Colorado University Athletics
Four Buffs Receive 2026 Nike Lacrosse All-America Honors
May 15, 2026 | Lacrosse
BOULDER – Colorado's Lily Assini, Elena Oh, Jess Peluso, and Maddie Shoup garnered 2026 Nike Lacrosse Media All-America honors as announced by Inside Lacrosse on Friday. This is the fourth straight season the Buffaloes have been represented in the national awards.
Peluso earned a second-team selection, the highest honor for a Buff since 2018. This is the second straight season being honored as a Nike Lacrosse Media All-American, after being recognized as an honorable mention last season.
Peluso, an East Islip, N.Y., native, became the first player in CU history to earn multiple conference player of the year awards, earning back-to-back Big 12 Defender of the Year honors. She started all 20 games and led the conference with 2.11 caused turnovers per game, helping the top defense in the country. Peluso won four Big 12 Defender of the Week honors and one Big 12 Draw Specialist of the Week this season. This year, she has put herself firmly in the record book in many regards. Peluso is now the all-time CU record holder with 113 caused turnovers, fifth in draw controls with 161, and sixth in ground balls with 110. She was named to the Preseason Tewaarton Watch List as well as a unanimous All-Big 12 selection.
Shoup earned her first selection, being named to the third team. This is the highest honor for her, after being named an honorable mention by USA Lacrosse Magazine last week.
Shoup led the Buffs' offense this season. She led the team with both goals (47) and assists (24). Her 24 assists rank sixth all-time, and her 71 points are seventh in a single season in CU history. After eight points in the Buffs' double overtime loss to Northwestern, Shoup moved up to tenth all-time with 142 points. After an eight-goal performance in the conference tournament, she was named the Big 12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
Both Assini and Oh were named honorable mentions, bringing the total to four players named to the All-American teams. The same four were named to the USA Lacrosse Magazine teams a week ago.
Assini, a Colorado native, finished fourth on the team with 30 goals and second on the team with 23 assists. She ended a streak of 34 games with at least a point going back to last season. She has added 29 ground balls, 23 draw controls, and 17 caused turnovers.
Oh, a Chapel Hill, N.C., native, posted all 16 wins in net for the Buffs this season, recording her first season with double-digit wins and the most in a season in CU history. She leads the conference and the country, allowing only 6.89 goals per game. Oh earned seven Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Week honors this season, pushing her career total to 11. She was named to the Tewaarton Watch List during the season. Oh is the first Colorado player to earn Goalkeeper of the Year honors in addition to being a unanimous All-Big 12 selection.
The four selections are the most in a single season for the Buffs from this publication. It is the tenth, 11th, 12th, and 13th Inside Lacrosse Media All-America selections for the program.
Along with the All-American distinction, the four were also named to the IWLCA West/Midwest All-Region Teams. Assini, Peluso, and Shoup were named to the first team, with Oh on the second team.
After being selected, they are now eligible for selection to a national IWLCA All-American team. The IWLCA will announce the 2026 All-American teams on May 21.
For more information on Colorado Lacrosse, please visit cubuffs.com/wlax. Fans of the Buffs can follow @cubuffswlax on Instagram, X, TikTok, and Facebook.
Peluso earned a second-team selection, the highest honor for a Buff since 2018. This is the second straight season being honored as a Nike Lacrosse Media All-American, after being recognized as an honorable mention last season.
Peluso, an East Islip, N.Y., native, became the first player in CU history to earn multiple conference player of the year awards, earning back-to-back Big 12 Defender of the Year honors. She started all 20 games and led the conference with 2.11 caused turnovers per game, helping the top defense in the country. Peluso won four Big 12 Defender of the Week honors and one Big 12 Draw Specialist of the Week this season. This year, she has put herself firmly in the record book in many regards. Peluso is now the all-time CU record holder with 113 caused turnovers, fifth in draw controls with 161, and sixth in ground balls with 110. She was named to the Preseason Tewaarton Watch List as well as a unanimous All-Big 12 selection.
Shoup earned her first selection, being named to the third team. This is the highest honor for her, after being named an honorable mention by USA Lacrosse Magazine last week.
Shoup led the Buffs' offense this season. She led the team with both goals (47) and assists (24). Her 24 assists rank sixth all-time, and her 71 points are seventh in a single season in CU history. After eight points in the Buffs' double overtime loss to Northwestern, Shoup moved up to tenth all-time with 142 points. After an eight-goal performance in the conference tournament, she was named the Big 12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
Both Assini and Oh were named honorable mentions, bringing the total to four players named to the All-American teams. The same four were named to the USA Lacrosse Magazine teams a week ago.
Assini, a Colorado native, finished fourth on the team with 30 goals and second on the team with 23 assists. She ended a streak of 34 games with at least a point going back to last season. She has added 29 ground balls, 23 draw controls, and 17 caused turnovers.
Oh, a Chapel Hill, N.C., native, posted all 16 wins in net for the Buffs this season, recording her first season with double-digit wins and the most in a season in CU history. She leads the conference and the country, allowing only 6.89 goals per game. Oh earned seven Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Week honors this season, pushing her career total to 11. She was named to the Tewaarton Watch List during the season. Oh is the first Colorado player to earn Goalkeeper of the Year honors in addition to being a unanimous All-Big 12 selection.
The four selections are the most in a single season for the Buffs from this publication. It is the tenth, 11th, 12th, and 13th Inside Lacrosse Media All-America selections for the program.
Along with the All-American distinction, the four were also named to the IWLCA West/Midwest All-Region Teams. Assini, Peluso, and Shoup were named to the first team, with Oh on the second team.
After being selected, they are now eligible for selection to a national IWLCA All-American team. The IWLCA will announce the 2026 All-American teams on May 21.
For more information on Colorado Lacrosse, please visit cubuffs.com/wlax. Fans of the Buffs can follow @cubuffswlax on Instagram, X, TikTok, and Facebook.
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