Poughkeepsie, NY – Coming off its first Liberty League title since 2014 and its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019, the Vassar College Women's Basketball team will host the Hochberg Family Tip-Off Tournament to open the 2024-25 season. The Brewers will take on Misericordia Friday at 5:30 p.m. with Ursinus and William Paterson squaring off at 7:30 p.m. Live stats and video will be available for all four games of the tournament for those unable to attend.
Quick Hitters
- Vassar posted a 25-3 overall record and a 17-1 mark against Liberty League rivals in 2023-24.
- Vassar knocked off Skidmore 44-32 in the conference title game with Tova Gelb (Sharon, MA) tabbed the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
- After suffering a road loss to New Paltz in the second game of the season, Vassar ripped off 21 straight victories before dropping a 49-48 decision at William Smith on February 16.
- Vassar returns 15 players from last season's roster, including First Team All-Liberty League selections Gelb, Julia Harvey (Delmar, NY) and Sierra McDermed (San Antonio, TX).
- The same trio were all named D3Hoops.com All-Region III with Gelb landing on the First Team, Harvey earning Second Team honors and McDermed receiving a Third Team nod.
- In total, Vassar welcomes back seven players that played at least 10 minutes per game a season ago.
- The Brewers rose to as high as #20 in last season's WBCA Coaches Poll.
- Vassar took on #19/9 Washington and Lee in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament.
Backcourt
- The backcourt is highlighted by the three returning First Team All-Conference selections.
- Gelb shot 45.9-percent from the floor as a junior and averaged 14.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per tilt.
- McDermed led the team in scoring with 14.6 points per game and converted at 39.5-percent from three-point range. McDermed hauled in better than six rebounds per tilt and added 1.6 assists and a team-high 1.3 blocks per game.
- Harvey was good for 13.6 points per game as a junior and collected nearly five rebounds per game. Harvey was the team's best free-throw shooter a season ago, converting at better than 82-percent.
- Maddie Ahearn (Bethlehem, PA) averaged 17.4 minutes per game last season and knocked down 20 three-pointers while totaling 16 assists and 15 steals.
- Maureen Regan (Oak Lawn, IL) returns after seeing time in 23 games as a First Year and producing 2.4 rebounds per game, 16 assists and 14 steals.
- Junior Sam Lederman (East Brunswick, NJ) returns after playing in 12 games as a sophomore.
- Senior Ashley Mostrom (Germantown, MD) was limited to eight games due to injury a season ago.
- Fellow senior Tash Thompson (Los Altos Hills, CA) appeared in 26 games as a junior, averaging just over 10 minutes per game.
- Juniors Margo Gramiak (Wilmington, DE) and Kolby Davis (Houston, TX) add depth to the position group for the Brewers in 2024-25.
- Sophomores Sophia Ippolito (Cumberland Center, ME) and Emery Mullen (Charlton, MA) return after being limited by injury during their First Year campaigns. Ippolito was limited to 10 games due to injury, while Mullen missed the entire 2023-24 campaign.
Front Court
- Junior Bella Tawney (Simsbury, CT) is back as a junior after starting all 28 games for the Brewers last season. Tawney averaged better than five rebounds per game, totaled 47 assists and was second on the team with 31 blocked shots.
- Classmate Caroline Siekman (Islesboro, ME) averaged just over 17 minutes per game as a sophomore and was good for 4.5 rebounds per game while handing out 46 assists.
- Fellow junior Ava Gurley (Austin, TX) appeared in six games for the Brewers as a sophomore.
- Newcomers Maddie Hooper (Greenwich, CT) and Erin Lovett (Norwalk, CT) will look to step in and make an immediate impact for Vassar starting with Friday's season opener.
Head Coach
- Meredith Mesaris is back on the sidelines in her second year as Head Coach.
- After posting a 25-3 overall record in her first season, Mesaris headlined the Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year.
- Mesaris went on the be named the D3Hoops.com Region III Coach of the Year and was made a WBCA Thirty Under 30 honoree.
The Schedule
- The Brewers play their first four games of the season at home, welcoming #22/23 New Paltz and Trinity (CT) to Poughkeepsie following the Hochberg Family Tip-Off Tournament.
- The initial road test is the first Liberty League weekend when Vassar will head to Ithaca and William Smith.
- Following a midweek trip to Skidmore, Vassar will head to Florida to play Preseason #6/6 Johns Hopkins and #16/14 Catholic as part of the St. Pete Classic December 29-30.
- The non-conference finale is set for January 4 when Mount Saint Mary crosses the Hudson to visit Poughkeepsie.
- Following a trip to the North Country, Vassar closes the regular season with nine of the final 13 games at home.
- A seven-game home stand begins with RPI on January 17 and concludes with St. Lawrence on February 1.
- After a four-game road swing, the Brewers finish off the regular season hosting William Smith and Ithaca.
- The Liberty League Championship commences on February 25 with the First Round and continues with the Semifinals on February 28. The conference champion will be crowned on Sunday, March 2.
Liberty League Preseason Poll
- Vassar, 80 (8)
- Ithaca, 74 (2)
- Union, 58
- Skidmore, 57
- St. Lawrence, 53
- RIT, 39
- RPI, 32
- William Smith, 29
- Clarkson, 19
- Bard, 9
