GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University women's lacrosse team opens its 2025 season on Saturday, Feb. 8 when the Pioneers travel to Shorter University to take on the Hawks.
The Pioneers have a young roster for fourth-year head coach Jenna Agostino, with 12 freshmen among the 23 players that will suit up for the season opener. Despite the relative inexperience, Tusculum does return four of its top seven scorers from a year ago and has 10 players on the roster with previous starting experience.
Tusculum finished 5-11 overall last season and 3-7 in the South Atlantic Conference, and the Pioneers were picked eighth in the annual SAC preseason coaches poll.
ATTACK
Senior Cassidy Bourne (Kent, Ohio) was second on the team with 21 goals and led the Pioneers with 17 assists last season, finishing the year with 13 straight matches with at least one point. Bourne, who came to Tusculum after two seasons at Lake Erie, scored at least one goal in 12 of the Pioneers' 16 matches last year.
Sophomore Zuza Stasiak (Poznan, Poland) scored 13 goals and had four assists for the Pioneers last season, and ranked second on the team with 40 draw controls. Stasiak had four multi-goal games and collected four or more draws in five different matches as a freshman.
Freshmen Elisha Stack (Lockport, Ill.) and Kayla Nuccio (Saint James, N.Y.) are expected to be immediate contributors for the Pioneers. Stack was an All-State selection in Illinois, where she scored 188 goals in 63 career games at Lockport Township High School. Nuccio comes to Tusculum from St. Anthony's High School on Long Island, where she was a two-sport standout in lacrosse and track.
Also joining the program are freshmen Carrie Johnson (Franklin, Tenn.), Sophia Derrick (Annapolis, Md.) and Nina Tantillo (Lindenhurst, N.Y.).
MIDFIELD
Junior Jessie Carolin-Vandenberg (Yarraville, Australia) scored 12 goals last season and was third on the team with 30 ground balls. Carolin-Vandenberg also had 17 caused turnovers to rank second on the team, and 16 draw controls to rank fourth.
Senior Mackenzie Sherrod (Seymour, Tenn.) collected eight goals last season and had 11 ground balls and five caused turnovers. In two seasons at Tusculum, Sherrod has 13 goals along with 17 ground balls and six caused turnovers.
Sophomore Liberty Jones (Columbus, Ind.) was fourth on the team with 17 goals last season and added 21 ground balls and 24 draw controls. Jones had four multi-goal games and had seven games with two or more draw controls. Sophomore Alyssa Holden (Sharpsburg, Ga.) had two goals and an assist in 12 games, along with six ground balls and five caused turnovers.
Joining the program are freshmen Sophia Didzbalis (Woodstock, Ga.), Mya Halladay (Naramata, B.C.) and Kennedy Miesowitz (La Plata, Md.).
DEFENSE
Junior Celeste Raya (Apopka, Fla.) is beginning her third year as a starter, finishing with 16 ground balls last season to give her 37 for her career along with 28 caused turnovers.
Freshmen Caroline Rauhuff (Seymour, Tenn.) and Haley Cain (Evergreen, Colo.) will join Raya on the starting defense, with Rauhuff earning All-Region honors four times at The King's Academy and Cain taking honorable mention All-Conference for the 2024 state 4A champions at Evergreen High School.
Sophomores Rosalia DiPaolo (Pittsburgh, Pa.), Sofia Rositano (St. Louis, Mo.) and Caitlyn Wysong (Greensboro, N.C.) return for the Pioneers. DiPaolo had three ground balls and a caused turnover in 10 matches, while Wysong started seven matches as a freshman and had 13 ground balls and six caused turnovers.
Freshmen Liberty Dill (Sevierville, Tenn.) and Penelope Lee (Charlotte, N.C.) also join the Pioneer program.
GOALKEEPER
Junior Emily White (Roswell, Ga.) was selected preseason first-team All-SAC after being a third-team All-Conference pick last season. White led the SAC in both total saves (167) and in saves per game (10.44) in 2024, while ranking second in save percentage at .451. White is the program career leader in save percentage (.441) and ranks third in saves (220) and third in goals against average (12.91).
SCHEDULE
The Pioneers will play 11 SAC matches and six non-conference contests in 2025, including nine home matches which will be spread evenly with three home contests in February, March and April. Tusculum's home opener is Friday, Feb. 14 against Montevallo and the conference opener is slated for Saturday, March 1 against Catawba.
