IRVING, Texas – James Madison’s women’s lacrosse team was the unanimous choice as the preseason favorite in the 2025 American Athletic Conference preseason coaches’ poll
 
The Dukes, who are ranked No. 18 in the USA Lacrosse preseason poll, received all six possible first-place votes from the head coaches to amass 36 points in the poll and edge Vanderbilt, which was second with 31 points and one first-place vote. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams in the preseason poll.
 
James Madison attack Maddie Epke was the coaches’ unanimous choice as The American’s Preseason Attack Player of the Year, while Dukes defender was unanimously chosen as the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Vanderbilt’s Kemper Robinson was named as the Preseason Midfielder of the Year, while Temple’s Taylor Grollman was the Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year.
 
James Madison went 14-6 overall and 5-1 in conference play in 2024, as the Dukes advanced to the second round of the NCAA Championship. JMU will be led by Epke, an honorable mention All-America selection last year who scored 57 goals with 23 assists and 178 draw controls. James Madison’s defense gets a boost from the return of Thistlewaite, who missed all of last season due to injury, but helped hold opponents to 7.9 goals per game in 2023.
 
Epke and Thistlewaite were among the five James Madison players named to the preseason all-conference team, along with midfielder Maggie Clark (11g, 7a), attack Olivia Mattis (20g, 3a), defender Ava Bleckley (37 gb, 40 dc, 31 ct) and goalie Caitlin Boden (.432 sv%).
 
Vanderbilt returns a number of key players from last year’s squad, which went 9-8 overall and 3-3 in The American. Robinson earned Preseason Midfielder of the Year honors and was a unanimous selection to the preseason all-conference team after she scored a team-high 38 goals with eight assists for 46 points in 2024. The Commodores also have five players on the preseason all-conference team as midfielder Brooke Baker (36g, 3a), attack Maddie Barkate (24g, 12a, 119 dc at Harvard), attack Molly Finlay (30g, 10a) and defender Alex Gladding (28 gb, 17 ct) joined Robinson.
 
Temple was third in the preseason poll. The Owls look to build upon a solid 9-7 season (4-2 in The American) behind the play of Grollman, who earned Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year honors with a .462 save percentage and a 9.54 goals-against average. Attack Amelia Wright, the team’s top returning scorer (29g, 5a) joined Grollman on the preseason all-conference team.
 
East Carolina was fourth in the preseason poll. The Pirates placed attack Erin Gulden (31g, 14a), midfielder Emily Stratton (19g, 6a) and defender Caroline Meninger (35 gb, 20 ct) on the preseason all-conference team.
 
South Florida, which begins its first season of competition, was fifth in the preseason poll. The Bulls have assembled a talented roster of impact freshmen and key transfers that figure to make them a factor out of the chute in 2025. Attack Sofia Chepenik, who scored 33 goals with 20 assists at Clemson in 2023, joined freshman defender Ansley Knor on the preseason all-conference team.
 
Charlotte likewise begins its first season of competition in 2025. The 49ers were picked sixth in the preseason poll and placed defender Lily Barger, the 2024 Big South Defensive Player of the Year at Wofford, on the preseason all-conference team.
 
Old Dominion was seventh in the preseason poll as the Monarchs were represented on the preseason all-conference team by attack Sydney Taylor, who had 24 goals with 13 assists last season.
 
The 2025 lacrosse season for American Athletic Conference teams begins Friday, Feb. 7, while conference play begins March 15. Each team in The American will play six conference games, facing the other six teams in the conference in a single-round-robin scheduling format. 
 
The 2025 American Athletic Conference Women’s Lacrosse Championship is scheduled for May 1 and 3 at the L.R. Hill Sports Complex in Norfolk, Virginia, on the Old Dominion campus. 
 
 
 
2025 American Athletic Conference Women’s Lacrosse Preseason Coaches’ Poll

	1.	James Madison (6)	36
	2.	Vanderbilt (1)	31
	3.	Temple	24
	4.	East Carolina	19
	5.	South Florida	18
	6.	Charlotte	11
	7.	Old Dominion	8
		first-place votes in parentheses

 
 
2025 American Athletic Conference Preseason Attack Player of the Year
Maddie Epke, James Madison *
 
2025 American Athletic Conference Preseason Midfielder of the Year
Kemper Robinson, Vanderbilt
 
2025 American Athletic Conference Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Carolyn Thistlewaite, James Madison *
 
2025 American Athletic Conference Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year
Taylor Grollman, Temple
 
 
2025 American Athletic Conference Women’s Lacrosse Preseason All-Conference Team
Lily Barger, D, Charlotte
Erin Gulden, A, East Carolina
Caroline Meininger, D, East Carolina
Emily Stratton, M, East Carolina
Carolyn Thistlewaite, D, James Madison
Ava Bleckley, D, James Madison *
Caitlin Boden, G, James Madison
Maggie Clark, M, James Madison
Maddie Epke, A, James Madison *
Olivia Mattis, A, James Madison
Sydney Taylor, A, Old Dominion
Sofia Chepenik, A, South Florida
Ansley Knor, D, South Florida
Taylor Grollman, G, Temple *
Amelia Wright, A, Temple
Brooke Baker, M, Vanderbilt *
Maddie Barkate, A, Vanderbilt
Molly Finlay, A, Vanderbilt
Alex Gladding, D, Vanderbilt
Kemper Robinson, M, Vanderbilt *
 
* unanimous selection