ROCK HILL, S.C. --- Two members of the Tusculum University women's lacrosse team have been selected All-South Atlantic Conference in voting by the league's nine head coaches, the conference office announced Wednesday.
Junior midfielder Juliette Cusano was voted second-team All-Conference and senior attack Rachel Holmes was an honorable mention selection for the Pioneers, who finished tied for sixth place in the SAC standings at 2-6 in the league and 4-12 overall.
Cusano was named second-team All-SAC for the second straight season after she scored a school single-season record 61 goals and finished the season with 69 points, the second-most in a season in Tusculum history and fifth in the SAC. Cusano was fifth in the conference with 72 draw controls and led the league with 23 free-position goals.
The Fort Lauderdale, Florida native scored at least one goal in all 16 games for the Pioneers, including a career-high nine goals against Coker on April 6 and seven in a win over Lees-McRae on March 21. Cusano had two or more goals in 14 of the Pioneers' 16 matches and had four or more draw controls in 10 contests, including a program-record 13 against Lees-McRae.
Cusano concluded her junior season with 114 career goals and 18 assists for 132 points, ranking third in career goals and fourth in points. She ranks sixth on the program career list in ground balls (78), second in draw controls (165) and fourth in caused turnovers (42).
Holmes was selected honorable mention All-SAC for the second straight year after tying for ninth in the conference with a career-high 43 goals and ranking 16th with 50 points. Holmes scored at least one goal in 14 of the Pioneers' 16 games, including seven against Newberry on March 30 and at Coker on April 6, and six goals at Emmanuel on March 12.
The Norcross, Georgia native finished her Tusculum career ranked second in program history with 119 career goals and third with 146 points. Holmes is also third all-time with 98 ground balls and fourth with 99 draw controls.
Ally Blood of Queens was named SAC Player of the Year and Gia Colombo of Lenoir-Rhyne and Becca Ruiz of Wingate shared Freshman of the Year. The Coach of the Year was Clare Short of Queens.
2019 South Atlantic Conference Women's Lacrosse All-Conference
First Team
A – Hanna Scott, Queens
A – Kendall Wells, Wingate
A – Ally Blood, Queens
A – Faith Kent, Coker
MF – Rachel Elmore, Lenoir-Rhyne
MF – Katie Wardle, Queens
MF – Allison Conn, Queens
MF – Gia Colombo, Lenoir-Rhyne
D – Cammy Case, Queens
D – Cassie Lafler, Lenoir-Rhyne
D – Zoe Zervos, Lincoln Memorial
D – Sierra Street, Wingate
GK – Arion Pierre, Wingate
Second Team
A – Cathleen Gaffney, Lenoir-Rhyne
A – Erin DePaul, Lincoln Memorial
A – Alyssa Sack, Lenoir-Rhyne
A – Rachel Perrett, Queens
MF – Becca Ruiz, Wingate
MF – Juliette Cusano, Tusculum
MF – Emily Ketron, Wingate
MF – Chloe Wood, Newberry
D – Imani Grays, Catawba
D – Sydney Hussey, Queens
D – Megan Amrein, Wingate
D – Madison Prkna, Lenoir-Rhyne
GK – Chase Brokaw, Queens
Honorable Mention
A – Kara Blanchard, Queens
A – Rachel Holmes, Tusculum
A – Erin Green, Catawba
A – Gianna Pezzulo, Catawba
MF – Casey Kelly, Lincoln Memorial
MF – Amara Moss, Lincoln Memorial
MF – Kiersten Foust, Mars Hill
MF – Alyssa Baronella-O'Toole, Coker
MF - Kelly Csenar, Lincoln Memorial
D – Riannon Beddington, Lincoln Memorial
D – Adara Garner, Newberry
D – Hannah Baird, Coker
D – Caroline Falcone, Catawba
GK – Teanna Sieben, Lenoir-Rhyne
Player of the Year: Ally Blood, Queens
Co-Freshman of the Year: Gia Colombo, Lenoir-Rhyne and Becca Ruiz, Wingate
Coach of the Year: Clare Short, Queens