NORFOLK, Va. - Old Dominion Lacrosse’s Sarah Murrell has been named the American Athletic Conference’s Freshman of the Year and was a unanimous First Team All-Conference selection. Senior defender McKenzie Raech was selected to the Second Team All-Conference.
Murrell, a freshman from Perryville, Maryland got off to an explosive start in her first campaign with the Monarchs scoring a team best 43 goals and dishing out five assists this season. The midfielder scored five goals in back-to-back games against Howard and Mount St. Mary’s, and scored four goals against Longwood, Robert Morris, and Temple. She scored a goal in all but one game on the year. Murrell led the Monarchs with 80 draw controls, she collected 18 ground balls and caused 13 turnovers. Murrell ranks 26th in the nation in free position goals per game (.88).
The freshman ranks fourth in the AAC and 93rd in the nation with 43 goals, ranks fifth in the conference with a 2.62 goals per game average and second in the AAC with 4.75 draw controls per game. Murrell was named AAC Freshman of the Week five times this season and has collected a midfield player of the week award as well.
Raech, a senior defender out of Wallingford, Pennsylvania was named AAC Defensive Player of the Week three times. She started all 17 games and collected 25 ground balls, caused 16 turnovers, and secured 54 draw controls.
The senior had a season high nine draw controls in a 11-9 loss to Furman. She had a season-high three caused turnovers in a 16-3 win over Gardner-Webb and secured a high of four ground balls twice against ECU and GW.
2025 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE WOMEN'S LACROSSE AWARDS
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE ATTACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Maddie Epke, James Madison *
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE MIDFIELDERS OF THE YEAR
Kayla Wilkes, East Carolina
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Emma Magazu, East Carolina
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR
Adanya Moyer, James Madison
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Sarah Murrell, M, Old Dominion
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE COACHING STAFF OF THE YEAR
James Madison
(Head Coach Shelly Klaes, Assistant Coach Kateri Linville, Assistant Coach Kiley Anderson, Assistant Coach Matt Snyder)
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ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM |
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Pos. |
Player |
School |
Cl. |
Hometown |
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A |
Kylie Gioia |
Charlotte |
Sr. |
Broomall, Pal |
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A |
Isa Torres |
Charlotte |
So. |
Glenelg, Md. |
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A |
Savannah Derey |
James Madison |
Sr. |
Roanoke, Va. |
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A |
Maddie Epke * 2 1 |
James Madison |
Jr. |
Guilford, Conn. |
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A |
Sofia Chepenik * |
South Florida |
So. |
Jacksonville, Fla. |
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A |
Jaime Biskup |
Vanderbilt |
Gr. |
Manorville, N.Y. |
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M |
Kayla Wilkes * |
East Carolina |
Jr. |
Sinking Spring, Pa. |
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M |
Old Dominion |
Fr. |
Perryville, Md. |
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M |
Kemper Robinson 1 |
Vanderbilt |
Sr. |
Owings Mills, Md. |
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M |
Kaitlyn Tartaglione |
South Florida |
Jr. |
Bernardsville, N.J. |
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M |
Brooke Baker |
Vanderbilt |
Gr. |
Raleigh, N.C. |
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D |
Gianna Cutaia |
Charlotte |
Gr. |
Spencerport, N.Y. |
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D |
Emma Magazu * |
East Carolina |
Sr. |
Newtown, Conn. |
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D |
Ava Bleckley 1 |
James Madison |
So. |
Newtown Square, Pa. |
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D |
Reese Cuviello |
James Madison |
Fr. |
Fairfax, Va. |
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G |
Adanya Moyer |
James Madison |
Sr. |
Silver Spring, Md. |
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* unanimous selection |
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ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM |
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Pos. |
Player |
School |
Cl. |
Hometown |
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A |
Leah Bestany 2 |
East Carolina |
Sr. |
Bethpage, N.Y. |
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A |
Erin Gulden |
East Carolina |
Sr. |
West River, Md. |
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A |
Olivia Matthews |
James Madison |
Fr. |
Bedford, N.H. |
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A |
Payton Root |
James Madison |
Fr. |
Guilford, Conn. |
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A |
Julianna George |
South Florida |
Gr. |
Glen Mills, Pa. |
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A |
Erin King |
Temple |
Sr. |
Kennesaw, Ga. |
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A |
Nancy Halleron 2 |
Vanderbilt |
Sr. |
Timonium, Md. |
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M |
Chloe Bleckley |
James Madison |
Fr. |
Newtown Square, Pa. |
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M |
Maggie Clark |
James Madison |
Sr. |
Bayport, N.Y. |
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M |
Kali Cleary |
South Florida |
Fr. |
Naples, Fla. |
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M |
Sarah Gowman |
Temple |
So. |
Birdsboro, Pa. |
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M |
Sabrina Martin |
Temple |
Jr. |
Montclair, N.J. |
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D |
Caroline Meninger |
East Carolina |
Sr. |
Ellicott City, Md. |
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D |
Carolyn Thistlewaite |
James Madison |
Gr. |
New Hope, Pa. |
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D |
Old Dominion |
Sr. |
Wallingford, Pa. |
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D |
Mikaela Ness |
South Florida |
Gr. |
Forest Lake, Minn. |
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D |
Kat Bielinski |
Temple |
Jr. |
Wayne, Pa. |
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D |
Alex Gladding |
Vanderbilt |
So. |
Pompano Beach, Fla. |
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G |
Jaime Behar |
East Carolina |
Jr. |
Mineola, N.Y. |
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