IRVING, Texas – Florida's women's lacrosse team was unanimously chosen as the preseason favorite in the 2021 American Athletic Conference preseason coaches' poll, while the Gators had four players chosen as the respective preseason players of the year in the coaches' balloting.
 
The Gators, who are ranked No. 7 in the Inside Lacrosse and the Nike/US Lacrosse preseason polls and No. 8 in the IWLCA preseason ranking, received all five possible first-place votes from The American's head coaches, thanks in part to the return of four Inside Lacrosse Preseason All-America selections who also received conference honors.
 
The Gators' Brianna Harris was the unanimous choice as The American's Preseason Attack Player of the Year, while Shannon Kavanagh was unanimously tabbed as Preseason Midfielder of the Year. Sarah Reznick was the unanimous Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year. 
 
Florida's Cara Trombetta and Cincinnati's Morgan Dukes were selected as The American's Preseason Defensive Players of the Year.
 
Florida went 6-2 and finished No. 8 nationally in the abbreviated 2020 season, scoring two wins against teams ranked in the top 3 nationally. Harris is the top returning point-scorer in The American after she had 42 points on 27 goals and 15 assists last season. Kavanagh, meanwhile, scored a league-leading 34 goals led the nation with 7.0 draw controls per game. Trombetta led a stout defense with 10 caused turnovers and 15 ground balls, while Reznick led The American with a .482 save percentage as a freshman.
 
Those four players join attack Grace Haus (11g, 5a) and defender Kaitlyn Dabkowski (10 gb, 23 dc, 8 ct) on The American's Preseason All-Conference Team.
 
Vanderbilt was picked second in the preseason poll after the Commodores went 4-5 last season against a schedule that included five games against nationally ranked opponents. Vanderbilt had four players named to the Preseason All-Conference Team as midfielder Brianne Gross (25g, 10a), attack Gabby Forina (12g, 17a) and defenders Melissa Hawkins (14 gb, 14 ct) and Halle Regan (25 gb, 15 ct) were selected by the coaches.
 
Temple was third in the preseason poll, two points behind Vanderbilt. The Owls, whose 475 all-time wins rank sixth among NCAA Division I programs, went 5-3 and were riding a four-game winning streak before the suspension of play last year. Four Owl players earned preseason recognition from the coaches, including the top three scorers from last season. Attack Meghan Hoffman led the way with 11 goals and 10 assists, followed by midfielders Belle Mastropietro (17g, 2a) and Bridget Whitaker (13g, 5a). Defender Courtney Taylor (17 gb, 13 ct) was also chosen to the Preseason All-Conference Team.
 
Cincinnati was fourth in the preseason poll. The Bearcats, who went 3-4 in 2020, won their last three games before the cancelation of the season and will look to Dukes, who shared Preseason Defensive Player of the Year honors to contend in 2021. Dukes was a first-team all-conference selection in 2019 who led The American in ground balls per game last season (2.86 per game). Dukes joins attack Monica Borzillo (18g, 13a) and midfielders Peyton Mottice (14g, 7a) and Alyssa Adams (14g, 1a) on the Preseason All-Conference Team.
 
East Carolina, which begins its fourth season as a varsity program, was picked fifth in the preseason poll. The Pirates went 5-3 through eight games in 2020, including a program-record five-game winning streak, and return their entire starting lineup for 2021. Leading scorer Nicole LeGar (16g, 9a) and top defender Liz Blumthal (13 gb, 10 ct) were chosen to the Preseason All-Conference Team.
 
Old Dominion was sixth in the preseason poll as the Monarchs compete in the American Athletic Conference for the first time in 2021. ODU, which went 3-6 in the shortened 2020 season, will be led by Preseason All-Conference attack Lilly Siskind (14g, 3a) and defender Madison Corcoran (11 gb, 11 ct).
 
The 2021 lacrosse season for American Athletic Conference teams begins Friday, Feb. 12, as five of the league's six teams are in action during the opening weekend,. while conference play begins March 19. Each team in The American will play 10 conference games, facing the other five teams in the conference twice each on a Friday-Sunday scheduling format. 
 
The 2021 American Athletic Conference Women's Lacrosse Championship is scheduled for May 6 and 8 at Donald R. Dizney Stadium on the campus of the University of Florida. 
 
 
 
2021 American Athletic Conference Women's Lacrosse Preseason Coaches' Poll
 

	1.	Florida (5) *	25
	2.	Vanderbilt	19
	3.	Temple (1)	17
	4.	Cincinnati	14
	5.	East Carolina	10
	6.	Old Dominion	5
		first-place votes in parentheses

 
2021 American Athletic Conference Preseason Attack Player of the Year
Brianna Harris, Florida, *
 
2021 American Athletic Conference Preseason Midfielder of the Year
Shannon Kavanagh, Florida *
 
2021 American Athletic Conference Preseason Defensive Players of the Year
Morgan Dukes, Cincinnati
Cara Trombetta, Florida
 
2021 American Athletic Conference Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year
Sarah Reznick, Florida *
 
 
2021 American Athletic Conference Women's Lacrosse Preseason All-Conference Team
Alyssa Adams, M, Cincinnati
Monica Borzillo, A, Cincinnati *
Morgan Dukes, D, Cincinnati
Peyton Mottice, M, Cincinnati
Liz Blumthal, D, East Carolina
Nicole LeGar, M, East Carolina
Kaitlyn Dabkowski, D, Florida
Brianna Harris, A, Florida, *
Grace Haus, A, Florida
Shannon Kavanagh, M, Florida *
Sarah Reznick, G, Florida
Cara Trombetta, D, Florida *
Madison Corcoran, D, Old Dominion
Lilly Siskind, A, Old Dominion
Meghan Hoffman, A, Temple
Belle Mastropietro, M, Temple
Courtney Taylor, D, Temple
Bridget Whitaker, M, Temple
Gabby Forina, A, Vanderbilt *
Brianne Gross, M, Vanderbilt
Melissa Hawkins, D, Vanderbilt
Halle Regan, D, Vanderbilt
 
* unanimous selection