NEW YORK – Old Dominion University field hockey placed third in the 2021 BIG EAST Field Hockey Preseason Coaches' Poll, the conference announced on Thursday afternoon. In addition, Marlee McClendon and Riley Taylor were named preseason all-conference.
The Monarchs received 24 points to edge out Providence (21). Connecticut topped the poll with 35 points and five first-place votes. Liberty picked up the two remaining first-place votes and garnered 32 points in total. Temple (16), Quinnipiac (10) and Villanova (nine) rounded out the poll. All voting was conducted by the conference's head coaches.
"I believe the BIG EAST will be very competitive this spring, and as usual, there will be surprises," head coach Andrew Griffiths said. "Our aim is to win the league, and we will be working hard towards that, no matter what twists and turns the season brings. We have so much new about our squad, and we are excited to see how the team comes together."
A redshirt senior back, McClendon was a Second Team All-BIG EAST selection in 2019 after leading the team with nine assists, which was tied for the fourth-most in the conference. Six of her nine assists came in games against BIG EAST opponents, and she helped the Monarchs to five shutout victories. The Virginia Beach, Virginia native made the BIG EAST All-Tournament Team in 2019 and registered a defensive save in the championship match.
A junior forward/midfielder, Taylor was second on the team in points and assists with 18 and eight, respectively. Taylor notched five goals and shared the team lead with three game winners. A native of Virginia Beach, Virginia, Taylor racked up a pair of goals in a 2-0 win over VCU and grabbed another marker in the Monarchs' 3-1 win over Liberty in the semifinals of the BIG EAST Tournament.
Liberty's Jill Bolton was selected as the preseason offensive player of the year. Connecticut goalkeeper Cheyenne Sprecher was the preseason defensive player of the year.
ODU posted a mark of 11-7 in 2019 and went 6-1 in the BIG EAST to finish second in the conference. The Monarchs reached the championship match of the BIG EAST Tournament before falling to top-seeded UConn and finished the season ranked 17th in the NFHCA National Coaches Poll.
"I'm really proud of how committed our student-athletes have been, and how hard they have worked over the past year plus, since we last played an official game," Griffiths said. "They have really been through a lot together, and it will be a reward for them to put on the ODU uniform and compete."
The Monarchs begin the season on Saturday, Feb. 13 when they host VCU at 2 p.m. Admission to the L.R. Hill Sports Complex is limited to 250 individuals on the basis of first come, first served. ODU's opener with the Rams will be streamed for free on odusports.com. More information on Covid-19 guidelines for the L.R. Hill Sports Complex can be found here.
| 2021 BIG EAST Preseason Field Hockey Coaches' Poll | |
| Team | Points (First-Place Votes) |
| Connecticut | 35 (5) |
| Liberty | 32 (2) |
| Old Dominion | 24 |
| Providence | 21 |
| Temple | 16 |
| Quinnipiac | 10 |
| Villanova | 9 |
| Preseason All-BIG EAST | |||
| School | Year | Pos. | |
| Cheyenne Sprecher | Connecticut | Jr. | GK |
| Kourtney Kennedy | Connecticut | Sr. | B |
| Marlee McClendon | Old Dominion | R-Sr. | B |
| Dani Batz^ | Temple | Sr. | B |
| Maddie Babineau^ | Providence | Sr. | M |
| Sophie Hamilton^ | Connecticut | So. | M |
| Jess Dembrowski | Connecticut | Sr. | M |
| Riley Taylor | Old Dominion | Jr. | F/M |
| Jill Bolton^ | Liberty | Sr. | F |
| Daniella Rhodes^ | Liberty | So. | F |
| Charlotte Vaanhold | Liberty | Jr. | F |
^ denotes unanimous selection
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Jill Bolton, Liberty, Sr., F
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Cheyenne Sprecher, Connecticut, Jr., GK