BUFFALO, N.Y. - The Villa Maria College Women's Basketball team is poised for a turnaround season in 2026-27 with several new faces entering the fold.

Head Coach Joe Pawlak prepares for his inaugural season behind the Vikings' bench with a combination of key returnees and key newcomers.

"I'm greatly looking forward to coaching these student-athletes this season. They are a very close group, and we are continuing to improve that chemistry. What we lack in numbers, we make up for in our togetherness and toughness," Pawlak said.

"We are working hard to develop our culture, standards, and style of play as we continue to build our program day by day. We're competing every day in practice and have no doubt that competitive spirit will carry over into games. Go Vikings!"

Back for another season are key returnees Alyssa Saavedra, Keiliany Diaz, Angelina Budelewski, Promise Myers, and Kiki Mercado.

"Alyssa (Saavedra) is a do it all player that is capable of positively impacting the game for us in many ways. Keiliany (Diaz) is a tough player that is not going to back down on either end of the floor. Angelina (Budelewski) can be our anchor and inside presence. Promise (Myers) brings a positive mindset to our team with a good mentality, and Kiki (Mercado) is a warrior, who brings great energy and enthusiasm to our team."

Key new players to this year's team include Jeneva Dandrea-Terreri, Noora Alkaldi, Janelle Nation, Daja Jemes, and Sa'Niya Glover.

"While Janelle (Nation) and Daja (Jemes) focus on returning to full health, Jeneva (Dandrea-Terreri) is a player who we have high expectations for and think can develop into a heck of player for us. Noora (Alkaldi) loves the game and the gym, and has a high basketball IQ. Sa'Niya (Glover) has good length and athleticism and can defend at all levels."

The Women's Basketball season gets underway this weekend at Niagara College with a 2 p.m. tipoff on Saturday, Oct. 10.