Wingate Tabbed as Favorites in Preseason Women's Lacrosse Coaches' Poll
ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – The Wingate Bulldogs have been picked as the 2026 South Atlantic Conference women's lacrosse preseason favorite, the league office announced today. Wingate received nine first-place votes from the conference's head women's lacrosse coaches and 119 total points.
The Bulldogs enter the season as the team to beat in the SAC after a perfect 11-0 record in the regular season in 2025 and just one conference loss in the past three seasons. The Bulldogs open the season ranked No. 16 in the preseason IWLCA national poll.
Anderson was voted in at No. 2 with two first-place votes and 106 total points, while Lenoir-Rhyne earned the No. 3 spot with 102 points.
Newberry placed fourth in the poll with 99 points, followed by UVA Wise at No. 5 with 83 points. Lincoln Memorial was selected sixth with 74 points, while Tusculum earned the No. 7 position with 67 points.
Catawba came in at No. 8 with 58 points, while Coker placed ninth with 44 points. Mars Hill was voted 10th with 42 points, followed by Emory & Henry rounding out the poll at 11th with 31 points.
In addition to the preseason coaches' poll, the SAC announced its 2026 Women's Lacrosse Preseason All-Conference Team. Lenoir-Rhyne's Kirra Olson and Anderson's Ava Skeffington headline the attack unit, joined by Josie Tinnerello of Lincoln Memorial and Logen Davis of UVA Wise.
Anderson leads the midfield selections with Megan Muir, Emma Toole, and Ellie Wilkins, while Tusculum's Mya Halladay also earned preseason honors.
On defense, Wingate placed two selections with Kathryn McCabe and Krysta Churns, while Anderson's Meredith Dawson and UVA Wise's Taryn Moreno round out the defensive unit. Lenoir-Rhyne's Sally Friesen earned the preseason nod at goalkeeper.
Opening draw for the 2026 women's lacrosse season will take place on January 30. For a full schedule of games, visit www.thesac.com.
2026 SAC Women's Lacrosse Preseason Coaches' Poll
| Rank | School (First Place Votes) | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wingate (9) | 119 |
| 2 | Anderson (2) | 106 |
| 3 | Lenoir-Rhyne | 102 |
| 4 | Newberry | 99 |
| 5 | UVA Wise | 83 |
| 6 | Lincoln Memorial | 74 |
| 7 | Tusculum | 67 |
| 8 | Catawba | 58 |
| 9 | Coker | 44 |
| 10 | Mars Hill | 42 |
| 11 | Emory & Henry | 31 |
2026 SAC Women's Lacrosse Preseason All-Conference
Attack
A – Kirra Olson, Lenoir-Rhyne
A – Ava Skeffington, Anderson
A – Josie Tinnerello, Lincoln Memorial
A – Logen Davis, UVA Wise
Midfield
MF – Megan Muir, Anderson
MF – Emma Toole, Anderson
MF – Mya Halladay, Tusculum
MF – Ellie Wilkins, Anderson
Defense
D – Kathryn McCabe, Wingate
D – Krysta Churns, Wingate
D – Meredith Dawson, Anderson
D – Taryn Moreno, UVA Wise
Goalkeeper
GK – Sally Friesen, Lenoir-Rhyne
Players to Watch
Catawba: Audrey Adelsberger, Allison Filosa, Kylie Harris, Abby Shuren, Madison Widecki
Coker: Kate Halcro, Mia MacMillan, Olivia Schmidt, Veronica Richardson, Sydnee Schrauben
Emory & Henry: Justyce Jones, Mary Martinez, Alex Costello, Megan D'Amore, Madison Weaver
Lenoir-Rhyne: Anneleise Meyer, Jessica Mikesell
Lincoln Memorial: Sage Leax, Brookelyn Walls, Ryan Smith, Jaiden Jaynes
Mars Hill: Makenna Olson, Kendall Middleton, Madison Welch, Abby Cleveland, Ashley Holland
Newberry: Ella Todd, Julia Zayachowsky, Lana Howell, Shannon Creagh
Tusculum: Jessie Carolin-Vandenberg, Sophia Didzbalis, Liberty Jones, Elisha Stack
UVA Wise: Issie Brown, Noley Hiller, Kaylea Paterson
Wingate: Bree Solero, Deirdre Jones, Sophie Pavlick