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Field Hockey

Lynchburg Favored Atop ODAC Field Hockey Preseason Poll

Defending Champions Earn Seven First Place Votes, Washington and Lee Collects Remaining Two

FOREST, Va. --- The first preseason poll announcement of the 2026 fall season belongs to field hockey with the University of Lynchburg topping the annual coach's survey for the third time in the last four seasons.

The defending ODAC champions garnered seven first place votes to power the Hornets chart-topping 63 points to lead the nine-team field hockey table. Washington and Lee University collected the remaining two top nods on the way to 56 markers. Shenandoah University is just four spots back in third position with 52 tallies.

In the sections below, we look back to the 2025 season to set the tone for this year and then dive into some features of ODAC field hockey for the upcoming 2026 campaign.

2026 ODAC FIELD HOCKEY PRESEASON POLL
(#) denotes first place votes received

1.University of Lynchburg (7)63 pts.
2.Washington and Lee University (2)     56 pts.
3.Shenandoah University52 pts.
4.Randolph-Macon College41 pts.
5.Bridgewater College36 pts.
6.Roanoke College29 pts.
7.Batten University23 pts.
8.Sweet Briar College13 pts.
9.EMU11 pts.
    • Four of the ODAC's field hockey programs reached double figures in victories with three featuring better than .700 winning percentages and the fourth at .632.
      • Those four teams – Lynchburg (17-5), Shenandoah (15-4), Washington and Lee (14-5), Randolph-Macon (12-7) – combined for a 58-21 (.734) record
      • Randolph-Macon's 12 wins were the most for the Yellow Jackets since matching their school-record with 13 victories in 2010
    • Lynchburg, Shenandoah, and Washington and Lee each finished at 7-1 in league play to tie for first in the conference
      • The fifth step in the ODAC's tiebreaking procedure – goals allowed amongst the tied teams -- was needed to separate Lynchburg from SU and WLU for the top seed
      • SU's win over WLU during the regular season split their new tie and awarded the second seed to the Hornets
    • LYN, SU, and WLU were joined by Randolph-Macon, Bridgewater, and Roanoke in the six-team bracket
    • Quarterfinals: RMC def. BC, 1-0; WLU def. RC, 3-0
    • Semifinals: LYN def. RMC, 2-0; SU def. WLU, 4-3 (OT)
    • Championship: LYN def. SU, 5-1
    • Lynchburg increased its ODAC record-number of field hockey championships to 23 after competing in its ninth straight and 35th overall title match
    • Shenandoah appeared in its six consecutive championship game, all since 2016
    • Lynchburg was the lone representative in the 28-team Division III Field Hockey Championship bracket.
    • The Hornets opened play with a midweek contest and promptly upset host Rowan University, 3-2
    • In the second round, the Hornets dropped a showdown at CNU against the Captains in overtime, 2-1
    • Lynchburg made its 22nd appearance in the Division III field, now owning a record of 15-22 (.405) in the tournament
    • ODAC teams are 24-41 (.369) in 41 overall berths
    • Penn Monto/NFHCA Division III National Coaches Poll is slated to be release on Tuesday (8/25); this release will be updated with that information once it becomes available

  • For the second year in a row, the number of returning All-ODAC players slipped, although with 20 all-conference athletes back in the fold, the list of returning stars remains above 50-percent. 

    Seven members of the 13-player All-ODAC First Team are back with an additional eight standouts coming from the third team. Shenandoah leads the charge with six of their nine all-league stars back in Winchester including ODAC Rookie of the Year, forward Reagan Flory. Randolph-Macon welcomes back goalkeeper Valentina Ambrogi-Torres, last year's ODAC Defensive Player of the Year and one of five All-ODAC honorees returning to Ashland.

    The biggest hurdle in the conference will be faced head-on by reigning ODAC Coach of the Year Jenni Releford at Lynchburg. The Hornets saw four players each appear on the 2025 first and second team. Only two are back for the defending champions, meaning there will be plenty of opportunity for new stars to emerge.

    • FORWARDS (7-of-13)
      • Reagan Flory, SU (1st Team)
      • Madeline Lancione, WLU (1st Team)
      • Landry Meyer, BATN (2nd Team)
      • Breea Dresler, RMC (2nd Team)
      • Corinne Orlando, RC (3rd Team)
      • Ellie Quinn, SU (3rd Team)
      • Kierney Weigle, SU (3rd Team)
    • MIDFIELDERS (8-of-13)
      • Allie Freeman, LYN (1st Team)
      • Margaret Scheurer, WLU (1st Team)
      • Mollie Best, BC (2nd Team)
      • Zoe Dolfis, WLU (2nd Team)
      • Kylee Gorham, RMC (3rd Team)
      • Brenna McLean, RMC (3rd Team)
      • Ava Fields, SU (3rd Team)
      • Anne Burns Fiveash, WLU (3rd Team)
    • DEFENDERS (3-of-10)
      • Khanyisile Mzizi, LYN (1st Team)
      • Camryn DeLeva, SU (1st Team)
      • Grace Oates, RMC (2nd Team)
    • GOALKEEPERS (2-of-3)
      • Valentina Ambrogi-Torres, RMC (1st Team)
      • Cassidy Alexander, SU (3rd Team)

  • The athletes listed below represent the top-three returning statistical leaders for major statistical categories from the 2025 season.

     PLAYER #1PLAYER #2PLAYER #3
    FIELD PLAYERS
    Points39Reagan Flory, SU26Margaret Scheurer, WLU25Allie Freeman, LYN
    Goals17Reagan Flory, SU11Margaret Scheurer, WLU10Madeline Lancione, WLU
    Assists13Allie Freeman, LYN7Margaret Cover, WLU6Khanyisile Mzizi, LYN
    Shots (on goal)82 (40)Margaret Scheurer, WLU64 (27)Landry Meyer, BATN61 (38)Reagan Flory, SU
    Defensive Saves7Terranie Bennett, EMU5Grace Oates, RMC3Several Players
       
    GOALKEEPERS (min. 33% of team goalkeeper minutes played for Save Pct./GAA)
    GK Minutes1170:45Shay Schoones, LYN1156:04Valentina Ambrogi-Torres, RMC1068:23Chloe Miller, RC
    Saves171Emma Huante, EMU155Valentina Ambrogi-Torres, RMC107Reiyn Hart, SBC
    Save Pct..876Valentina Ambrogi-Torres, RMC.87Shay Schoones, LYN.738Reiyn Hart, SBC
    GAA1.14Valentina Ambrogi-Torres, RMC1.18Shay Schoones, LYN1.81Cassidy Alexander, SU
    Shutouts7Valentina Ambrogi-Torres, RMC4Shay Schoones, LYN4Chloe Miller, RC

  • Below are the win-loss records for each coach entering the 2026 season.

    COACHSCHOOLSEASON (AT SCHOOL)OVERALL (PCT.)AT SCHOOL (PCT.)
    Emily BagbyBridgewater2nd (2nd)8-10 (.444)8-10 (.444)
    Baylor BaxleyVirginia Wesleyan2nd (2nd)5-11 (.313)5-11 (.313)
    Sydney MetzEastern Mennonite2nd (2nd)0-17 (.000)0-17 (.000)
    Jenni RelefordLynchburg3rd (3rd)33-10 (.767)33-10 (.767)
    Jess WeissRandolph-Macon11th (11th)78-93 (.456)78-93 (.456)
    Briana BanksRoanoke17th (17th)131-144 (.476)131-144 (.476)
    Ashley Smeltzer-KraftShenandoah14th (14th)176-71 (.713)176-71 (.713)
    Kylie GargiuloSweet Briar3rd (1st)10-24 (.294)1st Season
    Gina WillsWashington and Lee20th (12th)258-102 (.717)137-62 (.688)
    • ODAC teams begin play with the rest of Division III on Tuesday, September 1
    • The first set of four conference games are slated for Saturday, October 3
    • The ODAC Tournament will feature a six-team field competed in a traditional bracket format
      • Quarterfinals: Tuesday, November 3 at the #3-4 Seeds
      • Semifinals: Thursday, November 5 at the #1-2 Seeds
      • Championship: Saturday, November 7 at the highest remaining seed
    • The Division III Field Hockey Championship bracket will be announced on NCAA.com on Sunday evening, November 8
      • First Round: Wednesday, November 11
      • Second/Third Rounds: Saturday-Sunday, November 14-15
      • Semifinals: Friday, November 20 at Trinity College (Robin Sheppard Field) in Hartford, Conn.
      • Championship: Sunday, November 22 at Smith College (H.J. McCooey Memorial Field) in Geneva, N.Y.