With all five starters returning from a team that won its first Liberty League title since 2017-18 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history, Skidmore College was selected the preseason favorite in a vote by the conference’s head coaches.
The Thoroughbreds received 80 points and eight first place votes for top honors while Ithaca College was picked to finish second with 74 points and a pair of first place votes. Vassar College (57) and St. Lawrence University (53) round out the top four with the Brewers edging the Saints for third. They were followed by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI, 43), Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT, 41), Union College (39), William Smith College (34), Clarkson University (20), and Bard College (9).
Skidmore (23-6, 16-2 Liberty League) finished the 2022-23 campaign with its first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2018 and a program-best 23 wins. With the graduation of only one, the Thoroughbreds are poised to build upon last year’s momentum heading into the 2023-24 campaign. Julia Blanck, who garnered All-Liberty League first team honors last season, headlines the team’s returning players. She paced Skidmore’s offense last year with 8.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, 1.2 steals, and 1.2 assists per game. Among league leaders, she was first in rebounds (285), rebounds per game, and blocks (62). She was a 76.3 percent free-throw shooter and posted 47.3 percent from the field. Becca Horger and Emmy Plage are also key returnees for the Thoroughbreds. Horger appeared in 24 games, averaging 3.4 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. Plage also played in 24 games to go along with 2.2 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.
Ithaca wrapped up last season at 24-5 overall (17-1 Liberty League) and advanced to the conference championship game for the fourth straight year before falling to Skidmore. The Bombers snagged an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, marking the program’s sixth consecutive and 18th appearance in program history. Despite the departure of six, including three 2022-23 All-Liberty League selections (Emily Dorn, Lindsey Albertelli, and Natalie Smith), Ithaca will look to last year’s strong supporting cast to step up and fill those holes. Hannah Polce and Camryn Coffey will lead this year’s squad after playing in 29 and 28 games respectively last season. Polce, started 20 games and posted a team-high 47 steals, ranking her second in the league and fourth in steals per game (1.6). She also averaged 6.8 points and 1.7 assists per game. Coffey made 12 starts and was fourth among the team’s top scorers last season, averaging 8.0 points per game to go along with 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. She made a team-high 25 free throws while ranking second in free throw percentage (.833). Annabella Yorio will also be a key contributor, in 29 games (6 starts) she totaled 170 points (5.9 ppg) and 157 rebounds (5.4 rpg),
Vassar returned to the Liberty League postseason for the fifth consecutive season and closed out the 2022-23 campaign at 18-9 overall and 14-4 in league play. The Brewers welcome a new head coach with the addition of Meredith Mesaris, a former Division III Women’s Basketball player (University of Scranton ’15), with coaching stops at Hendrix College, Williams College, Dartmouth College, and the University of Hartford. She will look to an experienced core group of players to lead this year’s team, including Julia Harvey, an All-Liberty League second-team selection. Harvey started in all 27 games last season, finished second on the team in scoring (10.1 ppg), third in rebounds (4.3 rpg) and was Vassar’s top three-point shooter with 43, good for fifth among league leaders. Teammates Tova Gelb, Sierra McDermed, and Nayia Kurnik are also back. Gelb played in 25 games last season, producing 8.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. She was second on the team in steals with 44 and third in assists with 38 while also ranking third in field-goal percentage (.444). McDermed had a strong rookie season for the Brewers playing in all 27 games. She was third in scoring with 223 points (8.3 ppg) and averaged 3.4 rebounds per game (91). Fellow rookie Kurnik played in 25 games and finished the year with 134 points (5.4 ppg), 71 rebounds (2.1 rpg), 18 steals, and 15 assists.
Despite being one of the younger teams in the conference with six first-year players last year,
St. Lawrence advanced to the postseason for the third straight year. The Saints closed out the 2023-24 campaign with an overall mark of 13-12 and 9-9 mark against conference opponents. Last season’s experience should translate well on the court with the graduation of only two. The 2022-23 Liberty League Rookie of the Year Jackie Malley returns, she started all 25 games last season and was second on the team in minutes (638), points (264), and rebounds (111). She finished the year among the league’s top 10 in scoring (T-9th, 10.6 ppg) while pacing the conference in three-pointers made (65), good for a league-best 2.8 per game. Classmate Hannah Van Dyke also made an immediate impact as a rookie, averaging nearly 20 minutes per game (19 starts). She totaled 137 points (5.5 ppg) and 95 rebounds (3.8 rpg) while ranking third on the team in steals (22). Shannon Rhone is also expected to be a significant contributor for the Saints after starting all 25 games last year. She averaged three assists per game (75 total), tying for fifth among league leaders to go along with 7.3 points per game and 1.9 rebounds per game.
RPI closed out last season with a trip to the Liberty League tournament for the second time since 2019-20 and advanced to the semifinals with an overtime victory in the first round before falling to Ithaca. The Engineers posted an overall record of 14-13 and went 10-3 against league opponents. They will be a young squad for the 2023-24 season, welcoming seven first-year players but a strong veteran core is back, including two of the team’s top offensive threats from a year ago. Ashlyn O’Neil headlines the 2023-24 roster after pacing the team in scoring with 10.6 points per game last season. The All-Liberty League Honorable Mention selection played in 19 games, where she shot 37.1 percent from the field and 83.3 percent from the foul line. She added 3.8 rebounds per game, 24 assists, 19 steals, and two blocked shots. Nicole DaPra will also bring a boost to the offense after playing in all 27 games last season. She was second on the team with 8.7 points per game and 6.5 rebounds per game. She also chipped in 64 assists and 27 steals. Marley Mueller is back as a junior after finishing the year second on the team in field-goal shooting percentage (.423). In 21 games, she produced 6.8 points per game and 3.1 rebounds per game.
RIT will look to make some noise in the standings as they just missed the league tournament for the first time since 2014-15 last year, closing out the year at 8-17 overall (6-12 Liberty League). A year of experience should translate well on the court for the Tigers after welcoming six first-year players last year. Emma Waite, an All-Liberty League Honorable Mention selection, returns after starting all 25 games last season. She led the team in minutes (787, 31.5 per game), points (313, 12.5 per game), three-pointers (48), assists (86), steals (41), and defensive rebounds (69). Waite was among the league’s top five in assists per game (3rd, 3.4), steals per game (4th, 1.6) and points per game (5th). She will be joined by teammates Sydney Pearson and Erin DiPaola. Pearson saw limited action in 16 games but made the most of it, pacing the team in rebounds per game with 5.9 and ranking second in blocked shots with 17. She also contributed 79 points (4.9 ppg) and 14 steals. DiPaoloa had a strong rookie season, appearing in 22 games and making 21 starts. She was second on the team in minutes per game (37.6) and assists, dishing out 47 and averaging 2.1, good for 14th among league leaders. She also posted 6.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.
Union (10-15, 8-10 Liberty League) ended last season with its third trip to the Liberty League tournament in the last four years and the Garnet Chargers will look to extend that streak to four in the last five heading into the 2023-24 campaign. Despite the graduation of four, the team is a seasoned with eight upperclassmen in the lineup. Seniors Kennedy Clark and Maura Conan highlight the key returning players for Union. Clark, who played and started in all 25 games last season, was tops on the team and league in steals with 54, averaging 2.2 per game. She had at least one steal in 21-of-25 games while pacing the Garnet Chargers with 28.2 minutes per game, 75 assists and 52 steals. She was also among the top four in scoring with 182 points (2nd, 7.3 per game) and rebounding with 91 (4th, 3.6 per game). Conan played in all 25 games (13 starts), averaging 4.6 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. She recorded a team-best 22 three-pointers and shot 34.9 percent from beyond the arc. Jelena Perovic is back as a sophomore after playing in all 25 games (2 starts) last season. She produced a team-best 46.3 field-goal percentage to go along with 5.4 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.
With the graduation of only two,
William Smith is poised to make some moves in the league standings this year. The Herons will look to Brooke Jarvis to lead the squad after earning All-Liberty League Second Team honors following last season. She appeared and started in 24 games, averaging a team-best 15.1 points per game. She was also second in rebounds per game (7.1) and blocked shots (24). Among league leaders, she was third in points per game and eighth in rebounds per game. Jarvis shot .365 from the floor, good for third in the conference, and her .686 shooting percentage from the free throw line was second in the league. The Herons also welcome back Maddie Patrick and Kerstin Kelly to bolster the roster. Patrick played in all 25 games (24 starts) while ranking third on the team in points per game (7.6), rebounds per game (5.4), and assists per game (1.5). In 22 games, Kelly averaged 4.3 points, 2.3 assists and 1.4 rebounds per game.
Clarkson begins a new chapter in 2023-24 with the hiring of new head coach Sherry Dobbs. Dobbs is no stranger to Division III New York Basketball with assistant coaching stints at SUNY Potsdam, Ithaca College, and most recently Hamilton College. He will look to a trio of returning players to bring a veteran presence to the court in Cassidy Dumont, Bella Doyle and Raelin Burns. Dumont garnered All-Liberty League First Team accolades after leading the league with 17.1 points per game and a .395 field goal shooting percentage. She was second in three-pointers made per game (2.0) with a team-best 46 on the year. Dumont also averaged 4.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. Doyle and Burns will look to build upon strong rookie seasons for the Golden Knights, they both played in all 23 games last season. Doyle averaged 7.0 points per game and a team-best 8.1 rebounds per game. She also paced the team in blocked shots (20) and was third in steals with 26. Primarily coming off the bench for Clarkson last season, Burnes finished the year with 8.5 points and 2.2 rebounds per game to go along with 24 assists and 21 steals.
Bard will be a seasoned team this upcoming season with four starters back and the graduation of only one. Three of the team’s top scorers return in Shirley Dong, Mae Redmond and Maggy Peyton. Dong, in her first year with the Raptors, made an immediate impact finishing the year second on the team with 9.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. She paced Bard in three-point shooting (.288), good for sixth in the conference, and assists (53), ranking among the league’s top 12 in assists per game (T-11th, 2.3). Redmond was third on the team in points and points per game at 145 and 7.3 respectively. She also contributed 65 rebounds, 28 assists, 10 steals, and a block. Peyton played and started in all 23 games last season, leading the team in rebounds (207) and rebounds per game (9.0). She also averaged 5.5 points per game (127 total) and 0.8 assists per game (18 total).
The 2023-24 Division III Women’s Basketball season gets started on Wednesday, November 8 with four league teams kicking off non-conference action (Clarkson, Union, RPI, and Skidmore). League play begins the weekend of December 1 and 2 with a full slate of games.
2023-24 Liberty League Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll
Place. Team, Points
- Skidmore, 80 (8)
- Ithaca, 74 (2)
- Vassar, 57
- St. Lawrence, 53
- RPI, 43
- RIT, 41
- Union, 39
- William Smith, 34
- Clarkson, 20
- Bard, 9
(First-place votes are in parentheses)