Elizabeth Naumovski, the program's all-time leader in victories, completed her eighth season at the helm of the Queens College women’s basketball program in 2018-19. Additionally, Naumovski was named the Senior Woman Administrator for the Department of Athletics in July of 2018.
The 2018-19 season opened with an 87-77 victory over Chestnut Hill as the Knights welcomed in new faces to mesh with the veteran leadership that returned to the squad from the season prior. Queens would finish with six wins on the year and five in conference play, including a season-sweep of Mercy and Molloy along with an 84-78 double-overtime triumph against Roberts Wesleyan. Kaitlyn Mahon earned All-ECC Third-Team accolades and the senior guard was also named a recipient of the East Coast Conference's John Smillie, Jr. Award for overcoming a slew of injuries in her career to finish with the sixth-most assists in QC history along with playing the fifth-most minutes across Division II this year.
The 2017-18 season for the Queens College women's basketball program culminated in a 13-14 overall record with a 9-9 mark in East Coast Conference play; the Knights won their final two conference games to secure an ECC Tournament berth as the No. 5 seed in the league playoffs before exiting in the quarterfinals to NYIT. Merrick Rowland totaled her 1,000th career point in a Knights uniform and Beth Bonin continued her rise to prominence under the watchful eyes of Naumovski and her staff. Bonin, a sophomore in the 2017-18 season, was named an All-ECC First Team honoree and also received Division II Second Team laurels from the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association as one of the ten best women's basketball players in the greater New York/New Jersey area.
The 2016-17 season was a historic one for the Knights as Naumovski earned Coach of the Year honors from both the ECC and Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association after guiding Queens to its best season since joining Division II. She led the Knights to their first-ever NCAA Division II East Regional title and Elite Eight appearance. Naumovski guided Queens to a program-best 27-5 overall record, as the team finished the season ranked 7th in the WBCA Coaches' Poll. The Knights won their first ECC Regular Season Championship since the 2008-09 season with a 17-1 mark in conference play, and Naumovski surpassed the 100-win plateau. Under Naumovski's watch, senior Madison Rowland was named National Player of the Year by the D2CCA, while earning All-America status from both the WBCA and D2CCA. Madison also earned Met Player of the Year, D2CCA East Region Player of the Year, ECC Player of the Year, as well as Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA East Regional. Meanwhile, MacKenzie Rowland garnered ECC Defensive Player of the Year accolades, as well as all-region, all-conference and All-Met honors.
The 2015-16 campaign was another standout season for the Knights, as the team posted a 21-9 overall mark. The team picked up its second straight ECC Championship, and captured a First Round victory in the NCAA East Regional.
In 2014-15, the program achieved back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time in the college’s Division II history. Finishing with a 22-8 record, the team was crowned East Coast Conference Champions and received a NCAA tournament berth as the #5 seed in the East Region. Naumovski also moved into third place on the all-time wins list at QC. As a team, the Knights continued to earn national recognition as a defensive powerhouse, ranking 7th in the country in steals/game, 25th in defensive field goal percentage, 36th in three-point field goal defense and 32nd in turnover margin.
In commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the first women’s game ever played at Madison Square Garden (February 22, 1975), the team participated in the Maggie Dixon Classic on January 4, 2015. In a revenge match forty years in the making, the Knights defeated Immaculata University 76-60 while entering the Maggie Dixon Classic record books as well. The team set the record for field goals attempted (74) and tied the record for field goals made (32). Madison Rowland was one point shy of the record for points scored, but tied the record for field goals made (12) and steals (6). Big sister, MacKenzie Rowland tied the Classic record with six blocks.
Under Naumovski’s guidance, four members of the 2014-15 Knights were selected for individual honors. Joya McFarland, Madison Rowland and MacKenzie Rowland were all selected to the ECC All-Tournament team with Madison Rowland being named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. Kristen Korzevinski was an All-ECC Honorable Mention, finishing first in the conference in field goal percentage (52.4%) and games started. MacKenzie Rowland added to her growing list of accolades being selected All-ECC Second Team and All-Met Second Team. In addition, the junior finished 18th in the country in blocks and has already earned her place in the Queens College women’s basketball record books in career rebounds (537) and single-season blocks (68). Madison Rowland is making her mark as one of the most decorated players in the history of the women’s basketball program. Once again, Rowland led the country in steals (125), led all sophomores in the country in scoring (20.9ppg), recorded her second career triple double, finished 13th in the nation with eighteen double doubles and recorded her 1,000th career point. Rowland was selected a Third Team All-America, First Team All-Region, All-Met Co-Player of the Year and ECC Player of the Year.
After a ten game improvement in 2012-13, Coach Naumovski nearly equaled the task by reaching the 20-win plateau in 2013-14. This achievement was good enough to propel her to ECC Coach of the Year, runner-up status. Additionally, the 20-win season was the 15th-best turnaround in the nation in 2013-14 and the 20-win season by the Knights was just the second time in the last 30 years that the plateau was reached. All of this led to the team reaching the ECC Semi-Final game and earning a #9 NCAA East Region ranking. Naumovski was also invited to the 2014 Center for Coaching Excellence and Marine Leadership Workshop.
Under her auspices, MacKenzie Rowland took home All-ECC Second Team and All-Met Second Team honors while Madison Rowland was the ECC Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, All-ECC First Team, All-Region Second Team, All-Met First Team and Small Colleges Bulletin All Rookie Team. She was also the NCAA Statistical Champion in steals and led all freshmen in scoring.
The 2012-13 Knights displayed a nationally-recognized turnaround, showing a ten-win improvement over the previous season; which led to Naumovski being named East Coast Conference Coach of the Year, by her peers.
The Knights also received a number of individual accolades in the 2012-13 season. Most notable was the standout performance by point guard, Bria Jackson, who set the school record for most points in a game (49), finished sixth in the nation in scoring (20.0 ppg), and first in the ECC in assists per game (4.5). She had a buzzer-beater against Bowie State featured on ESPN SportsCenter’s Top Ten Plays, took home the ECC Player of the Week award twice, earned First Team All-ECC accolades, was named to the All-Met First Team, selected as Daktronics All-East First Team, and eventually captured Honorable Mention All-America.
The top freshman honor went to Kristen Korzevinski who was recognized as the ECC Rookie of the Year. Korzevinski led all freshmen in scoring, was named ECC Rookie of the Week four times, scored in double digits 16 times and ranked third amongst all players in the conference in scoring efficiency.
Her previous college experience includes a two-year stint as an assistant at NCAA Division I institution, Binghamton University. Naumovski coached a pair of America East conference all-stars in each campaign, and helped the Bearcats to the 2009 conference semifinals. She was actively involved in all facets of the program including, scouting, recruitment, on-court coaching and player development. Among the highlights of Naumovski’s time at BU was her development of Erica Carter and Jackie Ward. Carter ranked fourth nationally in three-point field goals per game in 2009-10, seventh in three-point field goal percentage, and holds the Bearcats’ single-game, single-season and career three-point field goal records. Ward developed into a starting contributor in both her junior and senior seasons while herself moving onto a career in coaching.
Naumovski coached several top ranked AAU teams that consistently finished in the Elite Eight amongst the 225 teams in the Ontario Cup. In 2004 and 2005, she was the head coach of the U17 Ontario Provincial Team that successfully toppled state champions, Regina High School (Ohio), and in a preseason college prep tournament defeated a pair of college teams, including conference champions.
Along with coaching several top ranked AAU teams, Naumovski was an assistant coach at the University of Toronto from 1999-03. While there, the team advanced to the conference finals in 2000 and ’02, winning the title in the latter campaign while holding a top-10 national ranking and an undefeated home record.
Before arriving at the University of Toronto, Naumovski was an assistant coach at the University of Guelph and an Apprentice Coach at York University. In 2001 she helped to pioneer Right to Play as the first volunteer coach in the field. Volunteering in Angola for several months, Naumovski worked passionately with the UNHCR to bring sport and play programs to internally displaced and refugee children.
Coach Naumovski is one of only four female basketball coaches to receive the designation of Chartered Professional Coach (ChPC) - a designation that can only be earned through elite education and coaching experience. She holds a Level 4 coaching certification through Canada Basketball, an Advanced Coaching Certificate from York University, and a certification as a course conductor working with Basketball Ontario to both evaluate, teach, mentor and certify grassroots coaches.
An Academic All-Canadian honoree on the basketball court, she received a Master’s of Kinesiology in Coaching from York University and the Coaching Institute of Canada.
