Youngstown State fifth-year seniors Emily Saunders and Mady Aulbach have been honored by the Horizon League for earning postseason accolades from a vote of the conference's head coaches. The League announced its awards on Monday afternoon.

Saunders, a forward from Mullens, W. Va., was voted to the All-Horizon League Third Team while also earning All-Defensive Team recognition. Aulbach, a guard who hails from Beaver Falls, Pa., is one of two players who won the Horizon League's Sportsmanship Award.

In her first season as a collegiate starter, Saunders was one of the premier posts in the conference. She led the Horizon League with a .596 field-goal percentage and 70 blocks during the regular season, and she heads into the conference tournament ranking among the top 25 players in the country in those statistics. Her 70 blocks are the second-most in a season in program history, and she averaged 2.7 blocks per game in Horizon League play. Saunders also ranked fourth in the conference during the regular season with 7.0 rebounds per game, and she was 14th in scoring with 11.9 points per contest.

Saunders' selection gives Youngstown State an all-conference post for the 11th time in the last 14 seasons. She also extended the Penguins' streak of having an all-defensive team pick to three years.

Aulbach is sharing the Horizon League's Sportsmanship Award, which recognizes student-athletes who have distinguished themselves through demonstrated acts of sportsmanship and ethical behavior. Aulbach is a three-year team captain, and she is serving as the president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee at both YSU and the Horizon League. Aulbach was an All-Defensive Team selection in 2021-22, and she ranks second in career games played at Youngstown State with 138.

Youngstown State will host IUPUI in the first round of the 2024 Barbasol Horizon League Women's Basketball Championship on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The game at Beeghly Center will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and 570 WKBN.