Youngstown, Ohio — Youngstown State's women's basketball team was picked to finish fifth in the 2024-25 Under Armour Horizon League Preseason Coaches poll, the league announced on Wednesday.
The Penguins, who will begin their first season under head coach Melissa Jackson on Nov. 4, received 63 points in the poll of the league's 11 head coaches.
The poll had distinct groupings of teams, and the Penguins were at the top of the third group. Cleveland State received seven first-place votes and 117 points overall, and Green Bay had the other four first-place votes and received 114 points to be slotted second. The next tier had Purdue Fort Wayne in third with 98 points and Milwaukee in fourth with 85 points.
Only 10 points separated the next grouping as Youngstown State had 63 points, Wright State had 58, and Northern Kentucky had 53. The bottom group of four teams included Detroit Mercy with 39 points, Oakland with 38, IU Indianapolis with 36 and Robert Morris with 25.
Youngstown State finished in a tie for sixth place last season with a 9-11 Horizon League record. The Penguins won a game as the seventh seed in the conference tournament and finished with an overall mark of 14-18. Youngstown State has averaged 19 wins overall and is 40-22 in conference play over the last three seasons.
The 2024-25 Penguins will feature six returners from last year's team and 10 newcomers. The returners include fifth-year senior Malia Magestro, fourth-year senior Haley Thierry, junior Abby Liber, and sophomores Abbie Davidson, Mackenzie Hurd and Bella Samz. The large group of newcomers includes transfers Faith Burch (junior), Dacia Lewandowski (redshirt-freshman), Xoe Rosalez (junior) and Jewel Watkins (senior). The six-member true freshman class is Sarah Baker, Hayden Barrier, Danielle Cameron, Sophia Gregory, Erica King and Ashlynn Van Tassell.
2024-25 Under Armour #HLWBB Preseason Poll
Pl. – Team – Pts. (First-place votes)
1. – Cleveland State (7) – 117
2. – Green Bay (4) – 114
3. – Purdue Fort Wayne – 98
4. – Milwaukee – 85
5. – Youngstown State – 63
6. – Wright State – 58
7. – Northern Kentucky – 53
8. – Detroit Mercy – 39
9. – Oakland – 38
10. – IU Indianapolis – 36
11. – RMU – 25
