CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Winthrop University women's lacrosse team was slated to finish fifth in the 2026 Big South Preseason Poll, announced by the conference office this afternoon.
This marks the Eagles highest preseason ranking since 2023, when the Eagles were also placed fifth.
Winthrop made their first trip back to the Big South Tournament since 2022 last season, after a 4-4 conference campaign, earning the fifth seed, and falling to three-seeded Wofford in a one-score thriller.
Back-to-back champions Mercer was picked to finish first earning seven first-place votes, while High Point is projected to finish second with two first-place votes. Furman came in third in the poll followed by Wofford in fourth. They are followed by Winthrop, Gardner-Webb, Radford, Presbyterian, and Longwood.
The 2026 Big South Women's Lacrosse Championship tournament is slated for Apr. 28 at higher seeds for the first round and May 1-3 at the No. 1 seed for the semifinals and finals. The top six teams in the final Big South standings will qualify for the conference tournament, and the champion receives the Big South's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.
The full results to the poll and all-conference teams can be found below:
| Rk. |
Team (first-place votes) |
Pts. |
| 1 |
Mercer (7) |
79 |
| 2 |
High Point (2) |
73 |
| 3 |
Furman |
62 |
| 4 |
Wofford |
48 |
| 5 |
Winthrop |
44 |
| 6 |
Gardner-Webb |
29 |
| 7 |
Radford |
28 |
| 8 |
Presbyterian |
22 |
| 9 |
Longwood |
20 |
Note: points are based on a weighted system, with first-place votes receiving 9 points, followed by 8 points for second-place, and so on.
PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
ATT – Caroline Glus, Mercer
ATT – Lily Toole, Furman
ATT – Shannon Smith, High Point
MF - Ansley Walters, Mercer
MF – Bella Germani, High Point
MF – Olivia Graebner, Wofford
D – Barrett Rowe, Wofford
D – Julia Dustin, High Point
D – Avery West, Presbyterian
GK - Ava Welsh, High Point
AL – Skylar Hilmer, D, Furman
AL – Haley Urban, D, High Point
PRESEASON OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Caroline Glus, ATT, Mercer
PRESEASON MIDFIELDER OF THE YEAR
Ansley Walters, Mercer
PRESEASON DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Barrett Rowe, D, Wofford
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