A Year Ago
2025–26 Record: 7–11
Results: 7th/16 Teams at NCAA Super Region II Championships; 23rd/54 Teams at inaugural NCAA Women's Wrestling Championships
All-Americans: Bella Phillips (Bellingham, Wash./Squalicum High School) (5th, 180 pounds)

This Season
Preseason National Rankings: T-21st (NWCA), 21st (HerMat)
Individual National Rankings: Bella Phillips (Bellingham, Wash./Squalicum High School) (180) – No. 4 NWCA, No. 5 HerMat; Rose Cassioppi (Roscoe, Ill./Hononegah) (160) – No. 14 HerMat
Regional Rankings (NWCA Super Region II): Bella Phillips (Bellingham, Wash./Squalicum High School) (180) – No. 1; Caroline Biegel (Ringwood, N.J./DePaul Catholic) (207) – No. 4

ERIE, Pa. –A new era of Gannon women's wrestling begins on Sunday, November 1, when the Golden Knights open their 2026–27 campaign at the ESU Open in East Stroudsburg, Pa. The season marks another milestone for the program as women's wrestling becomes the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference's (PSAC) 24th championship sport, with conference competition beginning for the first time in 2026–27.

Fourth-year head coach Erin Vandiver welcomes back an experienced group of wrestlers, led by returning NCAA All-American Bella Phillips (Bellingham, Wash./Squalicum High School), along with a talented incoming class featuring international championship experience.

The Golden Knights enter the season ranked among the nation's top 25 programs in two preseason polls. Gannon is tied for No. 21 in the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) NCAA Women's Tournament Top 25 with nine points and ranks 21st in HerMat's NCAA Women's Team Tournament Rankings with 14.5 points.

Gannon finished 7–11 in dual competition last season and placed seventh at the NCAA Super Region II Championships. Phillips was the Golden Knights' lone qualifier at the inaugural NCAA Women's Wrestling Championships, placing fifth at 180 pounds to earn All-America honors and lead Gannon to a 23rd-place team finish.

Vandiver has set several goals for the upcoming season, including a top-15 national finish, multiple NCAA qualifiers and 10 academic All-Americans.

"Every year we set the bar a little higher," Vandiver said. "We had one qualifier last year for nationals and one All-American, so we're looking to double that, maybe triple that. We're growing, we're a young team, but we have a good spirit. The second year is going to be even harder, but we're up for the challenge and looking forward to it."

Top Returnees
Phillips headlines an experienced group of returners after finishing 32–8 last season with 17 technical falls and four falls. The junior enters the campaign ranked fourth nationally by the NWCA and fifth by HerMat at 180 pounds, along with holding the No. 1 ranking in NCAA Super Region II.

Phillips captured the regional championship before going 4–2 at nationals, capped by a 7–2 victory over Lock Haven's Azariah Moore in the fifth-place match. She enters the season ranked third in program history with 70 career victories, 31 shy of Lili Ujfalvi's (Kecskemet-heteny, Hungary/Bolyai Janos Secondary School) school record of 101.

Senior Rose Cassioppi (Roscoe, Ill./Hononegah) is also nationally ranked, checking in at No. 14 at 160 pounds by HerMat. Cassioppi posted a 19–9 record last season with 11 technical falls and three falls while finishing sixth at the regional championships.

Leyna Rumpler (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) returns after an 18–10 campaign that included eight falls and eight technical falls. She captured the 160-pound B division title at the Adrian Invitational and is expected to compete at 145 pounds this season.

Sophomore Caroline Biegel (Ringwood, N.J./DePaul Catholic) enters the season ranked fourth in NCAA Super Region II at 207 pounds after posting a 6–9 record with four technical falls as a freshman.

Other notable returners include Jaylene Martinez (Whittier, Calif./Whittier), who recorded 15 victories last season, and Kamila Castro (Ridgewood, N.J./Ridhewood), who placed fourth at the regional championships. Kennedy Perez (Parkland, Fla./Benjamin Franklin (Mich.)) and Isabella McNutt (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton Township) also return after recording eight and five victories, respectively.

"We have a lot of girls on our roster that are going to make things happen," Vandiver said. "We're taking their routine and their training plan and individualizing it a little bit. A lot of girls are going to have a breakthrough year. Caroline Biegel (Ringwood, N.J./DePaul Catholic) is right there. Rose Cassioppi (Roscoe, Ill./Hononegah) is going to be ready."

Newcomers
Gannon welcomes nine newcomers, including eight freshmen and one junior, bringing high school, collegiate and international experience to the lineup.

Among the top additions is Sara Rantonen (Jyväskylä, Finland/Schildt Upper Secondary School), who will compete at 124 pounds after capturing a bronze medal at the 2026 U20 World Championships while representing Finland. Rantonen has also won eight Finnish national championships across various age groups.

Matilda Tote (Stratford, CT./Bunnell) joins the Golden Knights at 145 pounds after winning two state championships and placing fourth at the 2024 New England Championships. Alora Strauser (Dayton, Ohio/Archbishop Alter) arrives at 138 pounds after earning 2026 Greater Miami Valley Wrestling Association Wrestler of the Year honors.

Sky Williams (Mastic, N.Y./William Floyd) also joins the lineup at 138 pounds following a high school career that included two county championships, two state tournament appearances and two All-Long Island selections.

Other freshmen include Jaala Degannes (Escondido, Calif./San Marcos) (131), Anshul Kumar (Sonipat, India / Somerville, N.J./Somerville) (145), Maddi Lipchik (Riverview, Mich./Riverview Community) (124) and Joy Lombardi (Bear, Del./St. Georges Technical) (145). Kumar compiled a 116–39 high school record and placed fifth at the NJSIAA State Championships.

Junior Sophia Gervasio (Ripley, N.Y./Chautauqua Lake) joins the program after previously competing in swimming and diving at Jamestown Community College, where she earned four All-America honors. Junior Esther Ribeiro (Bethel, CT./Bethel High) also returns to the roster after not competing during the 2025–26 season.

"It's exciting, always getting in the new girls and the incoming class, blending with the upperclassmen as they get back together after the summer," Vandiver said. "The team bonds well, and now we're excited to compete this weekend."

A New Era in the PSAC
The 2026–27 season marks the first year of PSAC women's wrestling, the conference's 24th championship sport and 13th women's sport.

Gannon joins East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Lock Haven and Pitt-Johnstown, along with associate members D'Youville and Felician, to form the seven-team conference.

Teams will compete in a round-robin dual meet schedule, with the program finishing with the best conference record earning the inaugural PSAC Women's Wrestling Dual Meet Championship. Gannon will compete in six conference duals, with three at home and three on the road.

"It's super exciting, just to have another accolade, another benchmark, another goal," Vandiver said. "We have six duals, three home and three away this year. It's just nice to have that continuity of the PSAC and having that conference that we can compete in, thrive in and push each other."
 
Coaching Staff
Vandiver enters her fourth season leading the Golden Knights after guiding the program to several milestones during her first three years. Gannon captured its first NCWWC regional championship in 2024–25, setting a school record with 11 dual victories while qualifying nine wrestlers for nationals and finishing 14th out of 64 teams. Nyla Burgess earned All-America honors with a fourth-place finish at 160 pounds.

The Golden Knights have also enjoyed success in the classroom, earning 11 NWCA Scholar All-America honors over the past two seasons, including six in 2024–25 and five in 2025–26. Last season, Vandiver guided Bella Phillips (Bellingham, Wash./Squalicum High School) to Gannon's first NCAA women's wrestling All-America honor.

Joining Vandiver this season is full-time assistant coach Sully Allen, who brings NCAA Division I wrestling experience from Edinboro along with a background in coaching girls wrestling throughout the Erie area. Allen currently serves as the head girls wrestling coach at General McLane High School and founded Trained To Pin Wrestling, an all-girls wrestling club based in Erie.

Former Golden Knights Lili Ujfalvi (Kecskemet-heteny, Hungary/Bolyai Janos Secondary School), Zoe Gaetjens (Mogadore, Ohio/Mogadore) and Kallah Zacherl (Erie, Pa./) also return as volunteer assistant coaches. Ujfalvi, Gannon's all-time wins leader with 101 victories, continues training with aspirations of representing Hungary at the 2028 Olympic Games.

"It's very cool that they get to now kind of pass the baton down," Vandiver said. "They're here giving back to this team. It's awesome. They're just doing it because they love it."

Season Opener
Gannon opens the season Sunday, November 1, at the ESU Open before traveling to D'Youville on Friday, November 6, for its first PSAC dual meet.

The Golden Knights will also compete at the Adrian Duals (November 14), Adrian Invitational (November 15) and Baldwin Wallace Open (November 22) before making their home debut on December 5 at the Gannon Women's Duals.

The eight-team event will feature Gannon, Otterbein, Lehigh, King, West Liberty, Edinboro, Mercyhurst and Felician.

Gannon will host Edinboro in PSAC competition on January 15 before traveling to East Stroudsburg, Pitt-Johnstown and Lock Haven later in the month. The regular season concludes February 5 with a home dual against Lackawanna.

The NCAA Super Region II Championships are scheduled for February 19–20, followed by the NCAA Women's Wrestling Championships on March 5–6 in Coralville, Iowa.