After going undefeated during last year’s regular season slate, Quinnipiac’s acrobatics and tumbling sits 6-1 entering the postseason.
Quinnipiac was ranked No. 2 in The National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association preseason poll. The Bobcats fell right behind Baylor, a team they have not competed against since 2023, when Quinnipiac fell short of making the national championship.
Yet, Quinnipiac has not defeated Baylor since 2014 – marking the only time the Bobcats defeated the Bears in program history.
Recently, Quinnipiac has dropped to the No. 3 spot, but the Bobcats don’t see this drop as a reflection of their season thus far. Going into the 2025 season, the Bobcats lost significant key assets to their team, forcing them to pivot before they could hit the ground running.
“This team has had an uphill battle with some five starters out in injuries,” head coach Mary Ann Powers said. “And so that changed the trajectory we were on. We had to train a little bit different, we had to ask for extraordinary decisions to be made by them.”
Thus far, Powers has found leadership in her eight seniors, guiding the team to work harder and pushing them to victory.
Senior top/base Alyssa Dillon has been a strong force for Quinnipiac, using her background to help her compete flawlessly and push herself.
“She is a perfectionist, and she leads with that, that heart of a champion,” Powers said.
Dillon grew up a gymnast, competing for North Stars Gymnastics and winning third place at the All Around State Championships. The Wayne, New Jersey native has been able to use her gymnastics background to perform clean on the mat for the Bobcats.
“If anybody wants to see what beautiful lines of a gymnast look like, they could look to her,” Powers said. “She never lets go of what, what a good what perfection is supposed to look like.”
Additionally, senior base Hallie Fowler has been outstanding for the Bobcats during their 2025 campaign, being named Athlete of the Week three times. In her fourth year in Hamden, Fowler has emerged as a leader, pushing and encouraging her teammates.
“Her leadership and her energy is unmatched,” Powers said.
The lone graduate student top MiaRose King has stood out for the Bobcats this season, helping Quinnipiac put up numbers on the score sheet. King has been nominated for Specialist of the Week numerous times throughout the season, being awarded the title on March 19.
“Actually, I think this is the best year she’s ever had,” Powers said. “She just gives and gives and gives, and she’s consistent, like she’s that coach’s dream.”
The New Orleans, Louisiana native has helped the Bobcats put up high scores and beat teams like Morgan State, Iona and Limestone.
“Coming back for a fifth year has been really impactful, not only for me but for the other girls on the team,” King said Feb. 2. “Having a lot of freshman, they really look for someone, and I just try to be that person.”
Together, the Bobcats have been able to put up some consistent scores against their opponents. Since they competed against Saint Leo University, where they defeated the Fritz 265.520 to 252.885, the Bobcats have scored between 29.10 and 29.65 on the pyramid.
Quinnipiac put up its highest score on March 28, when it defeated American International College, scoring 274.960.
The Bobcats’ lone loss this season falls to the Oregon Ducks, who defeated the Bobcats by a 1.215-point margin.
Despite outscoring Oregon in four events, Quinnipiac suffered the most on its team route, a part of its competition that has been struggling on and off for the Bobcats.
“I don’t want them guessing anymore whether it’s going to be a complete hit or not, I think they need to go in knowing that they’ve got it, all the pieces are there,” Powers said. “They’ve got to trust each other. When they do that, they win together.”
Despite the ups and downs the season has brought them, the Bobcats have been able to discover their true identity, persevering through adversity and embracing the challenge. Throughout practices and competitions, the Bobcats continuously cheer each other on, lifting each other up and pushing each other through the struggles.
“We let everyone have their moment to shine, their moment to talk, in our huddles and our group,” Fowler said on Feb. 2. “Everyone’s voice is important and needs to be heard. You know, if you’re a freshman and wanna jump up and down on the sidelines, do it.”
As the Bobcats enter the postseason, they hope to end a six-year drought of missing the national championship, with the No. 1 seed Baylor sending them back to Hamden four times during that span. Quinnipiac has been able to walk away with individual national championships, qualifying for nine individual events in the NCATA National Championship in 2024, clinching two titles.
“It’s a symphony, and so they have to be conductors, they have to be a symphony together,” Powers said.
