Colorado University Athletics
Four Buffs Earn Preseason Conference Honors
January 28, 2026 | Lacrosse
BOULDER — Colorado's Jess Peluso and Elena Oh landed two of the Big 12 Conference's top preseason awards, the league announced on Wednesday.
Peluso was selected as one of two Preseason Co-Defenders of the Year, while Oh was voted the conference's Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year. Senior attacker Maddie Shoup and senior midfielder Lily Assini were also tabbed Preseason All-Big 12, along with Peluso and Oh.
All four players were unanimous selections.
"We are very excited about the second season of Big 12 lacrosse," head coach Ann Elliott Whidden expressed. "The Big 12 is home to some incredible lacrosse players and programs, and we are honored to have our players recognized by the conference. Jess, Maddie, and Lily are part of an incredible senior class leading our team this spring. The three of them, along with their classmates, bring incredible competitiveness, intensity and leadership to our program, and we are excited for their senior season.
"And, what a great honor for Elena in her second season. We are fortunate to have a great group of goalies who work hard and push each other every day in practice. It is a competitive atmosphere and brings out the best. We are excited for Elena to build off her freshman season. We did not end last year as we had hoped. It was a year of many uncontrollables for us, and I know this group, led by these four and our senior class, is excited to get back on the field!"
Pelsuo, the 2025 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, picked up her second All-America honor last season. She had 29 ground balls, 19 caused turnovers, and recorded the fifth most draw controls in CU history with 96 last season. Peluso earned two Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors and had two games with double-digit draw controls. She enters 2026 ranked ninth in CU history in draw controls (101) and tied for third in caused turnovers (71).
Oh, a 202 Big 12 All-Newcomer Team selection, broke onto the scene in a big way last year for the Buffs. She led the conference with a 9.81 goals-against average in her 14 starts and recorded five or more saves 12 times last season. Oh posted 83 saves and ranked third in the Big 12 in save % (.399). She made a season-high 12 saves against Army last season and picked up five ground balls against Arizona State in the Big 12 Tournament. Oh became the first CU lacrosse player to earn four consecutive weekly awards last season, earning Goalkeeper of the Week four straight weeks in March.
Assini earned her second All-Conference selection last season, finishing the year with career-highs in goals (23), points (39) and assists (16). She was second on the team in assists and ranked third in both goals and points. Her 1.00 assists per game ranked ninth in CU history. She twice scored a career-high four goals last season and had a career-high five points at San Diego State. Assini had 34 draw controls last year and 20 ground balls. She starts the new season eighth in program history with 103 draw controls.
Shoup received her first All-Conference nod last season, totaling career-bests with 30 goals and 13 assists. She ranked second on the team in goals and points (43), and eighth in the Big 12 with .88 shots per game. Shoup twice recorded a career-high seven points last season and recorded five hat tricks. She had a career-high four caused turnovers against UC Davis last season and finished the year with 12 total caused turnovers.
The Buffs were also picked third in the Big 12 Preseason Coaches' Poll, behind Florida and Arizona State. UC Davis, Cincinnati and San Diego State rounded out the final three spots.
Colorado finished 8-8 last season and was second in the Big 12 with a 4-1 record.
2026 Captains
Coach Whidden also announced the team's three captains for the season, in seniors Mary Carson, Assini and Peluso.
"Mary, Jess, and Lily have given so much to this program over the past 3.5 years," Whidden explained. "They are part of an incredible senior class that has impacted our program from day one. Our senior class brings positive energy and competitiveness to practice every day and pushes their teammates to be great. They are committed to Colorado Lacrosse at every level and make it a pleasure to coach this team.
"Our three captains are simply representatives of what that entire class brings, and I am so excited for them and this season. The three of them complement each other very well and each one of them brings a different style of leadership to our program. I know they will be great leaders for this program this season."
CU opens the season with a visit to No. 2 Northwestern on Feb. 9 (6 p.m. MT). Colorado's first home game is slated for Feb. 15 against Cornell (1 p.m. MT).
Season and single-game tickets are on sale now at CUBuffs.com/WlaxTix
For more information on Colorado Lacrosse, please visit cubuffs.com/wlax. Fans of the Buffs can follow @cubuffswlax on Instagram, X, TikTok, and Facebook.
