NORTHFIELD, Vt. - Four standout members of the Norwich University women's rugby team have been selected to compete in the prestigious 2026 National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) Women's All-Stars Showcase, set for Jan. 24-25 at Silverback Park in Atlanta, Ga.
Senior backs
Octavia Crawford (Shelburne Falls, Mass.) and
Lillie Ells (Centerville, Mass.), senior forward
Alyssa Gioia (Stamford, Conn.), and junior forward
Carlyan Vigbedor (Centreville, Va.) will represent Norwich at the national showcase event, which annually features the top 100 players from across all divisions of women's collegiate rugby.
The NCR Women's All-Stars serves as the premier postseason platform for identifying elite rugby talent nationwide, with regional coaches selecting athletes based on standout fall performances. Players are drafted into four teams, Stars, Stripes, Hawks, and Bisons, and will compete in a two-day tournament in front of professional club and national team scouts.
Norwich's quartet will be uniquely spread across the four showcase teams. Crawford was selected to the Stars, Gioia will suit up for the Stripes, Ells will join the Hawks, and Vigbedor will represent the Bisons.
"We are incredibly proud to be sending four players to the NCR All-Stars to represent Norwich University," said Head Coach
Baylee Annis '14. "They have been standouts in their home program and will no doubt showcase their talent and honor their teammates well. We can't wait to tune in from Vermont."
The national recognition adds another milestone to a strong 2025 fall 15s campaign that saw Norwich finish 4-4 overall and return to the NCR Division II National Tournament, where the Cadets closed with a 34-19 victory over Texas-San Antonio in the West Regional Third-Place Game.
All four All-Star selections were previously named to the Rugby Northeast Division II All-Conference Team, with Crawford and Vigbedor earning First Team honors and Gioia and Ells landing on the Second Team.
Crawford served as the Cadets' flyhalf and on-field tactician, excelling in kicking, distributing, and defensive coordination. Gioia captained the forward pack and finished top-10 in league scoring, while Ells emerged as one of the top defensive backs in the region with a 100% tackle rate. Vigbedor led the team in total points and continues to shine as a dynamic No. 8, averaging 150-200 meters gained per match.
The 2026 All-Stars Showcase will feature live streams of stadium matches on NCR TV, with additional coverage of outer field matches available on YouTube through VEO AI.
