LANCASTER, Pa. – The Franklin & Marshall women's basketball team begins the 2024-2025 season this weekend with a trip to the University of Rochester for the Rochester Tournament. F&M will play their opening contest against (RV) Whitman on November 8, while they'll face either FDU-Florham or hosts Rochester on November 9.
Head coach Brianna Spector begins her fourth season leading the Diplomats. Four starters from a season ago return for 2024-25 following the departure of Jaclyn Feit.
Returners
F l Molly Flanagan – Sr.
G l Quinn Galligan – Sr.
G l Ally Trebelev – Sr.
G l Leila Walton – Sr.
F l Kennedy Wilburn – Sr.
G l Hailey Cabanas – Jr.
G l Lizzie Neville – Jr.
F l Lauren Rusas – Jr.
F l Lian Aviles – So.
G l Kayla McCrea – So.
F l Steph Sexton – So.
F l Gia Sioutis – So.
G l Mackenzie Ward – So.
Newcomers
C | Cleo Dallaris - Fy.
G | Sophie Levine - Fy.
C | Lucie Racicky - Fy.
Guard
The returning guards are led by Lizzie Neville, who spent the most time on the court for the Diplomats last season with 33.4 minutes per game. She led the Diplomats last season with 2.7 assists per game (seventh among Centennial players) and 2.5 steals per game (second among Centennial players), while she led all returning players with 9.5 points per game last year. Her 1.1 three-pointers per game ranked 13th in the Centennial Conference. Quinn Galligan begins her last year of collegiate basketball after averaging 6.3 points per game, 1.7 steals per game, 2.6 rebounds per game, and 1.1 assists per game. She averaged the second most minutes per game (31.0) for the Diplomats. Ally Trebelev enters her senior year after posting a team-best 6.8 rebounds per game, while she was second in steals per game (1.8) and third in points per game (8.5). Kayla McCrea was also a starting guard last year, as she contributed the second-most assists per game (1.7), 3.8 points per game, 1.1 steals per game, and 2.5 rebounds per game. Mackenzie Ward earned the most time of bench players last year, averaging 18.2 minutes per game of service and contributing 2.4 rebounds per game and 1.0 assists per game. Hailey Cabanas and Leila Walton return as a guard option, while Sophie Levine is the lone first-year guard to join the Diplomats after earning All-State and Second Team All-Conference honors as part of a Providence Day School that was a NCISAA State Runner-Up.
Forward
Gia Sioutis averaged 10.3 minutes per game last year, contributing 2.9 points per game and 1.9 rebounds per game. Other returning options at forward include Molly Flanagan (1.5 rebounds per game), Lauren Rusas (1.9 points per game, 1.4 rebounds per game), Steph Sexton, Lian Aviles, and Kennedy Wilburn.
Center
The Diplomats welcome a pair of first-year centers in Cleo Dallaris and Lucie Racicky. Dallaris joins F&M following a senior year where she was named an All-County and All-Defensive player, while she helped earn a Nassau County Class A Championship for Cold Spring Harbor High School. Racicky helped Holy Redeemer High School to a PIAA 3A State Quarterfinal this past season and was named to the 570 All-Star Team while earning a Defensive Player Award.
In The Polls
F&M was selected to finish 10th in the Centennial Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Poll with 25 points. #6 Johns Hopkins sits first with 97 points and seven first-place votes, while defending Centennial Conference champions Gettysburg are second with 94 points and four first-place votes. To view the complete poll, click here.
Looking Ahead
Following the Rochester Tournament, the Diplomats will host Eastern (Nov. 16) and York (Nov. 19) ahead of the Terry Greene Tip-Off Tournament. They'll face Lancaster Bible (Nov. 22) in the opening round, and will then play either Delaware Valley or Alvernia the next day (Nov. 23). F&M hosts Centenary on November 26, ahead of a pair of Centennial Conference games before the calendar switches to 2025. They host Swarthmore on December 4 and #16 Gettysburg on December 7.
F&M returns to conference action at Haverford on January 8, followed by a home game against McDaniel on January 11. The next three games are away including #16 Gettysburg (Jan. 15), #6 Johns Hopkins (Jan. 18), and Ursinus (Jan. 22). The Diplomats wrap up January with home games against Dickinson (Jan. 25) and Washington College (Jan. 29)
F&M concludes the 2024-25 regular season with five February games. They'll start away at McDaniel (Feb. 1) and Bryn Mawr (Feb. 8) before hosting Muhlenberg (Feb.12) and #6 Johns Hopkins (Feb. 15). The regular season finale is away to Dickinson (Feb. 19).
The Centennial Conference Tournament will run from February 25 through March 2. The NCAA Tournament will begin on March 7, and this year's NCAA Tournament National Championship will be played March 22 at the Cregger Center in Salem, Va.
Follow Along (Streaming)
All F&M home contests are streamed in HD at centennialconference.tv/godiplomats. Live stats will be available during each contest by clicking on the appropriate link in the schedule page.
Follow Along (Social Media)
All of your favorite Diplomat athletic teams are available on social media. Follow them on Twitter and Instagram, like them on Facebook and subscribe to the Diplomats YouTube page.
