Newtown, Pa. (Women's Basketball) - The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Commonwealth coaches have released their preseason poll ahead of the 2026-27 women's basketball season, and defending conference champion Messiah is the unanimous choice to repeat.
Messiah claimed all eight possible first-place votes and totaled 64 points to top the preseason poll. The Falcons enter the season looking to defend the MAC Commonwealth title they won last February with a 76-72 victory over Widener.
Widener was picked second with 56 points, followed by York in third with 43 points. Alvernia rounds out the top four at 40 points, with Stevenson fifth at 35.
The full preseason order: Messiah (64 points, 8 first-place votes), Widener (56), York (43), Alvernia (40), Stevenson (35), Albright (34), Neumann (24), Eastern (19) and Hood (9).
Messiah finished 2025-26 atop the standings as the No. 1 seed at 13-1 in conference play. Widener took the No. 2 seed at 11-3, and the two teams met for the championship after Messiah swept the regular-season series, 75-69 and 62-52.
2026-27 MAC Commonwealth Season Preview
Messiah enters the season as the clear favorite and brings back reigning MAC Commonwealth Player of the Year Liv Monturo, who returns as a graduate student after scoring 33 points in the Falcons' NCAA first-round win over Cortland. Honorable Mention guard EmmyFaith Wood is also back for her senior season, and Mike Miller, the 2025-26 Co-Coach of the Year, returns to lead the program. First Team guard Charlotte Milanesi was a senior a year ago.
Widener is picked second after reaching the championship game, and the Pride return Second Team guard Riley Stackhouse, now a junior, who had 13 points and 11 rebounds in the title game. They will have to reload without Defensive Player of the Year Lindsay Kutz and Second Team forward Avalyn Baer, both seniors a year ago. Alisa Kintner, the league's Co-Coach of the Year, remains at the helm.
York is picked third and brings back 2025-26 MAC Commonwealth Rookie of the Year Olivia Shutter, who will be a sophomore. Alvernia is fourth, but will look to replace Second Team forward Taryn Woodson and fifth-year Honorable Mention forward Jennah DeGout, both of whom have used up their eligibility.
Stevenson sits fifth and has one of the most promising young cores in the league. First Team guard Anaya Price and Honorable Mention guard Janiya Ennis were both sophomores last season and are now juniors. Albright is picked sixth with two Second Team guards back in Kenedy Cooper, a senior this season, and Chrisdin Jones, now a junior. Further down the poll, Neumann, which is new to the Commonwealth, and Eastern will be looking to climb, while Hood was picked ninth with 9 points.
2025-26 MAC Commonwealth Championship Notes
Messiah entered the 2026 MAC Commonwealth Championship as the No. 1 seed and won the title on Saturday, February 28, in Grantham, Pa., with a 76-72 win over No. 2 seed Widener. Messiah led 37-31 at halftime and 59-47 after three quarters, but the Pride outscored the Falcons 25-17 in the fourth to make it a game before falling short. Kutz scored 20 points with nine rebounds, Baer added 18 and Stackhouse had a double-double. The win earned Messiah the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament, where the Falcons beat Cortland 64-58 in the first round before falling to NYU 70-47 in the second.
2026-27 Season Schedule
- Season opener: November 6, 2026
- Conference play begins: December 2, 2026
- Postseason format: The top five teams in the MAC standings will qualify for the conference tournament
- Play-In Game (No. 4 vs. No. 5): February 22, 2027
- Semifinals: February 24, 2027
- Championship: February 27, 2027