Women’s Basketball Ready to Set Sail
NEW LONDON, Conn. – After a season of growth and transition, the Mitchell College women's basketball team returns to the court for the 2025–26 campaign focused on taking the next step in the competitive Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) under first-year head coach Tory Kennedy.
The Mariners tip off the season on Saturday, November 8, against UMass Boston — the first of four straight home games that also feature visits from Lesley, Connecticut College, and Roger Williams. Mitchell then heads to Massachusetts for the Westfield Gas & Electric Tip-Off Tournament, taking on Albright on Friday, November 21, with another game the following day, before closing the month on the road at Anna Maria.
December brings two final non-conference matchups before the holiday break. The Mariners host Fisher on December 5 and Nichols on December 15 — two opportunities to fine-tune their game ahead of conference play.
When January arrives, the focus shifts to GNAC competition. Mitchell begins with back-to-back road trips to Saint Joseph's (ME) and Rivier, then returns home for key showdowns against Elms and Saint Joseph (Conn.). The team will be tested with a challenging late-month stretch on the road, visiting New England College, Regis (Mass.), and Colby-Sawyer in succession.
The Mariners close out the regular season in February with a run of conference games, highlighted by home matchups against Dean College, Norwich, Albertus Magnus, and Lasell. A lone road trip to Emmanuel breaks up the stretch before the conclusion of the regular season.
The Mariners return five players from a squad that went 2–18 last winter in its second season as a member of the GNAC. Senior guard Jamya Beddoe (New London, Conn.) will provide valuable veteran leadership, as the former Northeast Collegiate Conference (NECC) Rookie of the Year is coming off a season in which she averaged a team-high 10.7 points per game.
The sophomore guard duo of Jordyn Streitmatter (Brewster, Mass.) and Jade Hypolite (Houston, TX) both saw significant minutes as freshmen and will look to build on that experience to provide stability in the backcourt. Streitmatter finished second on the team in scoring last season, averaging 10.6 points per game, while Hypolite posted well-rounded numbers — 7.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.8 steals per game.
Additionally, the Mariners were selected to finish 13th in the 2025–26 GNAC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll, as voted upon by the league's 13 head coaches and released on Thursday afternoon.
"We've seen the rankings and we know what other people expect, but we also know what we're capable of," said Kennedy. "We're not focused on predictions; we're focused on growth. Every day is a chance to improve, stay united, and build on the little wins that lead to big ones."
Tip-off for the 2025–26 women's basketball season is set for Friday, November 7, as teams open with non-conference action. Conference play begins on Saturday, January 10. Teams will complete a 12-game, single-round-robin conference schedule, with the top eight teams at the end of the regular season earning berths into the 2025–26 GNAC Women's Basketball Championship Tournament.
The postseason begins with the GNAC Quarterfinals on Tuesday, February 24. The remaining four teams will advance to the GNAC Semifinals on Thursday, February 26, with the tournament culminating in the GNAC Championship Game on Saturday, February 28. The winner will be crowned 2025–26 GNAC Women's Basketball Champion and earn the league's automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship.
2025-26 Women's Basketball Preseason Poll Results
1) Saint Joseph's (Maine) 160 (6)
2) Emmanuel 146 (5)
3) University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) 144 (2)
4) Albertus Magnus 134
5) Rivier 120
T-6) Regis 85
T-6) Lasell 85
8) Norwich 74
9) New England College 66
T-10) Colby-Sawyer 61
T-10) Elms 61
12) Dean 30
13) Mitchell 17
