The first game for the Clemson women’s lacrosse team is less than a year away and its inaugural signing class is set to take the field.
Led by head coach Allison Kwolek, the team has signed eight players that will enroll in the fall. Kwolek brings over a decade of collegiate coaching experience and membership in the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame.
Prior to her move south, Kwolek coached at the University of Richmond since 2013, where she won 80% of her games. Kwolek took the Spiders to seven straight Atlantic 10 conference tournaments, winning two championships in the process.
“This job is meant for me,” Kwolek said in an interview with USA Lacrosse.
Kwolek has built strong relationships with her recruits and has garnered several verbal commitments from transfers across the nation.
“It is a tremendous opportunity to begin a program at a school so committed to the success of the student- athlete,” said Kwolek. “It’s going to be hard work, and I’m excited for that work.”
Led by head coach Allison Kwolek, the team has signed eight players that will enroll in the fall. Kwolek brings over a decade of collegiate coaching experience and membership in the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame.
Prior to her move south, Kwolek coached at the University of Richmond since 2013, where she won 80% of her games. Kwolek took the Spiders to seven straight Atlantic 10 conference tournaments, winning two championships in the process.
“This job is meant for me,” Kwolek said in an interview with USA Lacrosse.
Kwolek has built strong relationships with her recruits and has garnered several verbal commitments from transfers across the nation.
“It is a tremendous opportunity to begin a program at a school so committed to the success of the student- athlete,” said Kwolek. “It’s going to be hard work, and I’m excited for that work.”
Clemson’s first class of recruits brings championship-level talent. The rest of the roster does not fall far behind.
Starting inside the goal circle, goalie Ava DeLyra of Charleston, South Carolina offers a formidable final wall of defense. DeLyra was originally committed to Johns Hopkins University but decommitted in favor of Clemson.
DeLyra earned the titles of 2021 South Carolina Lower State Player of the Year and 2021 Under Armour All- American South Highlight team. She also received invitations to both the Nike and Under Armour elite tournaments.
5-foot-9 defender Paris Masaracchia of Enola, Pennsylvania is expected to present an aggressive front. Masaracchia has collected a slew of awards, including a four-time Under Armour All-American player, a member of the 2021 USA Select U18 Team, and MVP of several tournaments at both a state and national level.
Starting inside the goal circle, goalie Ava DeLyra of Charleston, South Carolina offers a formidable final wall of defense. DeLyra was originally committed to Johns Hopkins University but decommitted in favor of Clemson.
DeLyra earned the titles of 2021 South Carolina Lower State Player of the Year and 2021 Under Armour All- American South Highlight team. She also received invitations to both the Nike and Under Armour elite tournaments.
5-foot-9 defender Paris Masaracchia of Enola, Pennsylvania is expected to present an aggressive front. Masaracchia has collected a slew of awards, including a four-time Under Armour All-American player, a member of the 2021 USA Select U18 Team, and MVP of several tournaments at both a state and national level.
The team found luck in themidfield, adding four recruits. Kasey Beach of Urbana, Maryland, and Erin Hickey of Farmingdale, New York were committed to Kwolek’s Richmond team, but now they will follow Kwolek to Clemson.
Although they both check in at only 5-foot-5 and just over a hundred pounds, it is their speed and agility which will be crucial in creating up-field movement. Both collected a long list of impressive accomplishments as three- sport high school athletes.
On the inside of the circle sits freshman draw control specialist Sophie Waters of Milton, Georgia. Outside of her participation in club and high school lacrosse, Waters competed in triathlons.
As a freshman, Waters was a member of her high school’s state championship team. In the same year, she made the Under Armour All-America South Command team. Milton’s speed and determination should help the Tigers dominate the center field.
The Tigers added their most recent midfield commitment, Callie Roseberry of Larchmont, New York, on Nov. 22, according to Inside Lacrosse. She spent her winters cross-training as an alpine ski racer at Waterville Valley Academy in New Hampshire.
Although they both check in at only 5-foot-5 and just over a hundred pounds, it is their speed and agility which will be crucial in creating up-field movement. Both collected a long list of impressive accomplishments as three- sport high school athletes.
On the inside of the circle sits freshman draw control specialist Sophie Waters of Milton, Georgia. Outside of her participation in club and high school lacrosse, Waters competed in triathlons.
As a freshman, Waters was a member of her high school’s state championship team. In the same year, she made the Under Armour All-America South Command team. Milton’s speed and determination should help the Tigers dominate the center field.
The Tigers added their most recent midfield commitment, Callie Roseberry of Larchmont, New York, on Nov. 22, according to Inside Lacrosse. She spent her winters cross-training as an alpine ski racer at Waterville Valley Academy in New Hampshire.
Rounding out the recruits on attack are Julian Bell of Bedford, New Hampshire and Sofia Chepenik of Palm Coast, Florida. Bell decommitted from the United States Naval Academy to attend Clemson and is a member of the 2021 New Hampshire Lacrosse All-State team.
Chepenik led her high school team in almost every imaginable statistic – draw controls, assists, goals, groundballs and forced turnovers. She was voted all- first coast and has drawn praise from former coaches and teammates for being passionate, coachable and intelligent.
With the Tigers’ first signing class set to take the field, Kwolek and her team will have an opportunity to set the standard of lacrosse at Clemson, and it all starts next spring.
Chepenik led her high school team in almost every imaginable statistic – draw controls, assists, goals, groundballs and forced turnovers. She was voted all- first coast and has drawn praise from former coaches and teammates for being passionate, coachable and intelligent.
With the Tigers’ first signing class set to take the field, Kwolek and her team will have an opportunity to set the standard of lacrosse at Clemson, and it all starts next spring.
