BRIGHTON, Mich. – The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association has announced the results of its 2026-27 Women's Basketball Coaches' Poll. Atop the poll are the Trine University Thunder.
 
Hope College is second with 59 points, just three less than the Thunder. Trine took six first place votes and the Dutch were awarded the other three. Calvin University took third place and Albion College was fourth. Alma College, Saint Mary's College, Adrian College, Kalamazoo College, and The University of Olivet completed the poll.
 
The Thunder will begin their quest for a third consecutive MIAA Regular Season Championship and tenth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance on November 11 at Baldwin Wallace. Trine continues the non-conference slate continues at Ohio Northern and Wisconsin Lutheran.
 
The Thunder will play in the inaugural Midwest Challenge, a four-team tournament of the top teams in Division III from the Midwest. Trine will play WashU on November 28 and the play either DePauw or Illinois Wesleyan the next night. Trine opens conference play on December 5 at Kalamazoo, and the home opener is slated for December 12 against Olivet.
 
Trine's annual Holiday Classic is set for December 18-19 and will feature Ohio Wesleyan and Millikin. The Thunder travel to the Lone Star State on December 29-30 to take on Hardin-Simmons and McMurray.
 
The focus then shifts to MIAA play on January 2 at Saint Mary's. The double round robin format sees the Thunder host Alma, Adrian and Calvin in the first portion and Kalamazoo, Albion, Saint Mary's, and Hope in the second half. Trine will close out the regular season on February 20 against the Dutch.
 
Trine returns all five starters and three bench players that played more than ten minutes per game last year. The Thunder are tall, all five freshmen are 5' 10" or taller and the roster averages just over 5' 10".
 
Callie Nichols and Annika Southworth return to lead the backcourt. Southworth became the first freshman in program history to earn First Team All-MIAA honors last year, playing 31.4 minutes per game while scoring 9.6 points per game and collecting 3.4 rebounds. Nichols will run the offense after dishing out just under three assists per game last season.
 
Senior three point sharp shooter, Ally Capouch is back after making 72 triples a season ago at a 37% clip. Capouch average 15.4 points per game over the final eight games last season. Madison Wagner joins her from beyond the arc, the junior made 45 long balls last season at a 39% rate.
 
In the front court, Hailey Cole and Olivia Marks both return to their starting roles from last season. Marks leads the Thunder defense and is a menace on the boards, pulling in 7.2 rebounds per game last season. Cole's presence is felt on the offensive end, the junior scored 8.5 points per game and is an 80% free throw shooter.
 
Sophie Gesell and Zoe Willems return after playing key roles last season. Gesell does her work in the front court where she shoots 51.6% from the field. The sophomore scored 4.6 points and grabbed 3.7 rebounds a year ago. Her best performance came in the first round of the NCAA Tournament where she scored a career high 14 points and swatted four shots. Willems boasts a strong defensive presence and plays well in transition. The junior scored 4.3 points per game last year on 11.8 minutes per game.
 
Freshmen Alivia Farnham, Carys Crossland, Aubri Korfhagen, and Sienna Gills are expected to contribute minutes for the Thunder this season.
 
Trine opens its season on November 11 at Baldwin Wallace University.