After finishing with a record of 4-16 in 2024-25, the girls varsity basketball team came into this year looking for a fresh start under first-year head coach Timothy Glavin.

Wayland got just that, winning ten games and returning to the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Division II state tournament as the program’s first playoff appearance in three years.

“I think one of the biggest factors [of our success] was that our team bought into defense,” Glavin said.

According to Glavin, Wayland lowered its opponent’s points per game by nearly five points, reflecting the team’s defensive focus and showing overall improvement.

Leading the way were Wayland’s three senior captains: Sarah Powers, Riley O’ Driscoll and Eliza Russell.

“[The seniors] were very good from a perspective of their conditioning,” Glavin said.

Glavin also pointed out that due to the team’s young nature, the seniors often found themselves playing full games with little to no breaks. According to Glavin, Powers was the team’s leading scorer, averaging twelve points and five rebounds per game. Russell was the team’s leading rebounder, grabbing eight rebounds and two-and-a-half steals per game. O’Driscoll consistently started, averaging nearly seven rebounds per game.

“I really enjoyed the opportunity to take on such a big role,” O’Driscoll said.

From the start of his time as head coach in Wayland, Glavin emphasized defense and energy. Specifically, the first-year head coach praised the team’s enthusiasm and energy.

“Practice could get heated – we never had to break up the girls, but there were times when things got really intense,” Glavin said.

The seniors were Wayland’s core, but with only three of them, underclassmen had to contribute, and they exceeded expectations. After a promising freshman year, sophomore Campbell Powers delivered, averaging nine points per game – behind only her older sister S. Powers– and earning WSPN’s January selection for Athlete of the Month.

“My confidence got better, especially when it came to dribbling the ball and taking over Annie [McQuilkin’s] position,” C. Powers said.

Sophomore Grace DiStefano also became a staple in the team’s success, starting nearly every game and contributing on the defensive end of the court.

“I think that what made a difference [for me] was becoming more resilient and pushing myself through practice, even when I needed a sub,” DiStefano said.

Wayland’s improvements immediately translated into wins. One of the early defining moments came in an overtime victory against Marlborough when two seniors fouled out, forcing freshmen Elsa Renneker and Sloane DiRoberto to step up, help lead the Warriors to victory and start the season 3-0. The win helped start their playoff push and highlighted the team’s depth despite its lack of experience.

Glavin said he started to think about the playoffs after a hard-fought road victory over Fitchburg. Despite traveling over an hour and facing a five point deficit at halftime, the Warriors responded with a 25-0 run in the second half that blew the game open.

Everything led to senior night when Wayland – sitting at nine wins – just needed to defeat Holliston to clinch a playoff spot. The Warriors got off to a strong start, but senior captain Eliza Russell suffered a season-ending leg injury in the final minutes of the first half, quieting the crowd and creating “a somber scene.”

“We were only up six points against a competitive team, and we totally could have collapsed under such emotional circumstances,” Glavin said.

The Warriors instead rallied around Russell, using the moment as motivation and holding on for a 38-28 victory in a tight, defensive battle.

“It showed the girls that you can succeed despite having a younger team,” Glavin said.

The team’s season ended a few weeks later when No. 40 Wayland fell 54-36 to No. 24 Silver Lake in the opening round of the MIAA Division II State Tournament. The Warriors battled early, trailing by only two points at the end of the first quarter, but foul trouble halted attempts at a comeback, and Silver Lake was able to pull away. Glavin believed that despite the loss, the team had a lot of positives to take away.

“The fact that we have three sophomores and two freshmen that played almost half of that game is huge because now they’ve played playoff basketball before,” Glavin said. “Next time, they’ll be more prepared.”

Sophomore Fiona Strehle – who had battled an injury earlier in the season and had been gradually earning more playing time – took on a key role in the game, grabbing a team-high eighteen rebounds in the losing effort.

Although S. Powers, Russell and O’Driscoll will graduate this year, the program appears well-positioned for the future. Along with the three standout sophomores, C.Powers, DiStefano and Strehle, freshmen Renneker and DiRoberto also played in many games. Several freshmen who didn’t see the court as often still gained valuable experience each day in practice, playing with and against varsity players, while also earning minutes on the junior varsity (JV) team.

With a young core returning and a full season under Glavin’s leadership, Wayland will look to build on last year’s progress and take another leap next season.