Forbes, Vice, Volker Tabbed Preseason All-BIG EAST
10/21/2025 7:40:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Golden Eagles selected second in preseason poll
NEW YORK - Marquette University landed a trio of Golden Eagles on the on the 2025-26 BIG EAST Women's Basketball Preseason All-BIG EAST Team, the conference announced on Tuesday morning at its annual media day at Madison Square Garden. It is the most preseason selections for MU since 2018 when the program had four preseason honorees.
Fifth-year guard Lee Volker, junior forward Skylar Forbes and junior guard Halle Vice were Marquette's three selections. Forbes and Volker were both unanimous selections following their postseason all-conference honors last March.
An All-BIG EAST First Team selection in 2024-25, Forbes averaged a team-high 15.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, and broke the program record for blocks in a season with 56. The 6-foot-3 forward also led the BIG EAST and was eighth in the nation in free-throw percentage, shooting 90.9% (120-of-132), the second-highest percentage in a single season in program history.
An All-BIG EAST Second Team selection last season, Volker averaged career-bests of 12.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game. The 6-foot-1 guard ranked fifth in the BIG EAST in shooting percentage from the floor at 47.2% and her 41.5% from 3 (44-of-106) was the hird-highest percentage by a senior or graduate student in program history.
Vice averaged 11.5 points and a team-leading 7.4 rebounds per game last season. The 6-foot-1 guard was first on the team shooting 49.8% (137-of-275) from the floor.
The only team in Division I to return all of its players from the 2024-25 season, Marquette was picked to finish second in the annual preseason poll. Last October, the Golden Eagles were picked to finish 10th. The eight-spot jump from one year's preseason poll to the next is a first in BIG EAST history. The previous high was a six-spot jump which had occurred multiple times. MU was the last team do that, going from ninth in 2016 to third in 2017.Â
At the helm of the program is Cara Consuegra, the reigning Co-BIG EAST Coach of the Year, who led the Golden Eagles to 21 wins in her first season back in Milwaukee.
Marquette opens the 2025-26 slate at home on Nov. 3 against Winthrop. Tipoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT.
2025-26 BIG EAST Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
2025-26 BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year – Sarah Strong, UConn, So., F
2025-26 BIG EAST Preseason Freshman of the Year – Kelis Fisher, UConn, Fr., G
2025-26 Preseason All-BIG EAST Team
* Unanimous selections
Fifth-year guard Lee Volker, junior forward Skylar Forbes and junior guard Halle Vice were Marquette's three selections. Forbes and Volker were both unanimous selections following their postseason all-conference honors last March.
An All-BIG EAST First Team selection in 2024-25, Forbes averaged a team-high 15.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, and broke the program record for blocks in a season with 56. The 6-foot-3 forward also led the BIG EAST and was eighth in the nation in free-throw percentage, shooting 90.9% (120-of-132), the second-highest percentage in a single season in program history.
An All-BIG EAST Second Team selection last season, Volker averaged career-bests of 12.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game. The 6-foot-1 guard ranked fifth in the BIG EAST in shooting percentage from the floor at 47.2% and her 41.5% from 3 (44-of-106) was the hird-highest percentage by a senior or graduate student in program history.
Vice averaged 11.5 points and a team-leading 7.4 rebounds per game last season. The 6-foot-1 guard was first on the team shooting 49.8% (137-of-275) from the floor.
The only team in Division I to return all of its players from the 2024-25 season, Marquette was picked to finish second in the annual preseason poll. Last October, the Golden Eagles were picked to finish 10th. The eight-spot jump from one year's preseason poll to the next is a first in BIG EAST history. The previous high was a six-spot jump which had occurred multiple times. MU was the last team do that, going from ninth in 2016 to third in 2017.Â
At the helm of the program is Cara Consuegra, the reigning Co-BIG EAST Coach of the Year, who led the Golden Eagles to 21 wins in her first season back in Milwaukee.
Marquette opens the 2025-26 slate at home on Nov. 3 against Winthrop. Tipoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT.
2025-26 BIG EAST Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
1. UConn - 100 (10 first-place votes)
2. Marquette - 85
3. Seton Hall - 80 (1)
3. Seton Hall - 80 (1)
4. Villanova - 78
5. Creighton - 61
6. St. John's - 56
7. Georgetown - 48
8. DePaul - 32
9. Butler - 30
10. Providence - 20
11. Xavier - 15
2025-26 BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year – Sarah Strong, UConn, So., F
2025-26 BIG EAST Preseason Freshman of the Year – Kelis Fisher, UConn, Fr., G
2025-26 Preseason All-BIG EAST Team
KK Arnold, UConn, Jr., G
Azzi Fudd, UConn, Gr., G *
Ashlynn Shade, UConn, Jr., G
Azzi Fudd, UConn, Gr., G *
Ashlynn Shade, UConn, Jr., G
Serah Williams, UConn, Sr., F *
Skylar Forbes, Marquette, Jr., F *Â
Halle Vice, Marquette, Jr., G
Lee Volker, Marquette, Gr., G *
Savannah Catalon, Seton Hall, Jr., G *
Jada Eads, Seton Hall, So., G *
Jasmine Bascoe, Villanova, So., G *
Honorable Mention
Kate Clarke, DePaul, Sr., G
Victoria Rivera, Georgetown, Sr., G
Meri Kanerva, Xavier, So., G
* Unanimous selections
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballHighlights: MU 76, JMU 80 (OT) (3/23/25)
Monday, March 24
WBIT Postgame Presser: Cara Consuegra (3/23/25)
Sunday, March 23
Postgame Interview: Marquette HC Cara Consuegra on ESPN+ (3/20/25)
Saturday, March 22
WBIT Postgame Presser: Marquette's Cara Consuegra & Halle Vice (3/20/25)
Friday, March 21