East championship game. The Seahawks trailed 28–27 at halftime before outscoring the Nittany Lions 46–16 in the second half to secure the conference title and an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Two-time reigning United East Coach of the Year LaTanya Collins returns a talented group led by Player of the Year Olivia Liszt and fellow First Team All-Conference selection Keira Mason.

“This team is a good blend of old and new,” Collins said. “We return some key pieces from last year’s team, and we added quite a few newcomers who are excited to compete in a Seahawk jersey for the first time. We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to compete, play the game we love and represent SMCM. We want our fans to see our excitement and gratitude through our play.”

Liszt scored 376 points and averaged a team-leading 14.5 points per game last season. She made 43 three-pointers while shooting 35.2 percent from beyond the arc. The returning senior also shot 47.7 percent from the field, the second-best mark in the conference. Mason returns after leading the Seahawks with 223 rebounds and averaging 7.7 per game. She also scored 366 points and shot 46.2 percent from the field before recording 20 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in the conference championship game.

“We have to show up every day with a willingness to work,” Collins said. “The blue-collar approach to everything is important for our program. This is a competitive conference, and we have to be willing to work for our wins. In addition to our willingness to work, we have to embrace togetherness. Basketball is a team sport so finding joy in competing together and hopefully winning a championship is our daily focus.”

Penn College enters the season ranked second after finishing 11–2 in conference play and earning the No. 2 seed in last year’s championship. The Wildcats return First Team All-Conference selection Gigi Parlante and Second Team honoree Breana Valentine. Parlante led Penn College with 434 points, averaging 16.7 points per game while shooting 52.7 percent from the field. She also collected 238 rebounds and averaged 9.2 per contest, finishing just shy of averaging a double-double. Valentine added 12.0 points per game for the Wildcats.

Penn State Abington ranks third after winning 20 games and advancing to the United East championship game last season. The Nittany Lions return leading scorer Amirah Hackney, who earned First Team All-Conference recognition after scoring 475 points and averaging 17.6 per game. Second Team All-Conference performer Nia Newman also returns after leading Abington with 193 rebounds and averaging 7.1 per contest. The Nittany Lions finished 11–2 in conference play and carried an 11-game winning streak into last season’s championship game.

Cedar Crest was selected fourth following a 9–4 conference campaign. The Falcons return reigning Defensive Player of the Year Samora Merchant, who led the United East with 225 rebounds and 75 blocked shots while averaging 11.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per game.

Notre Dame of Maryland earned the fifth position after finishing 8–5 in conference play last season. Penn State Harrisburg ranks sixth with 87 points, followed by Lancaster Bible College in seventh with 80 points. Wilson College was selected eighth, while Gallaudet University claimed the ninth and final projected postseason position. Penn State Brandywine, Penn State Berks, Keystone College and Cairn University complete the poll.

The 2026–27 United East Women’s Basketball Championship will feature nine teams. The tournament begins Tuesday, February 16, with the No. 8 and No. 9 seeds meeting in the first round. The quarterfinals are scheduled for Saturday, February 20, followed by the semifinals on Wednesday, February 24, and the championship game on Saturday, February 27.

The complete 2026–27 United East Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll is listed below.

Rank	Team	Points	First-Place Votes
1	St. Mary’s College of Maryland	142	11
2	Penn College	125	1
3	Penn State Abington	124	1
4	Cedar Crest College	107	—
5	Notre Dame of Maryland University	95	—
6	Penn State Harrisburg	87	—
7	Lancaster Bible College	80	—
8	Wilson College	68	—
9	Gallaudet University	60	—
10	Penn State Brandywine	46	—
11	Penn State Berks	33	—
12	Keystone College	28	—
13	Cairn University	19	—

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