LANCASTER, Pa. – The Franklin & Marshall women's basketball team opens the 2026-27 season on Saturday, November 7 with a trip to Lycoming. The Diplomats will be under the direction of interim head coach Jacob Robinson who leads the team after spending two years as an assistant with the program. Cherelle Simmons returns as an assistant coach, with Allyson Scerbo joining the staff in the role vacated by Robinson's elevation.
The Diplomats have finished seventh in the Centennial Conference during each of the past two seasons and will be looking to make their first playoff appearance since the 2011-12 campaign. F&M has posted back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2012, compiling a 29-21 record during that time.
Franklin & Marshall's roster will have plenty of experience with five seniors on this year's team. Joining the program will be six first-years, with two juniors and three sophomores additionally back in the fold.
2026-27 Diplomats
- Seniors: Mackenzie Ward (G), Kayla McCrea (G), Lian Aviles (F), Gia Sioutis (F), Steph Sexton (F)
- Juniors: Sophie Levine (G), Cleo Dallaris (C)
- Sophomores: Sam Lehman (G), Gianna Modica (G), Fiona Reckner (G)
- First-years: Kay DeRose (G), Addi McNally (G), Madelyn Shanley (G), Jennifer Fox (G), Mia McCauliffe-Grant (F), Annabel Koss-DeFrank (F)
Guard
Kayla McCrea has already been a two year starter for the Diplomats and is the team's top returning scorer after averaging 8.4 points per game a season ago. She is also 29th in program history with 116 assists entering her final season. Mackenzie Ward entered the starting lineup last season and averaged just over five points per game.
Gianna Modica will be one of the leading candidates to take over at point guard as she appeared in all 25 games last season. Fiona Reckner also appeared in all 25 games during her rookie season. Reckner averaged 4.1 points per game while pulling down 2.5 rebounds per night in just over 17 minutes per game. Sam Lehman appeared in 12 games during her rookies season, while Sophie Levine appeared in nine contests during her rookie season.
Forward/Center
Gia Siotuis was the team's second leading scorer after more than tripling her point production as a junior. She averaged nearly eight points per game while snatching just over six rebounds. Fellow seniors Steph Sexton and Lian Aviles bolster the veteran experience in this group. Sexton appeared in 24 games a season ago and averaged 11 minutes per night. Aviles has played in 20 games during her career. Junior Cleo Dallaris was an inside presence during 19 games last season where she blocked 13 shots. That included four in the season opener a year ago at Lycoming.
In The Polls
Franklin & Marshall was picked to finish ninth in the Centennial Conference preseason poll despite its recent trend upwards in the standings. Gettysburg was selected as the preseason favorite, while Johns Hopkins also earned two first-place votes. Ursinus, McDaniel, Dickinson, and Swarthmore were the remaining predicted playoff teams.
Looking Ahead
The Diplomats will play 12 games inside the Mayser Center during the upcoming season. That includes the annual Terry Greene Tournament where they welcome Lancaster Bible and Gallaudet to campus. Misericordia, York (Pa.), and Centenary will also visit Lancaster in non-conference action, while F&M travels to Lycoming, Drew, FDU-Florham, and Salisbury. F&M will also take part in Lynchburg's tournament that opens up with a game versus Mary Washington just before the New Year.
The Centennial Conference will follow the same playoff procedure as last year with the top six teams making the postseason by their Centennial record. Dickinson, McDaniel, Gettysburg, and Johns Hopkins are the teams that the Diplomats will see twice. Single contests versus Ursinus, Bryn Mawr, Haverford, Muhlenberg, and Washington College are included in the 13 game conference slate.
The Centennial Conference Tournament will run from February 23 through February 27 for the top six teams in the conference's final standings. The NCAA Tournament gets underway on Friday, March 5.
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 X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, like them on Facebook and subscribe to the Diplomats YouTube page.
