UF LAX | Gators Tabbed First in AAC Preseason Poll

Florida sweeps the major preseason awards and earns six All-Conference nods

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 8 Florida lacrosse team was tabbed to win the American Athletic Conference championship in the 2021 Preseason Coaches’ Poll, as the league announced Tuesday.

The league – in its third season – shakes out in the preseason poll as follows: Florida (5), Vanderbilt, Temple (1), Cincinnati, East Carolina and Old Dominion.

Florida received five of the six first-place votes and led the conference with six preseason All-AAC players, including four unanimous selections. No other school had more than four All-AAC nods in the poll.

In addition to the six All-Conference team selections, the Gators swept the Preseason Player of the Year awards.

The last time Florida swept the major preseason awards was in 2019, the squad’s first year in the American Athletic Conference.

Brianna Harris was named Preseason Attacker of the Year, Cara Trombetta was tabbed as Preseason Co-Defender of the Year, Shannon Kavanagh earned Preseason Midfielder of the Year honors and Sarah Reznick was named Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year.

This is the third-such preseason honor for Trombetta, while Kavanagh collects her second-straight preseason Midfielder of the Year selection. The preseason accolade is the first for both Harris and Reznick in their respective categories.

Harris, Kavanagh, Reznick and Trombetta were joined on the Preseason All-AAC team by Kaitlyn Dabkowski and Grace Haus.

Harris (A), Kavanagh (M), Reznick (GK) and Trombetta (D) were all unanimous selections to the team.

Florida is coming off a 6-2 season in 2020 after the campaign was cut short due to COVID-19. The squad finished ranked eighth in the nation according to the IWLCA poll and knocked off two Top-3 teams in Maryland and Stony Brook.

Entering the 2021 season, Florida holds an overall record of 168-45 (.789) – all under head coach Amanda O’Leary.

The Gators, picked No. 8 in the IWLCA Preseason Poll, gets the 2021 season started on the road against Louisville on Feb. 13 in Louisville, Ky.

2021 American Athletic Conference Women’s Lacrosse Preseason Poll
Team (First Place Votes) Points
1. Florida (5) 25
2. Vanderbilt 19
3. Temple (1) 17
4. Cincinnati 14
5. East Carolina 10
6. Old Dominion 5

Preseason Attacker of the Year
Brianna Harris, Florida*

Preseason Midfielder of the Year
Shannon Kavanagh, Florida*

Preseason Defender of the Year
Cara Trombetta, Florida
Morgan Dukes, Cincinnati

Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year
Sarah Reznick, Florida*

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