FOREST, Va. --- A league-high nine stars from 15-time defending champion Washington and Lee University garnered all-conference recognition while four schools account for five special individual honors to headline the 2025 All-ODAC Women's Lacrosse Awards.
Generals defender Libby Ford was tabbed the ODAC Defensive Player of the Year, while first-year teammate and attack Lara Baki secured ODAC Rookie of the Year laurels. Roanoke College attack Grace Koutouzis collected ODAC Offensive Player of the Year plaudits, and Shenandoah University mentor Lindsey Lutz received ODAC Coach of the Year accolades from her peers. Averett University attack Faith Bowlin earned ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Scholar-Athlete of the Year distinction in a vote of the conference athletic communications personnel.
Plenty of new stars were dubbed during this year's all-conference process with the coaches selecting only 12 players that appeared on last year's list of 38 honorees. Ten of those repeat award winners appear on the 2025 All-ODAC First Team. Roanoke's Koutouzis and SU's Ainsley Buckner were first team picks at attack in 2024, while Randolph-Macon College Taylor Mittelstadter is the only midfielder to earn the same recognition this year. University of Lynchburg's Meredith Bornholdt and Shenandoah's duo of Julianna Fohner and Talia Maria each repeat as first team defenders.
Lynchburg's Sydney Dumas and RMC's Lilly Fowler moved up from second team attack to first team, while LYN midfielder Neely Morris and WLU defender/draw specialist Cat Caples did the same from their positions.
Ford, a senior from Denver, Colo., increases Washington and Lee's streak of ODAC Defensive Player of the Year honors to six straight seasons. Ford, a preseason All-American by USA Lacrosse, lived up to that billing in collecting her first All-ODAC team selection. She has played in and started all 20 games for the ninth-rank Generals, posting 36 caused turnovers and 56 ground balls, both well above her previous career-highs and knocking on the door of the Generals single-season top-five with at least one game left to play. Ford spearheaded a defensive unit that allowed just 145 goals and caused 216 turnovers through the ODAC tournament.
Koutouzis, a senior from Marietta, Ga., is now a three-time All-ODAC honoree with appointments to the first team each of the past two seasons and a second team honor in 2023. Koutouzis is a prolific playmaker, racking up 95 points on 47 goals and 48 assists as the lynchpin to a Maroons offense that out-scored its opponents 300-153. She registered three or more points in 14-of-19 games played including a career-high 11 points on three goals and eight assists in a 20-7 win at Randolph-Macon at the end of March. Koutouzis graduates having posted 298 points on 161 goals and 137 assists, totals that rank tied for fifth, eighth, and second, respectively, all-time at Roanoke.
Lutz completed her 17th season guiding the Hornets women's lacrosse program in 2025. This is her first ODAC top-coaching honor. The Hornets reached the ODAC title game for the second time this season, finishing as runners-up to Washington and Lee this year and in 2013. This is the fourth straight season that a Lutz-coached team has won more than 10 games and 11th overall during her tenure. Lutz closes the season with a 171-117 (.594) career record, all in Winchester.
Baki, a first-year from Manhasset, N.Y., was a three-sport letterwinner in high school but shined as a lacrosse-focused standout in her first season in Lexington. She pairs the league's top-rookie award with an All-ODAC First Team selection. Entering the NCAA postseason, Baki is second on WLU's roster with 51 points and 43 goals scored. She boasts and .808 shots on-goal percentage and is 6-for-12 on free-position shots. Baki has also gotten involved in the possession game, picking up 15 ground balls to go with 11 caused turnovers.
Bowlin, a senior from Abingdon, Md., shines both on and off the field for Averett. In the classroom, Bowlin maintains a 3.90 grade point average as a nursing major. She has previously received recognition on the College Sports Communicators (CSC) All-District Team as well as multiple assignments to the All-ODAC Academic Team and the Averett President's List. She is a member of the Chi Alpha Sigma honor society. Bowlin is a three-year captain for the Cougars squad and is a member of the acclaimed Bonner Leaders Program. She is a Connections leader charged with supporting new students at Averett. She is also a member of Sister 4 Sisters Network.
On the field, Bowlin is a two-time all-conference honoree -- once each with the ODAC in 2023 and with the USA South in 2022. She registered 68 points on a career-high 59 goals and nine assists this season, adding 41 draw controls and 10 ground balls to her line. The 2024-25 Senior Female Athlete of the Year award recipient from Averett's 2025 Night of Champions event graduates second all-time at AU in points (262) and goals scored (214) and third in assists (48).
Posted below is the full allotment of All-ODAC Women's Lacrosse Awards.
ODAC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Grace Koutouzis, Sr., A, Roanoke
ODAC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Libby Ford, Sr., D, Washington and Lee
ODAC COACH OF THE YEAR: Lindsey Lutz, Shenandoah
ODAC ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Lara Baki, Fy., A, Washington and Lee
ODAC/VAFB SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Faith Bowlin, Sr., A, Averett
| ALL-ODAC FIRST TEAM |
| Paige Mayers |
So. |
A |
Bridgewater College |
| Sydney Dumas ^ |
Jr. |
A |
Lynchburg, University of |
| Lilly Fowler ^ |
Jr. |
A |
Randolph-Macon College |
| Grace Koutouzis * |
Sr. |
A |
Roanoke College |
| Maddie McDonald |
So. |
A |
Roanoke College |
| Ainsley Buckner * |
5th |
A |
Shenandoah University |
| Lara Baki |
Fy. |
A |
Washington and Lee University |
| Hannah Van Son |
So. |
A |
Washington and Lee University |
| Neely Morris ^ |
So. |
M |
Lynchburg, University of |
| Taylor Mittelstadter * |
Sr. |
M |
Randolph-Macon College |
| Alex Ripkin |
So. |
M |
Shenandoah University |
| Emma Marsh |
Jr. |
M |
Washington and Lee University |
| Meredith Bornholdt * |
Sr. |
D |
Lynchburg, University of |
| Laila Omar |
Jr. |
D |
Randolph-Macon College |
| Julianna Fohner * |
Sr. |
D |
Shenandoah University |
| Talia Maria * |
So. |
D |
Shenandoah University |
| Cat Caples ^ |
Sr. |
D |
Washington and Lee University |
| Libby Ford |
Sr. |
D |
Washington and Lee University |
| Gillian Gladden |
Jr. |
GK |
Randolph-Macon College |
| |
|
|
|
| ALL-ODAC SECOND TEAM |
| McKenna Steinau |
Jr. |
A |
Lynchburg, University of |
| Cami McNeally |
So. |
A |
Randolph-Macon |
| Zoe Blair |
So. |
A |
Roanoke College |
| Ayla Jantz |
Fy. |
A |
Shenandoah University |
| Emily Ransom |
Jr. |
A |
Shenandoah University |
| Sophie Edwards |
Jr. |
A |
Washington and Lee University |
| Maggie Hartnett |
Gr. |
M |
Guilford College |
| Mya Hausauer |
So. |
M |
Lynchburg, University of |
| Tracey Benzing |
Sr. |
M |
Roanoke College |
| Sydney Harrison ^ |
Sr. |
M |
Roanoke College |
| Addison Harmel |
Fy. |
M |
Shenandoah University |
| Reese Morgenthaler |
Fy. |
M |
Virginia Wesleyan University |
| Betty Boatwright |
Jr. |
M |
Washington and Lee University |
| Makaila Veney ^ |
Sr. |
D |
Ferrum College |
| Hailey Pierce |
Fy. |
D |
Randolph-Macon College |
| Reaginn Bingaman |
Sr. |
D |
Roanoke College |
| Liza Fergusson |
So. |
D |
Roanoke College |
| Dagny Tombaugh |
Fy. |
D |
Washington and Lee University |
| Iman Haddad |
Jr. |
GK |
Washington and Lee University |
* 2024 All-ODAC First Team
^ 2024 All-ODAC Second Team