Stony Brook, Caporuscio Headline 2026 CAA Women’s Lacrosse Preseason Awards

1/29/2026 2:00:00 PM

Dylan Smith

RICHMOND, Va. –Reigning CAA Champions Stony Brook were selected as the league’s preseason favorite, while their midfielder Isabella Caporuscio was tabbed Preseason Player of the Year, as voted on by the league’s eight head coaches.

The reigning CAA Midfielder of the Year appeared and started in all 21 games for the Seawolves last season, rounding out the league’s top five with 49 goals and 68 points. Caporuscio also garnered USA Lacrosse and Nike Lacrosse Media All-America Honorable Mentions for her success on the other side of the ball, bolstering one of the country’s top defensive teams and picking up 2.5 ground balls per game.

The three-time champs earned seven first-place votes as the conference’s top team, turning to the league’s preseason pick, Caporuscio, to shoulder the load. Preseason All-CAA team selection Allie Masera also returns for her senior campaign. The Seawolves’ defender helped facilitate one of the nation’s top defensive teams that allowed just 8.8 goals per game (5^th in NCAA). The Eastport, N.Y., native also helped Stony Brook force 12.8 turnovers per contest, good for 15^th in the nation.

Drexel was picked second with one first-place nod and 42 points in the poll. The Dragons welcomed back a trio of Preseason All-CAA selections, attacker Bea Buckley, midfielder Kate Quinn, and defender Katie Maloney. Buckley was one of the conference’s top distributors a season ago, sitting second with 44 assists en route to 72 points, good for fourth in the CAA. Quinn averaged 3.3 draw controls, while Maloney picked up 2.4 ground balls per contest. The duo became an instrumental part in Drexel’s transition to offense, succeeding on 93.4% of its clears (7^th in NCAA).

Four points separated third and fifth place as Towson (33), Elon (31) and Hofstra rounded out the top five in the preseason poll. The Tigers roster a pair of players on the league’s preseason team, attacker Katie Roszko and midfielder Valerie Thompson. The Phoenix also saw two players earn a spot on the conference’s top team in attacker Ana Lee Vandiver and defender Reagan Kuehn. The Pride also welcomed back Nikki Mennella, the CAA’s points leader (99) in 2025, and standout defender Christine Dannenfelser, both of whom were named to the Preseason All-CAA Team.

William & Mary (17), Campbell (13) and Monmouth (10) rounded out the preseason poll. The Hawks will turn to Preseason All-CAA Team selection Katie Sullivan to shoulder the load in net after topping the league with 11.4 saves per game (2^nd in NCAA) and sitting second in the CAA with a .480 save percentage (15^th in NCAA).

2026 CAA WOMEN’S LACROSSE PRESEASON AWARDS
CAA Preseason Coaches Poll

Team (1st place votes)	Points
Stony Brook (7)	49
Drexel (1)	42
Towson	33
Elon	31
Hofstra	29
William & Mary	17
Campbell	13
Monmouth	10

CAA Preseason Player of the Year
Isabella Caporuscio, Stony Brook

2026 Preseason All-CAA Team

Player	Team	Pos.	Class	Hometown
Bea Buckley	Drexel	A	Jr.	Philadelphia, Pa.
Nikki Mennella	Hofstra	A	R-Jr.	Smithtown, N.Y.
Katie Roszko	Towson	A	Jr.	Bel Air, Md.
Ana Lee Vandiver	Elon	A	R-Jr.	Baltimore, Md.
Isabella Caporuscio	Stony Brook	M	Jr.	Mountain Top, Pa.
Kate Quinn	Drexel	M	Sr.	West Caldwell, N.J.
Valerie Thompson	Towson	M	Sr.	Sykesville, Md.
Christine Dannenfelser	Hofstra	D	Jr.	Bayport, N.Y.
Reagan Kuehn	Elon	D	Jr.	Towson, Md.
Katie Maloney	Drexel	D	R-Jr.	Gaithersburg, Md.
Allie Masera	Stony Brook	D	Sr.	Eastport, N.Y.
Katie Sullivan	Monmouth	GK	Jr.	Gainesville, Va.

Honorable Mentions: Natalia Altebrando, Stony Brook (GK) / Jenna Cardeno, Towson (GK) / Kate Draddy, William & Mary (M) / Julia Fusco, Stony Brook (M) / Hailey Kohlmann, Campbell (D) / Ocea Leavy, Towson (M) / Emma Nikolic, Drexel (D) / MJ Santa Barbara, Elon (A)

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