MANHEIM, Pa. – The Gannon women's wrestling team will enter the 2026-27 season ranked No. 21 nationally in the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) NCAA Women's Tournament Top 25 poll, released Friday, Oct. 23.
The Golden Knights received nine points in the preseason tournament rankings, tying Lindenwood for 21st place. Gannon is one of four NCAA Super Region II programs featured in the national poll, joining No. 5 Lehigh, No. 12 Lock Haven and No. 17 West Liberty.
Leading the way for head coach
Erin Vandiver is returning All-American
Bella Phillips (Bellingham, Wash./Squalicum High School), who enters the season ranked No. 4 nationally at 180 pounds. Phillips also earned the top spot in the NCAA Super Region II individual rankings released Friday.
Phillips enjoyed a historic 2025-26 campaign, becoming Gannon's first NCAA All-American in women's wrestling during the sport's inaugural season as an NCAA championship sport.
She earned the distinction with a fifth-place finish at 180 pounds at the inaugural NCAA Women's Wrestling Championships. Phillips compiled a 32-8 record with 17 technical falls and four falls while capturing the NCAA Super Region II championship.
The Bellingham, Wash., native posted a 4-2 record at the NCAA Championships, including a 7-2 victory over Lock Haven's Azariah Moore in the fifth-place match. Phillips enters the new season ranked third in program history with 70 career victories, just 31 shy of tying
Lili Ujfalvi's (Kecskemet-heteny, Hungary/Bolyai Janos Secondary School) school record of 101.
She already holds Gannon's career records for winning percentage (.805) and technical falls (41), while also owning the program's single-season technical falls record with 24 in 2024-25.
Joining Phillips in the regional rankings is
Caroline Biegel (Ringwood, N.J./DePaul Catholic), who is ranked No. 4 in NCAA Super Region II at 207 pounds. Biegel finished her first season with the Golden Knights with a 6-9 record, including four technical falls, and placed fourth at the ESU Open.
The 2026-27 season also marks the first year of Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) women's wrestling competition. Gannon joins East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Lock Haven, Pitt-Johnstown and associate members D'Youville and Felician in the seven-team conference.
The teams will compete in a round-robin dual schedule, with the best conference record determining the inaugural PSAC Dual Meet Champion.
The Golden Knights open the 2026-27 season on Sunday, Nov. 1, at the ESU Open in East Stroudsburg, Pa., before beginning dual meet competition on Friday, Nov. 6, at D'Youville.
