ROCK HILL, S.C. — With the Catawba College women's lacrosse program's 14th season approaching, the team landed eighth in the South Atlantic Conference preseason coaches' poll released Thursday.
The Catawba Indians are projected to finish two spots outside of a berth in the league's six-team playoff, earning 58 total points. Wingate leads the poll, taking nine of 11 possible first-place votes and 119 points, with Anderson, Lenoir-Rhyne and Newberry separated by seven points in a logjam for second.
Five players were named to the SAC's watchlist: Audrey Adelsberger, Allison Filosa, Kylie Harris, Abby Shuren and Madison Widecki.
Adelsberger will take the field for her senior campaign in 2026, coming off a junior year in which she paced Catawba with 36 ground balls. The Catonsville, Md, product also tallied 25 draw controls and caused 18 turnovers as a vital member of the defensive unit.
Filosa enjoyed a successful rookie year as an everyday starter on defense, racking up 20 caused turnovers, 35 ground balls and 16 draw controls. Her six ground ball pickups at Southern Wesleyan (Feb. 26) and four takeaways (Apr. 19) went down as individual game highs for the Catawba Indians.
Harris, a redshirt junior attacking midfielder, was the Catawba Indians' leading point scorer in 2025 with 23 tallies on 16 goals and seven assists. The native of Pinehurst, N.C., recorded four goals with a pair of helpers for a career-high six points to help rout Montreat (Apr. 8).
Catawba's top scorer with 28 goals two seasons ago and third-best striker last year, Shuren looks to add to her 42 career blasts in 2026. Her three first-quarter goals and another in the fourth stanza powered the offense in last season's SAC victory over Coker (Mar. 19).
Widecki is set to make her collegiate debut this season following an impressive career at William Floyd High School, where she shared the field with Filosa. The Long Islander bagged 21 goals and six assists to earn an all-league appointment as a senior for the Colonials.
The Catawba Indians open their 2026 slate at home on Tuesday, Feb. 10, against Ferrum at 4 p.m.
SAC Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Wingate (119, 9 first-place votes)
2. Anderson (106, 2 FPV)
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)
