Palm Beach State adds 2026 guard Tahlia Dolce commitment

Palm Beach State College added another early piece to its 2026 women’s basketball class when Tahlia Dolce appeared on FieldLevel’s July 8 commitment board as a commit to the Panthers. The Sunrise, Florida, prospect is listed at 5-foot-4 and profiles as a point guard and shooting guard, a fit that gives Maureen Smith’s program another in-state backcourt option as the Panthers continue building their next roster.

Dolce’s commitment landed with Palm Beach State in Lake Worth, a Division II NJCAA program that has spent the past year reinforcing its place among the region’s most consistent women’s teams. The Panthers won their fourth straight Region 8 championship on Feb. 14, 2026, beating Florida State College at Jacksonville 68-63, and finished the 2025-26 season 11-19 overall with a 2-1 mark in conference play. For a roster that already leans heavily on Florida recruiting, adding a guard from Dillard High School fits the same footprint.

That in-state approach has been central to Palm Beach State’s recent build. The 2025-26 roster included players from Lake Worth, Royal Palm Beach, Miami, Oviedo, Palm City, Jacksonville and Lehigh Acres, showing how broadly the Panthers are working within Florida’s prep and transfer pipeline. Dolce’s link to Dillard High School and her Sunrise roots keep that pattern intact, while also adding a guard who can handle the ball and fit into the Panthers’ rotation structure early.

The timing matters as much as the name. NJCAA programs are still locking in future roster spots in the summer, and July commitments can shape how a class settles before fall practice begins. Palm Beach State’s women’s program was ranked 15th entering the 2024-25 season and checked in 18th in the NJCAA Division II poll in November 2025, signs that Smith’s group remains on the national radar while still needing to replenish every year.

Smith’s staff, which includes Mike Yousefian, Rebecca Scott, Jodi Edwards, Buddy Soloff, Sarah Gorman and Joey Littky, has also kept the program active in identifying talent at the Lake Worth campus, where public tryouts may be held to fill roster spots or scout players. Dolce’s commitment adds to that effort and gives Palm Beach State another Florida guard for a 2026 class that is already taking shape early.