Taking the Next Step: Trinity Women’s Basketball Talks Setting the Tone for the 2025-26 Season

Meg Lavinder ’28

Contributing Writer

At the beginning of the 2024 season, the future of the Trinity women’s basketball program was unforeseeable. With a new coaching staff and several key players having graduated, Sammie Slofkiss ’26 recalled to the Tripod that “Outside perspectives didn’t expect us to be as good as we had been in past years.” Despite this uncertainty, Head Coach Maria Williamson and Assistant Coach Erin Hughes led the Bantams through a strong season. Ending with a record of 19-9 and a NESCAC semifinal run, the squad capped their campaign off with a national championship tournament appearance. “We all kind of embraced the unknown and bought into our new team and our new plan,” Slofkiss told the Tripod.

Olivia Vick ’27 added that she is proud of the team’s perseverance last season but is focused on building even more momentum. “We really shocked a lot of people. This year the goal is to show people that it’s a consistent thing.” Vick’s absence on the court this year due to a season-ending injury will undoubtedly be felt. Leading the team last year in points, field goals and minutes played, her stellar sophomore season earned her an All-American honorable mention from the New England Women’s Basketball Association (NEWBA). Still an active member of the team, Vick is excited to see what Williamson’s three new additions will bring to the squad. 

Michelle Azzun ’29, Alex Carbonaro ’29 and transfer student Kayla Cuthbertson ’27 are already contributing to the program. “I’m so excited to watch them grow,” Vick told the Tripod. The Bantams have been hard at work in the off-season, challenging each other to play pick-up games and spending hours in the gym with strength coach Matt Violette, who makes intense preseason conditioning fun.  

“He does all this training to have us see results and to help us feel confident in the fact that our bodies are strong and we can do it. We appreciate that a lot,” Slofkiss said. Avery Marzo ’27 added that the team has also laid the groundwork for developing a healthy and encouraging team culture outside of basketball. 

“We genuinely like being with each other and I feel like that will only propel us into a game,” she said ahead of the team’s season opener against The College of New Jersey on Friday, Nov. 15. In an exciting comeback victory fueled by Marzo’s 23-point performance, the Bantams overcame a 17-point deficit to win the game by six points. 

The squad has a long winter ahead of them, with 24 regular season matchups on the schedule. Melissa Whitmore ’26 is eager to face fellow NESCAC institutions. “We only play each NESCAC team once. Defending our home court is the biggest thing,” Whitmore said. Williamson is looking forward to facing the Smith College Bears in an upcoming battle. “We have a nice little rivalry going on,” she told the Tripod. The away game is slotted for Nov. 30 and carries weight for the Bantams. “Smith is always our game right after Thanksgiving, so it brews for a while in our head,” Marzo said. The Bantams are excited for what is to come with that game and many others on the horizon. Following last season’s success and this season’s promising start, Vick has a message for those waiting to see what’s next: “Don’t be shocked by our greatness.”