The University of South Florida women’s lacrosse team has been selected to finish second in the 2026 American Women’s Lacrosse Preseason Coaches’ Poll, according to an announcement from the league. The poll results place South Florida just behind James Madison, which received six first-place votes, and ahead of East Carolina, Vanderbilt, Temple, Charlotte, and Old Dominion.
Redshirt junior attacker Sofia Chepenik was named Co-Preseason Attack Player of the Year and was a unanimous selection to the preseason all-conference team. Chepenik is recognized as one of the conference’s leading offensive players and returns as a key leader for South Florida this season.
Joining Chepenik on the Preseason All-Conference Team are sophomore midfielder Kali Cleary and redshirt senior midfielder Kaitlyn Tartaglione. Tartaglione also earned unanimous selection after her performance last season.
South Florida will open its 2026 season at home against Niagara University on Friday, February 7 at Corbett Stadium. The game is scheduled for noon ET and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Fans interested in attending games can purchase tickets by calling 1-800-GoBulls or visiting USFBullsTix.com.
This marks only the second season for the South Florida women’s lacrosse program. In its inaugural year, the team set a state regular-season attendance record with 2,386 fans at its first game and finished with a 13–5 record. The Bulls reached the American Conference Championship final and were runners-up in their first season. Over 10,000 fans attended games throughout that campaign.
Head coach Mindy McCord leads the program after being hired in May 2022. McCord previously coached at Jacksonville University where she accumulated 240 career wins and led her teams to multiple conference titles and NCAA Tournament appearances.
South Florida employs a fast-paced playing style influenced by early 1990s Loyola Marymount men’s basketball tactics, focusing on high scoring and aggressive offense.
“Chepenik was a unanimous selection to the preseason all-conference team and shared Preseason Attack Player of the Year honor after establishing herself as one of the conference’s most dynamic offensive threats,” according to the release. “Cleary, a sophomore midfielder, also earned preseason all-conference recognition after making an impact on both ends of the field last season. Tartaglione, a redshirt senior midfielder, was a unanimous selection after an impressive season that established her as one of the league’s top midfielders.”
