The 1986-87 women’s basketball team coached by Paula Sullivan set the precedent for future success for Chieftain squads in the late 1980’s and throughout the 1990’s. The 1986-87 edition set a then-school record with 27 victories against just five setbacks while winning the Northeast-8 Championship and advancing to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight for the first time in the program’s history, as Stonehill upended rival Bentley in the NCAA New England Regional semi-finals before falling to eventual national champion New Haven in the regional final. A total of four individual Stonehill Athletic Hall of Fame members helped comprise the 1986-87 squad, including Chris Donovan ’87, Leslie Laychak-Rendall ’87, Mary Naughton ’89, and Katy Delaney ’90. Donovan and Laychak-Rendall captained that team along with classmate April Alford, and other team members include Jennifer Twomey Johnson, Denise West Cullen, and Ann Eubank from the Class of 1988, Mary Beth Tobin, Jennifer Albanese Mulvey, and Suzanne Lee from the Class of 1989, and Mary Noonan and Karen Daniloff Hubbard from the Class of 1990. Sullivan, who was voted as the Northeast-8 Coach of the Year that season, was assisted by Mary Duggan and Lee Watson.
Jennifer Albanese
April Alford (Captain)
Karen Daniloff
Katy Delaney
Chris Donovan (Captain)
Ann Eubank
Lesli Laychak (Captain)
Suzanne Lee
Mary Naughton
Mary Noonan
Bets Tobin
Jennifer Twomey
Denise West
Paula Sullivan, Head Coach
Mary Duggan, Assistant Coach
Lee Watson, Assistant Coach
The 1986-87 women’s basketball team coached by Paula Sullivan set the precedent for future success for Chieftain squads in the late 1980’s and throughout the 1990’s. The 1986-87 edition set a then-school record with 27 victories against just five setbacks while winning the Northeast-8 Championship and advancing to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight for the first time in the program’s history, as Stonehill upended rival Bentley in the NCAA New England Regional semi-finals before falling to eventual national champion New Haven in the regional final. A total of four individual Stonehill Athletic Hall of Fame members helped comprise the 1986-87 squad, including Chris Donovan ’87, Leslie Laychak-Rendall ’87, Mary Naughton ’89, and Katy Delaney ’90. Donovan and Laychak-Rendall captained that team along with classmate April Alford, and other team members include Jennifer Twomey Johnson, Denise West Cullen, and Ann Eubank from the Class of 1988, Mary Beth Tobin, Jennifer Albanese Mulvey, and Suzanne Lee from the Class of 1989, and Mary Noonan and Karen Daniloff Hubbard from the Class of 1990. Sullivan, who was voted as the Northeast-8 Coach of the Year that season, was assisted by Mary Duggan and Lee Watson.