DENMARK, S.C. – The Voorhees University women's basketball team has been selected to finish 13th in the 2026-27 Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) Preseason Poll, as the conference announced its preseason rankings and All-HBCUAC selections ahead of the upcoming basketball season.
The Lady Tigers received 62 points in the preseason poll, placing them 13th among the conference's 16 programs. Voorhees enters the upcoming campaign looking to build on its 2025-26 season, which saw the Lady Tigers finish with a 13-15 overall record and a 4-9 mark in conference play. The Lady Tigers will look to improve their standing in the conference and establish momentum throughout the 2026-27 campaign.
Oakwood University enters the season as the conference favorite, earning 187 points and five first-place votes. Talladega College follows in second place with 169 points and two first-place votes, while Paul Quinn College ranks third with 162 points and two first-place votes. Philander Smith University (151 points) and Dillard University (141 points), each receiving one first-place vote, round out the top five.
Rust College's Lauren Bennett was named the HBCUAC Preseason Player of the Year and headlines the Preseason All-HBCUAC First Team.
Joining Bennett on the first team are Fisk University's Ari Branch, Oakwood University's Saniya Keys, Tougaloo College's Shalayne Morgan and Wilberforce University's Laniya Early.
The Preseason All-HBCUAC Second Team features Rust College's Davielis Berroa, Oakwood University's Kamaria Murray, Wilberforce University's Unique Miller, Wiley University's Brandy Jones and Philander Smith University's Ashlyn Kimble.
With the preseason rankings established, Voorhees will focus on building consistency and improving upon last season's conference performance. After finishing 4-9 in HBCUAC competition a year ago, the Lady Tigers will look to make strides in conference play and compete for a stronger finish in the league standings.
The Lady Tigers will officially open the 2026-27 season on Monday, November 2, at 5:30 p.m. ET, when they travel to Montreat, North Carolina, to face Montreat College in their season opener.
The road contest will mark the beginning of a new campaign for Voorhees as the Lady Tigers prepare for the challenges of the upcoming season and HBCUAC competition.
2026-27 HBCUAC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
| Rank |
School |
Points |
| 1 |
Oakwood |
187 (5) |
| 2 |
Talladega |
169 (2) |
| 3 |
Paul Quinn |
162 (2) |
| 4 |
Philander Smith |
151 (1) |
| 5 |
Dillard |
141 (1) |
| 6 |
Wiley |
124 (1) |
| 7 |
Stillman |
120 |
| 8 |
Wilberforce |
119 |
| 9 |
Fisk |
118 |
| 10 |
Tougaloo |
112 |
| 11 |
Rust |
99 (1) |
| 12 |
Huston-Tillotson |
69 |
| 13 |
Voorhees |
62 |
| 14 |
Southern University at New Orleans |
60 |
| 15 |
Jarvis Christian |
50 |
| 16 |
Virgin Islands |
25 |
First-place votes are listed in parentheses.
2026-27 Preseason All-HBCUAC Women's Basketball Teams
Preseason Player of the Year
Lauren Bennett – Rust College
First Team All-HBCUAC
- Lauren Bennett – Rust College
- Ari Branch – Fisk University
- Saniya Keys – Oakwood University
- Shalayne Morgan – Tougaloo College
- Laniya Early – Wilberforce University
Second Team All-HBCUAC
- Davielis Berroa – Rust College
- Kamaria Murray – Oakwood University
- Unique Miller – Wilberforce University
- Brandy Jones – Wiley University
- Ashlyn Kimble – Philander Smith University
Up Next
Voorhees at Montreat College (N.C.)
Date: Monday, November 2, 2026
Time: 5:30 p.m. ET
Location: Montreat College – Montreat, North Carolina
Game: 2026-27 Women's Basketball Season Opener
Fans can follow the Lady Tigers throughout the 2026-27 season for the latest news, schedules, scores and updates at
www.voorheesathletics.com.
