Bowling Green State University women’s basketball player Paige Kohler has been named to the Preseason All-Mid-American Conference (MAC) First Team. The announcement came as the MAC office released the Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Preseason Poll and the Preseason All-MAC Teams, based on votes from the league’s 13 head coaches.
The Falcons were projected to finish sixth in the conference for the 2025-26 season. Kent State was selected by the coaches as the favorite to win the regular-season title, receiving 133 points and five of the 13 first-place votes. Toledo followed with 118 points and two first-place votes, while Massachusetts, a new addition to the conference, received 115 points and three first-place votes. Ball State and Central Michigan rounded out the top five ahead of Bowling Green.
Kohler, who is from Olmsted Falls, Ohio, earned All-MAC Honorable Mention honors last season. She was also recognized for her academic achievements, being named to both the Academic All-MAC Team and the Academic All-District Team by College Sports Communicators. During the previous season, she started all 31 games and averaged 35 minutes per game. She was second on the team in scoring and rebounding, with averages of 13.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.
Kohler led the Falcons with 76 three-point field goals last season, shooting 36.7 percent from beyond the arc. She averaged 3.58 steals per game and had a 1.82 assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking second on the team in both categories. Within the MAC, she was second in minutes played per game and three-pointers made per game.
In her two seasons at Bowling Green, Kohler has scored a total of 759 points, collected 275 rebounds, dished out 223 assists, and made 116 three-point field goals. She currently ranks among the program’s all-time leaders in points per game (13th), assists per game (eighth), and three-pointers made per game (sixth).
Fans will have their first opportunity to watch Kohler and her teammates play on Friday evening, October 24, when Bowling Green hosts Wooster in an exhibition match at Stroh Center at 7:00 p.m.
The Falcons’ regular season begins on November 3 against Louisiana as part of the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge. The team will play six consecutive road games before returning home for their regular-season opener against Purdue Fort Wayne on November 30.
The full preseason poll ranked Kent State first with five first-place votes and Massachusetts as a notable newcomer in third place. Other teams rounding out the top positions included Toledo, Ball State, Central Michigan, and Bowling Green.
The Preseason All-MAC First Team selections are Paige Kohler (Bowling Green), Janae Tyler (Kent State), Kendall Carruthers (Toledo), Madi Morson (Central Michigan), and Sisi Eleko (Eastern Michigan). The Second Team includes Amber Tretter (Miami), Ayanna-Sarai Darrington (Central Michigan), Megan Olbrys (Massachusetts), Mya Babbitt (Kent State), and Yahmani McKayle (Massachusetts).
