Women’s lacrosse (11-6, 8-0 Big South) secured the No. 1 seed in the Big South Conference Championship for the fourth consecutive season and will face off against Furman University (10-8, 5-3 Big South) on May 1 at 4 p.m. in the semifinals.
Following an 18-8 victory over Longwood University on April 25, the Bears concluded conference play with an unblemished record and extended their run of top-seed finishes that began in 2023.
Mercer has been dominant against conference opponents since their move to the Big South in 2022. The team has lost just twice over five seasons and have an overall record of 40-2 against conference opponents.
While the Bears lost their opening three matches, they rebounded with key victories over Kennesaw State University (18-5), Stetson University (22-7) and Arizona State University (20-16). The stretch of non-conference victories preceded an eight-game winning streak within Big South.
During conference play, Mercer outscored opponents 137-31, averaging 17.1 goals per game while allowing 3.8 goals per contest.
On April 18, the program reached a historic defensive milestone with the first shutout in school history, a 24-0 victory at Radford University.
The goalkeeping rotation has been anchored by Mackenzie Ward '27, who recorded 102 saves and seven wins across 17 games.
The Mercer offense has also been top-notch and leads the Big South with 253 total goals.
Caroline Glus '26 has continued to lead the team since her breakout season in 2024, and she ranks in the top 20 in the nation in goals scored while also ranking in the top three on the roster in assists.
She is supported by Sofia D’Angelo '26, who is second on the team with 57 points and leads the league with 0.8 free-position goals per game. The Glus-D'Angelo duo has exhibited explosiveness together as both have scored six goals in a single game this season, including both achieving hat tricks in the regular season finale.
Behind them, Maya Maldonado '26 leads the Bears with 17 assists. Abby Vane '26 has provided veteran poise in high-leverage moments and leads the roster with three game-winning goals.
Possession remains a pillar of Mercer's strategy, for which the team relies on Ayla Galloway '28, who leads the Big South in draw controls. The Bears lead the conference overall in ball security and average a Big South-low turnovers per game.
The Bears have home-field advantage in the conference tournament, starting tomorrow, and they have positioned themselves for a fourth consecutive conference championship appearance.
Furman, however, could spoil Mercer's party. The Paladins are responsible for one of Mercer's only conference losses in the past five seasons, handing the Bears a 18-17 overtime loss at Five Star Stadium last season. Mercer beat the Paladins, 13-6, on April 8 in their only regular season meeting this year.
Furman fields one of the conference's best offenses but one that is more consistent across the board than Mercer's two dominant attackers. The Paladins are second in the Big South in team assists and third in goals.
The championship game is scheduled for Sunday, May 3 at noon and the winner will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship.
Kaylee Grace Buchanan '29 is double majoring in Criminal Justice and Psychology with an minor in Religion. When not writing, she enjoys reading, baking and playing tennis. You can also catch her on the pickleball courts jamming out to some music as well.
