UMaine point guard Olivia Alvarez steps into expanded role for 2026-27 season

UMaine women's basketball opens its season on Thursday with sophomore point guard Olivia Alvarez set to lead the offense.

Alvarez, a 5-foot-8 native of Las Rozas de Madrid, Spain, earned the full-time point guard position last season. Her promotion allowed freshman Asta Blauenfeldt to move to the shooting guard spot. That shift helped Blauenfeldt increase her scoring average from 9.7 points per game in 2024-25 to 11 points per game in 2025-26.

Alvarez played 29.6 minutes per game during her freshman campaign. She finished second on the team with 58 assists and tied for third with 41 steals. She averaged 3.7 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. In the America East playoffs, she recorded 5.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, two assists, and a steal per game over three contests. She committed only four turnovers in 104 minutes of postseason play.

Coach Amy Vachon, the school's all-time assists leader, noted that no one expected Alvarez to assume such a large role as a first-year player. Vachon said Alvarez learned how to run the team's complex offensive system quickly during the season. The coach described Alvarez as the "head of the snake" on defense and the player responsible for deciding when the team runs specific plays.

Alvarez said she has worked on her shooting throughout the summer. She stated that her three-point shot looks good and that she is finishing better. She expressed confidence in taking open shots if opponents leave her unguarded. "I have way more confidence than I had last year," Alvarez said. "I'm going to be more aggressive. I need to know when people are open and make the right pass."

Alvarez credited senior Adrianna Smith, Blauenfeldt, and Sarah Talon for teaching her how to play in close games. Those three players, who led the team in scoring last year, have now graduated. Smith won the America East Player of the Year award and averaged 22.8 points per game. The Black Bears lost their top three scorers from the previous roster.

Despite the departures, Alvarez believes the team has depth. She said every player can score and that no one player will have to carry the offensive load. Redshirt sophomore Maddie Fitzpatrick of Cumberland said Alvarez has improved significantly over the offseason and is handling her expanded responsibilities well in preseason practices. Senior center Lizzy Gruber of Gardiner highlighted Alvarez's high basketball intelligence and ability to think quickly on the court.

Alvarez has been a point guard since youth. She prefers the position because it requires locking in on defense. She said her coaches always instructed her to guard the best player on the opposing team. She joins a line of Spanish players who have excelled for UMaine, including Blanca Millan, Alba Orois, Laia Sole, and Paula Gallego.

The team was picked to finish fourth in the America East preseason coaches poll. Alvarez said she feels the group will surprise opponents. "It is a different team but we have a lot of people who can do a lot of different things," she said. "Everyone has their own role."

UMaine hosts Siena College of New York at 6 p.m. on Thursday. The game will be played on the Skip Chappelle Court in the Memorial Gym in Orono.