ATLANTA -- Bates senior captain Elsa Daulerio is just the second Bobcat in program history to be named a WBCA Coaches' All-American, as the Women's Basketball Coaches Association announced their NCAA Division III award winners for the 2025-26 season on Thursday. 

Daulerio (Harpswell, Maine) joins Olivia Zurek '05 as the only two Bobcats to earn this prestigious honor. A number of Bates women's basketball players, including Daulerio herself, have been WBCA All-America honorable mentions through the years. But this season, Daulerio etches her name in the record book as one of just 10 players nationally selected to the WBCA Coaches' All-America team. Zurek previously earned the award after leading Bates to a 25-3 season in 2004-05. That remained the program standard for wins in one season until this year, as Daulerio led Bates to a 26-4 record, the second NESCAC title in program history, and a berth in the "Sweet 16" of the NCAA tournament. 

Meanwhile, Alison Montgomery was chosen as one of 10 finalists for the WBCA NCAA Division III Coach of the Year award, her second time earning this honor. She was also a finalist following the 2021-22 NESCAC championship season. Montgomery has led Bates to the NCAA tournament four times in the past five years and to the Sweet 16 two times in the past three seasons.

The latest honor for Daulerio comes on the heels of her getting selected as the D3hoops.com Region 1 Player of the Year, 1st Team All-New England, NESCAC Player of the Year, and NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year. Daulerio led the Bobcats in scoring (13.9 points per game), rebounding (6.9 per game) and blocked shots (77) this season. Some of her top performances included a season-high 27 points on 11-14 shooting in a win over Middlebury, 24 points on 10-13 shooting and 11 rebounds in the NESCAC semifinal win over Amherst, and 18 points on 7-10 shooting in the NCAA "Sweet 16" against undefeated Scranton.

Montgomery's recognition from the WBCA follows her winning New England Women's Basketball Association Coach of the Year, D3hoops.com Region 1 Coach of the Year, and she and her staff taking home the NESCAC Coaching Staff of the Year award.