Lebanon, IL - An all-region forward, a veteran point guard, and an incoming class with winning credentials give McKendree University Women's Basketball plenty to work with entering the 2026-27 season.
Head Coach Kari Kerkhoff begins her 12th season with nine players returning from a team that finished 18-9 overall and 15-5 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The Bearcats placed fourth in the regular season standings and won their final seven regular season games before falling to Lewis in the GLVC Tournament Quarterfinals.
McKendree was picked fourth again in the conference's preseason coaches' poll, receiving 141 points behind Maryville, #25 UMSL, and Drury. The returning group helped establish an identity worth carrying forward: the Bearcats led the GLVC in scoring offense at 73.5 points per game, offensive rebounding at 14.9 per game, and rebounding margin at +9.0.
FULL 2026-2027 SCHEDULE
FULL 2026-2027 ROSTER
SETTING THE TONE
Senior forward Baylie Parks returns after averaging a team-best 16.1 points and 9.3 rebounds while shooting 52.3% from the field. The Lake Zurich, Illinois native also led McKendree with 42 steals and 17 blocks, earning First Team All-GLVC recognition and a spot on the D2CCA All-Midwest Region Second Team.
Her junior campaign included a 35-point, 14-rebound double-double against UIS and a 27-point, 13-rebound effort in the conference tournament. That production gives the Bearcats an established scoring option and a presence on the glass as they work new pieces into the lineup.
Senior guard Emma Slings provides continuity at the point after starting all 27 games and averaging a team-high 30.1 minutes per game. She finished with 106 assists against 56 turnovers, a 1.89 assist-to-turnover ratio, while contributing 6.6 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. Her experience running the offense will be valuable as McKendree blends its returning personnel with four newcomers.
Another senior, Madison Johnson, returns after making 22 starts in her first season with the Bearcats. The Harrisonville, Missouri native averaged 4.8 points and 3.7 rebounds, shot 47.8% from the floor and collected 26 steals. Alongside Parks and Slings, Johnson gives Kerkhoff a returning trio with substantial starting experience.
RETURNING DEPTH
Redshirt sophomore forward Morgan Feil made the most of her minutes last winter, averaging 5.9 points and 4.7 rebounds in 12.3 minutes per game. She grabbed 52 offensive rebounds and shot 81.8% at the free throw line. Junior forward Taylor Fohey also appeared in all 27 games, supplying 4.8 points and 3.7 rebounds per game while shooting 47.5% from the field.
Sophomore guards Kylie Moeller and Hannah Fenton return with a full season of college basketball behind them. Moeller played in all 27 games, averaged 3.6 points and converted 47.9% of her field goal attempts and 84.0% of her free throws. Fenton appeared in 26 games, averaging 2.1 points while tallying 16 assists against 12 turnovers.
Redshirt junior guard Maliah Sparks averaged 3.1 points across seven appearances last season. Redshirt sophomore guard Jayce Privia played in 18 games, averaging 2.2 points and 1.9 rebounds. Privia opened the season with a team-high 13 points against Harris-Stowe, offering a glimpse of the scoring she can contribute to the backcourt.
FOUR NEWCOMERS JOIN THE MIX
Senior guard Sam Lindhorst arrives after stops at Division-I Northern Kentucky and NJCAA Division-II Lincoln Land. A First Team All-American and First Team All-Conference selection for the latter, the Waterloo, Illinois native brings experience from both the junior college and DI levels. The 5'8" guard appeared in five games at Northern Kentucky and joins Slings and Johnson among the seniors in McKendree's backcourt.
Graduate forward Alana Francis adds size and experience to the frontcourt. The 6'2" transfer from Lynn University appeared in 27 games with 13 starts in 2025-26, averaging 1.9 points and 2.4 rebounds while shooting 45.1% from the floor. Francis led the Knights with 19 blocked shots, giving the Bearcats another option to protect the basket.
Freshman guard Avery Tibbs comes to Lebanon following a decorated career at Washington High School. The Washington, Illinois native finished with a school-record 2,160 career points, the most by any boys or girls player in program history. A two-time IBCA First Team All-State selection and four-time unanimous First Team All-Mid-Illini honoree, Tibbs also helped Washington capture an IHSA Class 3A State Championship.
Freshman forward Emma Sampson brings a strong rebounding resume from Fall River High School in Wisconsin. The 6'0" Rio, Wisconsin native surpassed both 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds, earned four First Team All-Conference selections and was named Trailways Conference Player of the Year. She joins Francis in an incoming frontcourt group that complements the returning Parks, Feil, and Fohey.
NEW ADDITIONS ON THE COACHING STAFF
Kerkhoff's staff includes assistant coach Terra Aulbur, who begins her fourth season, and new graduate assistant coaches Marley Smith and Jayln Patterson. Smith comes to McKendree after playing at Lincoln Land and Flagler College, while Patterson completed her career at Illinois College with 1,139 points and two All-Midwest Conference selections.
The program also carries national academic recognition into the new year. McKendree earned a place on the WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll for 2025-26, tying for 24th in NCAA Division II with a 3.72 Team GPA.
EARLY TESTS AND A RETURN TO PUERTO RICO
The Bearcats open their schedule with a noon exhibition against Greenville on Thursday, November 5th at 12:00 PM at the Melvin Price Convocation Center. The regular season begins at home against Delta State on Monday, November 9th at 6:00 PM, followed by another 6:00 PM home game against Union (TN) on Thursday, November 12th.
McKendree heads to Quincy for the Hansen-Spear Funeral Home Classic, facing Purdue Northwest on November 20th and seventh-ranked Minnesota State-Mankato on November 21st. The Mavericks led NCAA Division II in scoring last season at 91.2 points per game, presenting an early challenge for the Bearcats' defense.
A November 25th trip to Wayne State in Detroit and a December 13th home game against Parkside round out the mainland portion of the non-conference slate. McKendree then returns to Rincon, Puerto Rico for games against Puerto Rico-Bayamon on December 16th and Puerto Rico-Mayaguez on December 17th. The Bearcats defeated both programs during their last visit in the 2023-24 season.
THE GLVC ROAD AHEAD
Conference play begins on the road at Missouri S&T on December 2nd and Lincoln on December 5th. Following the holiday break, McKendree opens January with three consecutive home games against Drury on January 2nd, UIndy on January 4th, and Lewis on January 7th.
The league schedule shifts primarily to a Wednesday/Saturday format this season, with several Monday and Thursday games mixed in. Among the matchups with the preseason poll's top three teams are a January 20th visit to Drury, a January 23rd home date with Maryville, and a February 17th trip to #25 UMSL.
Alumni Day is set for January 16th against Upper Iowa, while Senior Day will accompany the February 27th regular season finale against Southwest Baptist. Both games tip off at 1:00 PM at the Melvin Price Convocation Center.
The GLVC Tournament moves to Civic Arena in St. Joseph, Missouri this season, with competition scheduled for March 4th-7th. For a McKendree team returning much of the group that won seven straight to close last year's regular season, the next opportunity is to build on that finish and carry it further into March.
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