For the first time in program history, the Youngstown State women's basketball team has been selected as the favorites in the Horizon League Preseason Coaches Poll. The conference office announced its poll and preseason all-league teams on Tuesday.

Behind Preseason All-Horizon League First-Team selection Lilly Ritz, YSU received eight out of a possible 11 first-place votes in the 2022-23 preseason poll. That gave the Penguins 118 points, which was 12 more than second-place Green Bay and 16 more than third-place Cleveland State. Youngstown State shared the Horizon League regular-season title last season with an 18-4 conference mark after being picked seventh in the 2021-22 preseason poll. That's a sharp contrast to this poll as all 11 coaches ranked the Penguins either first or second.

Youngstown State's highest preseason ranking in the poll prior to this season was third in 2013-14. That was the first season under Head Coach John Barnes, who is the reigning Horizon League Coach of the Year after leading the Penguins to their first regular-season conference title in 23 years in 2021-22.

While YSU received eight first-place votes, Green Bay was picked by two coaches to win the league, and Cleveland State was placed at the top of the poll by one. Behind the Vikings' 102 points, Northern Kentucky was slotted fourth with 88 points, Milwaukee was fifth with 75, and IUPUI, which shared the regular-season crown with YSU last season, was pegged sixth with 67 points. The bottom five teams in the poll were Oakland (47), Purdue Fort Wayne (44), Robert Morris (42), Wright State (26) and Detroit Mercy (11).

Ritz was one of five student-athletes voted to the Preseason All-League First Team. She was joined by Horizon League Preseason Player of the Year Destiny Leo (Cleveland State), Hailey Oskey (Green Bay), Megan Walstad (Milwaukee) and Lindsey Duvall (Northern Kentucky). The picks for the preseason second team were Bailey Butler (Green Bay), Rachel Kent (IUPUI), Ivy Turner (Northern Kentucky), Breanne Beatty (Oakland) and Shayla Sellers (Purdue Fort Wayne). Ritz and Walstad are the only two posts to earn preseason all-league mentioning.

Ritz was named to the All-Horizon League First Team and the All-Defensive Team in 2021-22, which was her first season at the Division I level. A transfer from Division II Wheeling, she ranked among the top three players in the conference in scoring (16.9 ppg), rebounding (9.5 rpg), field-goal percentage (.569) and double-doubles (11). Defensively, she ranked third in steals (2.0 spg), sixth in blocks (0.93 bpg) and fifth in defensive rebounding (5.9 rpg). Ritz had YSU's highest scoring average since 2014-15, highest rebounding average since 2012-13, fourth-best shooting percentage in program history and the most steals per game since 2010-11. She was the first Penguin ever to earn all-defense and all-league accolades in the same season.

Youngstown State will begin the 2022-23 season on Nov. 7 by hosting Wofford at 7 p.m. at Beeghly Center. The team's first Horizon League contest will be at Northern Kentucky on Dec. 2, and the conference home opener will be against Cleveland State on Dec. 29. For tickets, call the YSU Athletics Ticket Office at (330) 941-1978.