ATLANTA – Jacksonville was selected as the favorite to win the 2024 Atlantic Sun Conference Women's Lacrosse with the Dolphins earning the top spot in the preseason coaches poll, announced by the league office Wednesday.
The Dolphins are coming off a 12-8 season that saw the program capture its ninth ASUN Championship. Liberty, who has been the runner-up in the last four conference tournaments, was selected second in the coaches poll. Coastal Carolina and Queens rounded out the top four of the preseason rankings, respectively.
Jacksonville and Liberty combined to claim all three of the preseason superlative honors. The Flames' Cami Merkel was selected as the Preseason Player of the Year. The junior attacker was a Second Team All-ASUN selection last season after leading the team and ranking fifth in the ASUN, with a total of 45 goals. Liberty was also represented by Mackenzie Lehman who was tabbed Preseason Midfielder of the Year. She recorded 36 draw controls and 23 caused turnovers to go along with 40 goals and a First Team All-ASUN nod. Lauren Ellis appeared in 20 games for the Dolphins last season and enters 2024 as the Preseason Midfielder of the Year along with Lehman. Ellis recorded 101 draw controls throughout 2023 and was named to the All-ASUN First Team. The 2024 Preseason Defensive Player of the Year is Jacksonville's Kaila Stasulli. She picked up 23 groundballs, caused 19 turnovers and won 42 draw controls in her 19 starts for the defending ASUN Champions.
2024 Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Jacksonville (5), 47
2. Liberty (2), 44
3. Coastal Carolina, 33
4. Queens, 24
5. Kennesaw State, 19
5. Lindenwood, 19
7. Stetson, 10
2024 Preseason All-ASUN Team
GK - Taylor Gallarello, Liberty
D - Jordan Gertz, Coastal Carolina
D - Kaila Stasulli, Jacksonville*
D - Kelsey Long, Lindenwood
D - Mia Judd, Stetson^
M - Avery McIlwaine, Coastal Carolina*
M - Lauren Ellis, Jacksonville
M - Mackenzie Lehman, Liberty*
M - Hannah Barth, Kennesaw State^
A - Cami Merkel, Liberty*
A - Logann Eldredge, Lindenwood
A - Kayleen Favreau, Queens^
A - Kaitlin Pani, Stetson
* - denotes a unanimous selection
^ - denotes an at-large selection
** a tie in voting resulted in a 13-person team